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According to the latest estimates, as many as 13 million children in the United States live in "food insecure" homes.
https://www.nokidhungry.org/who-we-are/hunger-facts The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that more than 15 million children in the United States reside in households facing challenges related to food security.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4847051/

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According to the latest estimates, as many as 9 million children in the United States live in "food insecure" homes. That phrase may sound mild, but it means that those households don't have enough food for every family member to lead a healthy life.

The number of children living with hunger had fallen steadily over the past decade, but the coronavirus pandemic dealt a terrible blow to our progress as a nation - one that No Kid Hungry and other organizations will work to reverse during the long recovery ahead.

Poverty and Childhood Hunger

As you might imagine, hunger is a problem that most often affects children from low-income families. A common way we measure poverty is the federal poverty level, a number set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The federal poverty level is the minimum amount of money a family needs each year to afford the necessities of life: food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

In 2021, the federal poverty level was $26,500 for a family of four. Of course, this number is a minimum. Families making twice that much are still considered low-income by most experts, and many struggle to make ends meet.

How many Americans live in poverty? 37 million, or 11.4% of all Americans, according to 2020 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. 12 million of those were children. This number, though shockingly high for a country of such enormous wealth, had fallen in recent years, but the coronavirus pandemic put a huge burden on already-struggling families, and the impact of that is not yet fully known.

For a more comprehensive understanding of food insecurity, we recommend the USDA's annual report on Household Food Security in the United States.

Federal Food Programs

One of the most effective ways to help families and children is through federal nutrition programs.

Some of the nutrition programs you may be familiar with are SNAP, WIC and the national school lunch program. These are critical lifelines for families in need.

No Kid Hungry supports these important programs, though we focus our efforts on other federal programs that we know can make an enormous difference for hungry kids, such as the school breakfast program, the national summer meals program and the afterschool meals program.

School Breakfast

Making breakfast part of the regular school day, just like lunch, has a powerful effect on kids. That's why we work with educators, political leaders and local nonprofits across the country to change the way schools serve breakfast.

Summer Meals

Millions of kids rely on school for regular meals. But in the summer, those meals disappear. No Kid Hungry is helping community leaders with the funding and know-how they need to start summer meals sites, as well as advocating for needed changes to the national summer meals program.

Currently, the national summer meals programs reaches just a fraction of the children who need help when school is out of session.

Afterschool Meals

The Afterschool Meals Program, part of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), helps kids get the nutritious meals they need in a safe, supervised location after the school day ends. This program is the newest federal child nutrition program, so No Kid Hungry is working to ensure that more kids, families and teachers know about it and are able to take advantage of it.

SNAP & WIC

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), sometimes known as food stamps, provides low-income families with money to purchase food each month.

What is SNAP and why is it so important?

SNAP is one of the most effective and efficient federal programs, as well as one of the most responsive, providing additional assistance to needy families during economic downturns. It's also one of the most-needed: 41 million Americans rely on SNAP benefits to buy food each month, according to the USDA. Two-thirds of these benefits go to households with children.

What can you buy with SNAP benefits?

SNAP benefits are used to purchase food, including things like bread, cereal, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products and snacks. You can't use SNAP benefits to purchase alcohol, cigarettes, pet food, paper products and household supplies.

What is WIC and who is it for?

In addition to SNAP, one of the largest and most effective federal nutrition programs is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). WIC benefits are primarily for children under the age of five or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. WIC serves 53 percent of all infants born in the United States, according to the latest figures from the USDA.

Through WIC, moms can get nutritious foods for their young children, as well as access to important services at WIC clinics, including nutrition education, counseling and referrals to local health and welfare agencies.

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Child Hunger in America Statistics & Facts | No Kid Hungry

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Child hunger in America statistics unveil a significant concern. More than 13 million children in the United States live in "food insecure" homes, according to recent research from the USDA. Learn how No Kid Hungry is solving the issue of child hunger.

