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Gap in WIC Sends Some Families Into Food Insecurity

For low income families, finding nutritious meals for children can be challenging.
For low income families, finding nutritious meals for children can be challenging.

Many low-income families struggle to afford enough food.  Mothers and young children can participate in the federal government’s WIC food program for kids under 5. Children who are old enough to go to public school can participate in free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch programs. Nationally, public schools served 1.8 billion free breakfasts in 2015 and even more free or reduced price lunches.But children who age out of the WIC program but are not yet old enough to attend school sometimes go hungry. Colleen Heflin, a professor at the University of Missouri, recently published research on kids who fall into that gap. She found that a lack of nutritious food can have lasting effects on children. 


A bill in the U.S. Senate would raise the age limit for the WIC program. But last year, the program more than $6 billion dollars and extending eligibility to more children will likely face an uphill battle in Congress. 

This story was produced by Kristofer Husted of Harvest Public Media, a reporting collaboration focused on issues of food, fuel and field. Harvest covers agriculture-related topics through a network of reporters and partner stations throughout the Midwest.

Harvest Public Media is a reporting collaboration focused on issues of food, fuel and field. Based at KCUR in Kansas City, Harvest covers these agriculture-related topics through an expanding network of reporters and partner stations throughout the Midwest. Global demand for food and fuel is rising, and the push and pull for resources has serious ramifications for our country’s economic prosperity. What’s more, we all eat, so we all have a stake in how our food is produced In the Midwest, in particular, today’s emerging agenda for agriculture is headlined by climate change, food safety, biofuel production, animal welfare, water quality, and sustainability. By examining these local, regional and national issues and their implications with in-depth and unbiased reporting, Harvest is filling a critical information void. Most Harvest Public Media stories begin with radio — regular reports are aired on our member stations in the Midwest. But Harvest also explores issues through online analyses, television documentaries and features, podcasts, photography, video, blogs and social networking. We are committed to the highest journalistic standards. Click here to read our ethics policy.