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mhfci.ncat.orgContact us: [email protected] • 406.494.4572
Childhood Hunger in MontanaHunger among American children doesn’t take the form of mass starvation,
as it does in some developing countries. Instead, the signs of food deprivation appear in children (with the exception of infants) over a period of time.1 Th e consequences of childhood hunger are signifi cant and include physical and/or mental health problems and lower academic achievement.As of 2013, the No Kid Hungry Campaign reported 22% of Montana kids struggle with hunger.2 Increas-ingly, researchers place childhood hunger within the broader context of food insecurity, which refers to limited or uncertain access to nutritionally-adequate food due to lack of money and other resources.3 A strong economy tends to lower the overall rate of food insecurity, while a weaker economy increases it. Th erefore, it’s not surprising the Great Recession catapulted food insecurity levels to all-time highs, especially for households with children.4
Feeding America reports Montana’s overall food insecurity rate is 14.6%.5 Th e Montana counties containing American Indian reservations have some of the highest food insecurity levels in the state, with the rate being up to 5% higher than the state average.6
A recent report about food systems on Montana reservations reinforced this. On a scale of one to fi ve, with fi ve being the “most important,” reservation communities rated the issue of hunger in the four to fi ve range, with an overall average of 4.5 (see inset box for individual reservation numbers).7 For Na-tive students, the hunger issue isn’t relegated just to reservations. Native high school students experience a higher rate of hunger than other students in schools both on and off reservations.8
More than three decades of research shows that food insecurity and hun-ger have a greater impact on chil-dren.9 Food insecurity and hunger can lead to poor health, reduced social and psychological well-being, increased behavioral problems, and lower academic achievement.10
Adolescents who have experienced childhood hunger or food insecurity are more likely to suff er from depression and suicidal thoughts, in addition to being more likely to abuse substances.11
Once food‐insecure children reach school age, studies show they struggle with lower cognitive development and lower grades, in addition to having diffi culty with peer interaction.12 Children experiencing hunger in kindergarten score lower on reading and math tests by the time they reach third grade.13 Food insecurity and hunger can also lead to children repeating grades, dropping out of school, forgoing higher education, and failing to achieve economic self-suffi ciency in adulthood.14
Food insecurity increases the risks of childhood obesity. “Oft en, the foods that provide the most calories for the least cost are highly processed and low in nutritional value,” the Montana Food Bank Network (MFBN) explains. “As a result, hunger and
2 Child Hunger in Montana • Montana Healthy Food and Communities Initiative • mhfci.ncat.org
obesity can occur in the same populations and in the same families.” Nationally, over 83% of households with children that experienced food insecurity bought inexpensive, unhealthy food as a coping strategy.15 One factor contributing to this is lacking access to healthy, aff ordable foods.16 MFBN documented the challenges its clients had in eating a healthy diet, with lack of money for food and the expense of healthy food topping the list.17
Beyond money, Montana’s geographical size can impede access to healthy food. Th irty of Montana’s 56 counties are considered food deserts (see inset box for defi nition).18 Montana No Kid Hungry found that transportation was a major problem for accessing food, especially in tribal communities where fami-lies oft en lacked their own vehicles and had to rely on other people to get them into town to fi nd food.19 Montana No Kid Hungry also found many instances where families had to travel 40 or 50 miles to access a grocery store.20 Th ese geographic diffi culties impact thousands of Montana families and their children.
Many Montana and national organizations working on the issues of food insecurity and hunger stress the importance of nutrition and food assistance pro-grams. As economic insecurity grew during the Great Recession, the number of households receiving SNAP increased approximately 50% between 2009 and 2013.21 However, SNAP households with children still frequently report they do not have enough money for needed food. Unfortunately, many families that could benefi t from SNAP and other assistance programs are not enrolled.22
Montana No Kid Hungry found numerous reason for this, including families trying to avoid the stigma of “taking government handouts.”23 Th is perception is passed down to children. “Kids learn that it is shame-ful to ask for help,” explained Montana No Kid Hun-gry, “Many hungry kids are reluctant to participate in
school food programs, especially as they get older.”24 Not knowing the eligibility requirements for as-sistance programs is also a problem. MFBN found that 40% of food bank clients that hadn’t applied for SNAP didn’t know they might be eligible.25
As mentioned earlier, one of the numerous chal-lenges related to food insecurity is access to healthy foods.26 A national report found that fresh produce was the most desired item to obtain by food inse-cure households.27 NCAT is currently partnering in numerous projects that seek to help those using food assistance programs access more local healthy foods.
NCAT staff has worked extensively on eff orts to allow low-income households to use their SNAP benefi ts to purchase locally-grown fruits and vegetables at farmers markets. Since all SNAP benefi t purchases are now made with an Electronic Benefi t Transfer card, farmers markets can use a swipe machine to give low-income families easy
Food Desert
A food desert is an area containing a substantial share of low-income residents that have little access to a grocery store or healthy, aff ordable food retail outlet. For these areas, federal agencies defi ne low-income communities based on a poverty rate of 20% or a median family income at or below 80% of the area median income. This defi nition is also based on at least 500 persons and/or at least 33% of the area’s population living more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store (10 miles in the case of non-metropolitan areas).
