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Issue Brief

Childhood Hunger and Nutrition - New Jersey

Scope of the Problem  factual statements on the extent of the problem in the past, current, or future

• Of the approximately 2.8 million children under the age of 18 living in New Jersey, about 280,000 (13%) are considered “food insecure.”^[1]

• 1.6 million people in New Jersey qualify for food assistance of some kind. 500,000+ are children.^[2]

• “At any given time, there are more than 500,000 children in New Jersey who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals and are therefore largely unable to obtain the food necessary for healthy nutrition. Research shows that in children, hunger not only attacks physical well-being, but also contributes to a loss of concentration, performance, intellectual growth and malnutrition. It is therefore essential that children from lower-income households participate in school meal programs to ensure that they receive the nutrition they need.
• A new report released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in November 2009 identifies New Jersey with the ninth largest increase in the nation in the number of households struggling with hunger – 10.3 percent of the state’s population from 2006 to 2008, an increase of 2.2 percent over 2003-2005’s number of 8.1 percent. This is almost three times the national increase of 0.8 percent ( Household Food Security in the United States, 2008).
• New Jersey is one of only two states (Texas being the other) in which the state’s Department of Agriculture, not its Department of Education, administers federal school meals programs. This positions New Jersey well to link the healthy, nutritious foods produced by its agricultural community with students, both in items served in school food service and in classroom messages that encourage students to consume more fresh fruits and vegetables even when school is not in session.
• There are 1.6 million New Jersey residents eligible to receive food assistance through the state’s emergency food distribution system, and 8.5 percent of the state’s population, including 11.8 percent of its children, lives in poverty.” ²

• Statistics
• In 2007 Census survey, the percent of children under 18 years below poverty level in the past 12 Months in New Jersey is 11. 7%.^[3]
• According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the prevalence of household-level food insecurity in New Jersey (average 2005-07) is 8.8% and very low food security is 2.7%.^[4] 
• Poverty Benchmarks 2011 (Legal Services of New Jersey Poverty Research Institute) 
• Division of Family Development Current Programs April 2011 

Past Policy  key legislation and milestones including significant policy and funding shifts, major studies, etc.

• In the Family

a. U.S. Food Stamp Program (SNAP)- New Jersey applications, nearest office informationJ, and outreach programs available in New Jersey are provided by the USDA for NJ SNAP here.

c. U.S. Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)- New Jersey WIC information here.

• In the Schools

  a. National School Lunch Programs- New Jersey Lunch Program information here.

b. National School Breakfast Program- New Jersey School Breakfast Program information here.

c. National Special Milk Program- New Jersey Special Milk Program information here.

d. National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program- New Jersey Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program information here.

e. National After School Snack Program- New Jersey After School Snack Program information here.

• In the Community

a. U.S. Summer Food- New Jersey Summer Food program information here.

b. U.S. Child and Adult Care Food Program- New Jersey Child and Adult Care Food program information here.

Current Policy  summary of current policies in the form of legislation, programs, and funding

• The “Every Child, Every Day: Campaign to End Childhood Hunger in New Jersey by 2015" is currently advocating changes in these areas.  ^[5]

          In the Family

1. Parents and caregivers bear the first responsibility for their children’s food and nutrition needs.

2. Improve the family’s overall economic security.

3. Enroll and participate in USDA Food and Nutrition Programs including the Food Stamp (SNAP), school breakfast and lunch, Summer Food and others.

4. Ensure access to healthy food.

5. Provide motivation, knowledge and skills necessary to make healthy food choices with available resources.

In the Schools

1. Ensure a full range of child nutrition programs are offered.

2. Ensure nutritional quality for all school meals.

3. Ensure that more children have access to and participate in school based in school, after-school and summer food programs.

4. Increase awareness about the importance of preventing hunger to foster learning and healthy development.

          In the Community

1. Increase public awareness about hunger.

2. Educate low-income people about their potential eligibility for nutrition assistance and connect them with the appropriate programs.

