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Hunger And Food Insecurity Essay

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Hunger And Food Insecurity Essay
Hunger and food insecurity are a big problem for certain income classes in the United States. The population of youth whose families are in poverty are those that are most affected by food insecurity. Research indicates that food insecurity in youth is very closely linked to problem behaviors and juvenile delinquency. (Martinez & Kawam, 2014) In this report, we will analyze the definition of food insecurity, how it relates to juvenile offenses, and programs combating this issue in our society.

Food security is the ability to obtain the appropriate type and amount of food to ensure you have a healthy and active family. According to ChildStats.gov, almost 16 million children live in households with food insecurity. This means that these
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These laws with penalize parents for not providing adequate food or those that made their children beg or work for food or money. Penalties vary but could include the arrest of the parents or the removal of the neglected children from the home. (Siegel, 2013) There are many individuals and organizations whose sole mission is to combat hunger for those families in our country that are in poverty. These are organizations like Harvest Hope Food Bank. There are others that exist and operate on a smaller community wide scale. One specific solutions that has been around since 1967 is the CACFP which stands for Child and Adult Care Food Program. This is a federally funded program with the prime focus directed to provide adequate nutrition to children and adults that may not otherwise have access to the proper foods. (Child and Adult Food Program (CACFP), 2015)

Many families in the United States fall into the poverty level of income. This unfortunately in more cases that not, means that these households and the children within them do not receive adequate nutrition on a daily basis. Food insecurity, is believed to be directly related to juvenile delinquency. There are many programs with the primary goal of combating hunger and providing adequate nutrition to those that might otherwise not receive it on a regular

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