Adapted from U.S. Department of Agriculture
How Important of an Issue is Hunger in Your Community?
Based on Scale of 1 to 5 (1 – Not Very Important / 5 – “A Very Great Concern”)
Blackfeet Reservation: 4.7
Crow Reservation: 4.6
Flathead Reservation: 4.0
Fort Belknap Reservation: 4.4
Fort Peck Reservation: 4.5
Northern Cheyenne Reservation: 4.0
Rocky Boy’s Reservation: 5.0
Source: Montana Department of Agriculture, Moving Toward Sovereignty: Assessing Food Systems on Montana’s Indian Reservations
mhfci.ncat.org • Montana Healthy Food and Communities Initiative • Child Hunger in Montana 3
access to locally-grown produce.28 Following a pilot by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, NCAT helped create an instruction manual on how to set up this practice with farmers markets, and NCAT staff continues to be a resource for this process.29
As the Montana organization hosting FoodCorps, NCAT is helping to create healthier school food environments. Montana FoodCorps members work in schools and teach hands-on lessons about food and nutrition; build and tend school gardens; and help get locally-grown food served in schools. Montana FoodCorps participates in the Montana Partnership to End Childhood Hunger (MT-PECH). In creating its “10 Steps to End Childhood Hunger in Montana,” MT-PECH identifi ed two goals related to increasing participation in Farm to School programs and garden education. Montana FoodCorps and NCAT’s Farm to Cafeteria are leaders in those areas and report back to MT-PECH on progress towards those goals.
Montana FoodCorps has also partnered with Montana No Kid Hungry. FoodCorps has provided mentorship, resources, and training opportuni-ties to No Kid Hungry members. At three service sites in 2014-2015, FoodCorps and No Kid Hungry members collaborated on specifi c school food-related projects.
NCAT also continues to partner with the Butte Emergency Food Bank on a garden plot that grows fresh vegetables for the Butte community. Th e plot is part of NCAT’s SIFT Project. Th e partnership between NCAT and the Butte Food Bank started in 2013.
Other resources about childhood hunger and food insecurity in Montana:
• Montana No Kid Hungry• Montana Partnership to End Childhood Hunger • Montana Food Bank Network • Feeding America’s “Map the Meal Gap”
Source: RTI, Current and Prospective Scope of Hunger and Food Security, July 2014
1 The Future of Children, “Child Indicators: Childhood Hunger,” Spring 1997; UPS Foundation and Congressional Hunger Center, Hunger in America, 2014
2 No Kid Hungry in Montana Campaign
3 The Future of Children, “Child Indicators: Childhood Hunger,” Spring 1997; UPS Foundation and Congressional Hunger Center, Hunger in America, 2014
4 RTI, Current and Prospective Scope of Hunger and Food Security, July 2014
5 Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap
6 Ibid
7 Montana Department of Agriculture, “Moving Toward Food Sovereignty,” May 14, 2014.
8 Montana Offi ce of Public Instruction, “2013 Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey: High School Results.”
9 UPS Foundation and Congressional Hunger Center, Hunger in America, 2014 10 Ibid 11 RTI, Current and Prospective Scope of Hunger and Food Security, July 2014 12 Ibid 13 Ibid14 Montana Food Bank Network, “Fact Sheet: Childhood Hunger in Montana,” February 2014.15 Feeding America, Hunger in America 2014, August 2014 16 Montana Food Bank Network, “Fact Sheet: Childhood Hunger in Montana,” February 2014.17 Ibid; Montana Food Bank Network, Hungry in Montana: Factors Contributing to Emergency Food Needs, 201218 Montana Food Bank Network, “Hunger in Montana” 19 Montana No Kid Hungry, Connecting Kids to Healthy Food in Montana, April 201320 Ibid 21 Feeding America, Hunger in America 2014, August 201422 RTI, Current and Prospective Scope of Hunger and Food Security, July 2014 23 Montana No Kid Hungry, Connecting Kids to Healthy Food in Montana, April 2013 24 Ibid25 Montana Food Bank Network, Hungry in Montana: Factors Contributing to Emergency Food Needs, 2012 26 Ibid 27 Feeding America, Hunger in America 2014, August 201428 Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, “SNAP at Farmers Markets” 29 NCAT and AERO, How to Accept SNAP Benefi ts at Your Farmers Market; Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services,
“SNAP at Farmers Markets”
3040 Continental Drive ~ P.O. Box 3838 ~ Butte, MT 59702 • (800) ASK-NCAT • www.ncat.org
Th e Montana Healthy Food and Communities Initiative is a project of NCAT
NATIONAL CENTER FOR APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
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