Maybe you knew that one in five children lives in a family that receives food stamps. And maybe you knew that one in three children will be poor at some point in their childhood. In the land that many in the world describe as paradise, children are regularly going without food. I t is ironic that in this time of unprecedented economic prosperity, nearly 14 million of America's children are hungry or do not know where their next meal is coming from. A child faced with hunger has to deal with much more than a growling stomach.
Most people realize that malnourished children are vulnerable to disease and physical difficulties.
But there is more. Children who are not provided with an adequate diet are at a greater risk than other children of not reaching their full potential as individuals. They will have more trouble concentrating in school than children who have sufficient diets. T his is a root cause for many of the problems young people face today. Poor performance early in school is a major risk factor in the rate of kids dropping out of school in later years.