Summer Hunger: Many California Students Facing Food Insecurity
As schools prepare to close for the summer, a substantial number of California children potentially are in need of summer nutrition programs.
* Nearly 60% of California public school students were eligible for subsidized school meals in 2013, up from 51% in 2007. More than 3.5 million students qualified for either free or reduced-price lunches in 2013.
* The percentage of California children reportedly receiving food stamps doubled between 2003 and 2012, from 14% to 28%.
*An estimated 27% of California children lived in households with limited or uncertain access to adequate food in 2011, the last year for which data are available.
The Summer Food Service Program and National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Seamless Summer Option provide federal funding to serve meals and snacks to needy students. In July of 2013, California's program served lunch to an average of about 239,000 students per day.
However, not every county operates a summer nutrition program and many eligible children go unserved, according to advocacy groups.
Read more about food security indicators in California, including policy implications>>
See Food Security Data for California Children
All Indicators In This Topic
Helpful Links
Kidsdata.org: Family Income and Poverty
Food Research and Action Center: Summer Nutrition Status Report 2013
California Food Policy Advocates: School’s Out. Who Ate?: A Report on Summer Nutrition in California
California Department of Education: Summer Food Service Program
California Food Policy Advocates
Child Trends: Children in Poverty
National Center for Children in Poverty
USDA Food and Nutrition Service: School Meals
Data in Your Pocket: Kidsdata.org Goes Mobile
Need quick access to information about kids in California? Good news! Kidsdata.org is now easier to use when you’re on the go: our data now are optimized for mobile devices. More information>>
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Student Eligibility to Receive Free or Reduced Price School Meals (2013) 
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