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Educational neglect involves the failure of a parent or caregiver to enroll a child of mandatory school age in school or provide appropriate homeschooling or needed special education training, thus allowing the child or youth to engage in chronic truancy.

habitual absenteeism from school (an average of five days a month, for example) and no attempt from the parent or guardian to change this pattern

failing to homeschool, register or to enroll a school-age child, causing the child to miss at least one month of school without valid reasons

refusing to allow or failing to obtain recommended remedial education services

not obtaining or following  through with treatment for a child’s diagnosed learning disorder or other special education need without reasonable cause

the ongoing failure to provide a child with the resources and environment they need to learn.https://co4kids.org/blog/what-educational-neglect-anyway

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August 21, 2020

It's never been easy to pin down a definition for educational neglect. Yet here in the era of social distancing, remote learning, hybrid schedules, virtual classrooms and COVID-19, parents, educators and child welfare professionals have more questions than ever before. It is critical for educators to do their best in keeping an eye out for signs of educational neglect in students and make a report to the Colorado Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline - 844-CO-4-Kids - when they have a concern.

So, is educational neglect one or two days of skipping online classes? What about showing up to a virtual classroom but skipping days when in-person learning is planned? The answer depends, said Samantha Garrett, an Education Specialist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the Colorado Department of Human Services.

It is important to remember that the pandemic has caused families and educators to adjust to a life we have not ever known and that lack of engagement with education may not always mean that a child is experiencing child abuse or neglect. However, a lack of engagement with education can be indicative of other issues that may be taking place in the home. Teachers genuinely care about their students and have made it a practice to trust their gut and report their concerns when they sense something is not right with a student. Teaching during the pandemic should not change this.

Since remote learning has replaced in-person schooling in many areas of Colorado, identifying and addressing educational neglect in a student continues to be particularly challenging, according to Samantha. Although defining educational neglect is "complicated," and remote learning has changed the school environment, your instincts are still the same, acknowledges Samantha.

Educational neglect involves the failure of a parent or caregiver to enroll a child of mandatory school age in school or provide appropriate homeschooling or needed special education training, thus allowing the child or youth to engage in chronic truancy.

Signs of educational neglect may include:

habitual absenteeism from school (an average of five days a month, for example) and no attempt from the parent or guardian to change this pattern

failing to homeschool, register or to enroll a school-age child, causing the child to miss at least one month of school without valid reasons

refusing to allow or failing to obtain recommended remedial education services

not obtaining or following through with treatment for a child's diagnosed learning disorder or other special education need without reasonable cause

the ongoing failure to provide a child with the resources and environment they need to learn.

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" A student's extended absence from school may not be the result of neglect, but rather of a student's family coping with a COVID-19 health crisis or other unintended consequences from the pandemic, such as making big changes in everyday routines due to financial hardships. It's vital that teachers and school staff make an effort to distinguish between those situations and genuine educational neglect. " - Samantha Garrett

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The additional clarity that many school districts have provided with their updated remote learning attendance policies in the 2020-21 school year can help families and educators better understand expectations for remote learning during the pandemic.

During the early stages of the pandemic, schools had no choice but to develop and attempt to enforce policies on the fly, naturally creating confusion as educators and parents worked to adjust to the new norm. According to Samantha, many school officials spent the summer working around the clock preparing thoughtful and comprehensive truancy policies for remote and hybrid learning, in hopes of providing more clarity for teachers and families.

In a remote learning environment, without an opportunity to assess and interact with students face-to-face, the onus is on teachers and others in the educational community to be extra observant for signs of educational neglect - and timely in mobilizing to address it.

Remember to listen to your instincts. Reporting your concerns to the Colorado Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline is about getting a family connected to the help that they need. In nearly 70% of child welfare cases, counties can provide services and kids can remain safely at home with their parents. Some of these services may include assistance applying for benefits or classes to help parents manage stress.

If you're concerned about possible child abuse and neglect, call 844-CO-4-Kids. Dial 9-1-1 if there is an immediate threat. As mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect, teachers and school staff are required by law to report their concerns.
Resources for Teachers

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August 21, 2020 It's never been easy to pin down a definition for educational neglect. Yet here in the era of social distancing, remote learning, hybrid schedules, virtual classrooms and COVID-19, parents, educators and child welfare professionals have more questions than ever before.

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When she talking to the doctors saying mom told me "I was big enough to cook." The nurses thought she was being neclacted so they question her. Jeannette got burned because her mom wasn't there.

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"We kids usually kept our hunger to oureslves, but we were always thinking about food." She went back into the classroom and took things from other kids.

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"We sometimes get enrolled in school but mom and dad did most of are learning." They were getting homeschooled by mom and dad. She didn't get a really good education.

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Poor and dumb
They don't have enough money to buy food.
The other kids might think they are dumb because they aren't at a school.

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She is no longer poor because she moved out away from her parents. She got a job and has supported herself. She went to college and got a degree.