2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)
Children and Food Insecurity
In the United States, food insecurity has especially deleterious effects on children. A study by Feeding America concluded that 13 million (or 1 in 6 children) are food insecure. Notably, the study also found that the estimated rate of food insecurity for children is higher than the rate of overall food insecurity; this was true across all 50 states and DC.
Why are children more likely to be food insecure than adults? One potential explanation is that households with children have larger household sizes and, subsequently, greater budgetary constraints. The disproportionate extent to which children face the brunt of food insecurity manifests as increased hospitalizations, poor health, iron deficiency, development risk, and behavior problems. Other studies demonstrate a relationship between food insecurity and permanent developmental issues, such as growth stunting. A separate pathway may also be related to caregiver depression and anxiety, where family members are perpetually concerned about putting food on the table; this can have deleterious effects on the homelife of young children.
This is a particular problem for children in the National Capital Area. In DC, 21.1% of children were food insecure in 2017. Although the situation in the aggregate was better in Virginia, over 11% of children were nonetheless food insecure.
Free and Reduced Lunch
Students in DC, Maryland, and Virginia can receive free or reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program, a federally assisted program that provides eligible students with nutritious lunches for low- or no-cost each school day. At Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools, all meals are provided at no-cost to students with no need to apply. The CEP, authorized by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, eliminates the need for individual household applications through “universal meal service in high poverty areas”. High poverty communities that qualify are any local education agency (LEA), group of schools within an LEA, or individual school with 40% or more “identified students,” meaning students deemed eligible for free school meals without an application. This includes students whose households receive SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR benefits as well as students who are homeless, migrants, enrolled in Head Start, or in foster care. CEP schools can provide free breakfast and lunch and receive federal reimbursement.
Students who do not attend a CEP but a school that offers free, reduced-price, and paid meals need to complete a Free and Reduced-price Meal (FARM) application through their local school or district. Benefits are granted based on federally designated income eligibility guidelines. Specifically, children whose family income is between 130 and 185% of Federal poverty guidelines qualify for reduced-price meals, while those whose family income is at or below 130% of Federal poverty guidelines qualify for free meals. For instance, students in a family of 4 in DC, Maryland, or Virginia would qualify for reduced meals in the 2021-2022 school year with an annual income less than or equal to $49,025; an annual income less than or equal to $34,450 would qualify them for free meals. Additionally, children whose families receive SNAP benefits or already participate in other federal assistance programs such as TANF automatically qualify for free school meals.
Between 2009 and 2019, the number of American students receiving free lunch at school increased from 16.3 million to 20 million. At the same time, the number of students receiving reduced-price meals decreased by 1.5 million, and full-price meal participation decreased by 4.2 million. This means that there was a net decrease in total NSLP participation of about 2 million, and the proportion of that participation made up by free lunch recipients increased. The national increase in free breakfast and lunch recipients might be related to the establishment of the Community Eligibility Provision, since CEP provides universal free meals in identified high poverty areas. Additionally, the 2007-2009 economic recession reduced many families’ incomes, so some students formerly receiving full- or reduced-priced meals became eligible for free meals. Furthermore, new rules meant to reserve federal funds for free and reduced-price meals as opposed to subsidizing full-priced meals led many school districts to increase the costs of full-price meals after 2011.
Senior Food Insecurity
In 2019, Washington DC had the highest rate of senior food insecurity across all U.S states at 13.5%. Conversely, Maryland, Virginia, and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metropolitan area had senior food insecurity rates of 5.1%, 6.2%, and 4.4% respectively. Seniors face a unique set of barriers to food access including isolation, physical injury or illness, lack of transportation, reduced cognition, lack of mobility, poverty, limited access to the internet and technology, lack of knowledge of meal programs and government support, and complex application processes to aforementioned programs. However, the stark difference between the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metropolitan area senior food insecurity rate of 4.4% and the DC proper senior food insecurity rate of 13.5% suggests that racial inequity and income disparities play a large role in DC’s rate. In recognition of this issue, DC Council members introduced the No Senior Hungry Omnibus Amendment Act of 2021 in October of 2021 aimed at enhancing coordination across agencies and programs, improving data collection, and expanding outreach.