Our Children Show Where We Are As a Society
With changes occurring daily at the federal level, we must remember the basic requirements for healthy children remain the same. I’m going to make a flying leap at an archaeological guess and say they haven’t changed in roughly 10,000 years. That’s when we know our early cousins were hunting, gathering, and living in organized groups. Even that long ago, children needed food and protection to sustain life. On top of that, the village adults had to work together to make sure it happened.
Fast forward to 2025. Regardless of where I find myself, I am 100% sure the same is true. So, with another small leap, it is clear that the state of our children reflects our national ethics, morals, and values. It is an unarguable indicator of what is important to us, showing where we invest our time, money, energy, and wisdom. It is also a predictor of what lies ahead. As human beings, I think it is essential to ask, “Where are we now with child health and nutrition?” This is really the existential question of our time.
Tough questions demand difficult answers
So, let’s look very briefly at the state of the union and how it affects our kids. Recent federal budgetary decisions have led to significant reductions in funding for U.S. food and nutrition programs, notably impacting initiatives like the Local Food for Schools Program and various food pantry support systems. These cuts could profoundly affect child health, growth, development, and well-being across the nation.
Cuts to USDA Programs Affecting Schools and Food Pantries
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recently terminated two key pandemic-era programs: the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS) and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). Collectively, these programs provided over $1 billion in funding, enabling schools and food banks to procure fresh produce from local farmers and ranchers. Specifically, the LFS allocated approximately $660 million to schools and childcare facilities, facilitating the purchase of nutritious, locally sourced foods. The cessation of these programs means that many schools, especially those in under-resourced areas, may struggle to provide healthy meals to students. Rising food costs, which already strain tight household and school meal budgets, worsen the challenge.
The impact extends beyond schools. Food banks, which have been instrumental in addressing food insecurity, are also facing significant funding shortfalls. For instance, the San Antonio Food Bank in Texas anticipates a loss of $3 million in federal funding, representing about 20% of its annual food purchase budget. This reduction threatens the food security of countless families relying on such services.
Implications for Child Health
The reduction in funding for these programs is expected to have several adverse effects on child health:
- Increased Food Insecurity: With diminished resources, schools and food banks may be unable to meet the nutritional needs of children, leading to higher rates of food insecurity. Food insecurity during childhood is associated with various adverse outcomes, including increased risks of depression, anxiety, developmental delays, and poorer academic performance.
- Reduced Access to Nutritious Foods: The elimination of programs that facilitated the purchase of fresh, local produce means children may have limited access to healthy foods. This shift could result in diets higher in processed foods, contributing to obesity and related health issues.
- Increased Strain on Local Economies: Local farmers and producers who have supplied schools and food banks through these programs will likely experience economic hardships, potentially reducing the availability of fresh produce in certain regions.
The BIGGEST Picture
We cannot argue that food quality and access for children are critical. To take it a step further, we must weigh the benefits of the recent cuts to our national nutrition programs against the likely effects of decreased availability of nutritious foods for children. It’s essential to recognize these programs’ critical role in supporting the health of some of our most precious citizens: pregnant women, infants, and children. Any potential future reductions in funding could lead to increases in:
- Nutrient Deficiencies: resulting from loss of essential nutrients during critical developmental periods. Funding cuts could result in increased rates of all food and nutrition-related deficiencies, including growth, development, metabolic, and mental health concerns among children.
- Healthcare Costs: Because children without adequate nutrition are more susceptible to illnesses, we anticipate increased medical expenses for families and the healthcare system.
- Challenges to Education and Learning: Healthy food helps kids manage their behavior and fuels learning. Need I say more?
The recent cuts to federally funded food and nutrition programs point to significant child health indicators in the United States. Ensuring that children have consistent access to nutritious meals is fundamental to their growth, development, and long-term well-being. It is imperative for policymakers, communities, parents, grandparents, educators, healthcare professionals, and all other stakeholders to collaborate and seek solutions that safeguard the nutritional needs of our nation’s children.
The good news is that because we are a Democratic Republic, we can call our elected representatives and make our concerns known, assuming we have any. I just learned about this organization (5calls.org). Check it out. 5calls.org makes it easy to locate your Representative, congress people, and senators. Names, numbers and scripts are provided, or speak your own words. Make your calls for what is important to you and your children.
Action Alert! USDA Terminates $660M Program for Local Food in Schools and Child Care. (2025). Farmtoschool.org. https://www.farmtoschool.org/news-and-articles/action-alert-usda-terminates-660m-program-for-local-food-in-schools-and-child-care
Sainato, M. (2025, March 11). USDA cuts more than $1bn in local food purchases for schools, food banks. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/11/usda-cuts-food-banks-schools Orsborn, T. (2025, March 13). San Antonio Food Bank to lose millions due to Trump funding cuts. San Antonio Express-News. https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/food-bank-anxiety-trump-funding-cuts-san-antonio-20219277.php