3. Encourage use of food stamps at Farmers’ Markets.

4. Expand nutrition education.

5. Ensure access to N.J.’s network of food banks & pantries.

6. Advocate for improved public policies to end hunger.

Key Organizations/Individuals   contacts for public and private organizations and key individuals

• Government
• Executive 
• New Jersey Department of Agriculture
• School and Nutrition Programs 
• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program 
• Child and Adult Care Food Program
• Summer Food Service Program
• Farm to School Program 
• New Jersey Department of Human Services
• Division of Family Development- WFNJ clients may receive Emergency Assistance (EA) in certain situations.These benefits include essential food. A list of "County Welfare Agencies" is also available.^[6] 
• End Hunger NJ- A project of the the Hunger Prevention Advisory Committee; provides search engine for NJ food assistance and nutritional food education and references. The committee was created through the New Jersey Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program Act, during November 2000, and was allocated an appropriation of $5 million in unexpended TANF funds.The Committee includes representatives from the Departments of Agriculture, Human Services, and Community Affairs, and 10 public members appointed by the Governor.^[7]
• Legislative
•  
• Judicial 
•  

• Non-Profit - Service Providing

• NJ Learning to End Hunger Campaign-  The Learning to End Hunger Initiative is an effort by the New Jersey Higher Education Service Learning Consortium to alleviate childhood hunger in the state of New Jersey.  The NJHESL Consortium is composed of over 20 New Jersey public and private colleges and universities.

• Farmers Against Hunger- The mission of Farmers Against Hunger, a program of the New Jersey Agricultural Society, is to collect and distribute surplus fruits and vegetables from New Jersey farms to those in need through local community organizations. Our goal is to help feed those who are hungry or food-insecure in New Jersey and educate clients about the importance of a diet that includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.

• Non-Profit

• Advocacy

• New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition- The mission of the New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition (NJAHC), formerly the Statewide Emergency Food and Anti-Hunger Network (SEFAN) is to end hunger in New Jersey through education, advocacy and activism.^[8]      

• Rutgers Against Hunger- Rutgers is working to make a difference in the lives of those suffering from hunger. From food drives to 4-H programs, from grocery-shopping advice to agricultural research, Rutgers Against Hunger (RAH) aims to increase awareness of hunger and encourage community service to help those in need.^[9]

• Faithfully Fit  

• Membership

•  

• Network

• The Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey- The Anti-Poverty Network (APN) is an information-oriented forum open to all concerned with ending or eliminating poverty. The network includes faith-based groups, people living in poverty, advocacy organizations, labor unions, and others. It provides an opportunity for interested groups to meet regularly to share specific, up-to-date reports about poverty, discuss current and pending legislation, and talk about actions and developments that will have significant effects on poverty and low-income people. The APN also encourages participants to present issues and proposals that they would like other groups to critique, endorse or consider for joint actions. In addition, APN has itself, through discussion and collaboration, undertaken efforts and developed proposals which represent the consensus of participating organizations.^[10] 

• Foundation

• The North Jersey Media Group Foundation Inc.-a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing charitable funding and services to make a significant difference in the lives of North Jersey residents. It is the charitable arm of North Jersey Media Group. Action Against Hunger, is a community service program administered on behalf of North Jersey Media Group, is now the largest food drive in the metropolitan area, serving 65 pantries, which assist more than 40,000 clients.^[11]

• Other

•  

Bibliography   web sites, reports, articles, and other reference material 

• 1. New Jersey Hunger Prevention Advisory Committee: 2009 Report to the Legislature 

• 2. Department of Agriculture: Hunger and Nutrition in New Jersey- Background http://www.state.nj.us/agriculture/conventions/2010/hunger.html 

Footnotes

1. Mercer County Food Bank. 2009. "Childhood Hunger." “Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2005-2007.” Feeding America. ▲
2. New Jersey Federation of Food Banks'. 2009. "Check out Hunger in New Jersey." . 30 Oct 2009. ▲
3. U.S. Census Bureau. M1704. Percent of Children Under 18 Years Below Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (For Whom Poverty Status is Determined). 2007. 2005-2007 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ThematicMapFramesetServlet?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-tm_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_M00677&-ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_&-_MapEvent=displayBy&-_dBy=040#?496,236. ▲
4. Nord, Mark, Margaret Andrews, and Steven Carlson. Household Food Security in the United States, 2007. Economic Research Report No. (ERR-66) 65 pp, November 2008. http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err66/. ▲
5. The following outline is from the “Every Child, Every Day: Campaign to End Childhood Hunger in New Jersey by 2015." This campaign is available through the NJ Anti-Hunger Coalition at http://www.njahc.org/. ▲
6. Department of Human Services. 2009. Division of Family Development. . Oct 28 2009. ▲
7. Department of Human Services. 2009. End Hunger NJ. . 28 Oct. 2009. ▲
8. New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition. 2009. . 21 Oct 2009. ▲
9. Rutgers University. 2009. "Rutgers Against Hunger." . 30 Oct 2009. ▲
10. "What is the APN?", Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey, . 23 Oct 2009. ▲
11. The North Jersey Media Group Foundation Inc. 2009." Action Against Hunger". . 30 Oct 2009. ▲