One in every five children in Kentucky do not know where their next meal will come from, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Food insecurity, according to the USDA, “is a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.”
Data released by Kentucky Youth Advocates revealed that, in 2022, 21% of Kentucky children lived in food insecure households. Currently, 36 counties show a rate of 25% or higher, the report showed.
That is an increase from 2020, which showed 16% of Kentucky children lived in food insecure households.
Youth food insecurity in surrounding counties:
Statewide: 20.7%
Jefferson County: 22.1%
Hardin County: 19.6%
Bullitt County: 15.9%
Oldham County: 7.3%
Food insecurity amongst youth in each of the above counties increased from 2020 to 2022. Kentucky schools have become an oasis in helping address food insecurity. Several districts provide breakfast and lunch to students daily as well as feed students over breaks and summer vacation.
The Kentucky Youth Advocates data book measures children on 16 areas such as child health, education, economic security and family and community throughout all 120 counties in the commonwealth.
Source: WDRB
You must be logged in to post a comment.