Hunger in America: Half of Our Kids on Food Stamps

A new study finds that nearly half of all American children will need to use the federal food stamp program to eat at some point in their childhood, with the number much higher for African American children, at a startling 90 percent. And the current recession with persistently high unemployment rates, will cause the numbers of children on food stamps to rise even higher. American children are at a high risk of encountering a spell during which their families are in poverty and food insecure as indicated through their use of food stamps. Such events have the potential to seriously jeopardize a child’s overall health.”

The alarming results showed that between the ages of 1 to 20 years, nearly half (49.2%) of all U.S. children will live in a household that receives food stamps. Broken down by race, 37 percent of white children use food stamps, compared to a whopping 90 percent of black children.

The high numbers of American youngsters experiencing food insecurity reveal the hidden face of childhood hunger in our country. Children from all walks of life, may need to resort to food stamps to eat at some point in their lives.

“Your neighbor may be using some of these programs but it’s not the kind of thing people want to talk about."