Report: Georgia students go hungry during the summer
Georgia is among six states that “missed out” on the most federal funding for feeding children from low-income households, according to a new report.
The state feeds far fewer of these children during the summer than during the school year, when food gets distributed to them through schools, says the Food Research & Action Center report, "Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation." Georgia didn't tap $15.8 million in federal funding for summer nutrition programs, feeding 151,142 on average per day in the summer of 2015 versus 879,694 during the 2014-15 school year, or about one in six of the children who qualified.
The summer drop is due to the closure of schools, a major channel for the U.S. food program. There was a bright spot in the report: Although the number of summer food service program sponsors and sites declined to 103 in 2015 from 112 the year before, Georgia still managed to feed 14 percent more children.
The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, a local watchdog, credits new "strategic partners," such as the Georgia Library Association, for "connecting the dots between places where kids congregate during the summer and site sponsors that are able to deliver meals."
Still, the unmet need is great, the Institute says, adding that about one in four Georgia children lives in poverty, one of the highest rates of any state.
Parents who are looking for a summer nutrition program site can search by county or ZIP code on the website of the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
