摘要：In 2009, 14.7% of households were food insecure at some time during the
year. In other words, members of those households did not have access at all
times to enough food for an active, healthy life. This is arguably the most
serious nutrition-related public health problem facing the U.S. today. The
serious developmental consequences of food insecurity include compromised
mental and physical health and poor academic performance for children.
The government¡¯s response to inadequate sources of food includes food assistance
programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the National
School Lunch Program (NSLP), the School Breakfast Program (SBP), and others.
Alongside these public programs are numerous private food assistance programs
such as those administered through the national network of Feeding America which
serve as an additional safety net for families. These services are provided through
food pantries, soup kitchens, and weekend feeding programs such as the BackPack
Program. This Social Policy Report provides an overview of the measurement of
food security during childhood, consequences to child development, public and
private food assistance programs and their effectiveness, and recommendations to
researchers and policy makers. Policy recommendations focus on addressing gaps in
private and public food assistance programs, addressing persistent poverty, and the
role of developmental scientists in advancing research-to-policy on the consequences
of food insecurity for child development.
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