Kidsdata.org provides the following indicators related to food security:

• The estimated number and percentage of children ages 0-17 living in households with limited or uncertain access to adequate food, as calculated by Feeding America; these data also are shown for U.S. congressional districts
• The number of perinatal women and children ages 0-5 redeeming Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food vouchers, by participant type; these data come from the California Dept. of Public Health
• The number of individuals (children and adults), and the number and percentage of households by race/ethnicity, participating in CalFresh, California's implementation of the federal SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) or Food Stamps Program; these data are provided by the California Dept. of Social Services (CDSS)*

Almost one in five California children live in households with limited or uncertain access to adequate food (1). California consistently has a higher percentage of children living in food-insecure households than the U.S. overall (1). Food-insecure children are more likely to experience a host of health problems, including developmental, cognitive, behavioral, and mental health issues (2). Among pregnant women, food insecurity is associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes, as well as pregnancy complications (2). Children and communities of color are disproportionately affected by food insecurity (2).

Food assistance programs, such as food stamps (i.e., the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or CalFresh in California) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provide a safety net to help ensure that low-income children, expectant mothers, and families get adequate nutrition. These programs have been shown to alleviate poverty, reduce adverse birth outcomes, and improve children's health in general (3, 4).

According to 2017 estimates, 18% of California children (more than 1.6 million) lived in households with uncertain or inadequate access to food, down from 27% (nearly 2.5 million children) in 2011. At the local level, the share of children living in food insecure households ranged from 13% to 30% across counties and congressional districts. Although the percentage of food-insecure children has been on the decline statewide and nationally since 2011, California rates consistent exceed those for the U.S. overall.

In January 2018, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program healthy food vouchers were redeemed for 951,990 children and perinatal women statewide, a drop of more than 30% compared with 2010. Across all years for which data are available, the majority of WIC's California participants were children ages 1-5 (548,127 in 2018), followed by infants (190,902 in 2018) and prenatal mothers (83,717 in 2018).

The CalFresh (Food Stamps) supplemental nutrition program served almost 4 million California children and adults in 1.9 million households in July 2018—more than double the number of participants served in 2000. From 2008 through 2018, Hispanic/Latino and white households together accounted for around three-quarters of participating households statewide.

Food insecurity—a lack of consistent, dependable access to enough food for healthy living—is a major public health problem in California and the U.S., affecting millions of children and families (1, 2). Policymakers can help by supporting efforts to ameliorate poverty, preserve and strengthen food assistance programs, and expand access to nutritious, affordable foods in low-income communities (2).

Food and nutrition assistance programs address food insecurity by helping low-income children and families access nutritious and affordable meals. However, many eligible families are not receiving this assistance (3, 4). For example, it is estimated that about half of all California children are eligible for CalFresh (food stamps), though only one-quarter participate in the program (3).

Policy and program options that could improve food security include:

• Continuing to address under-enrollment in food assistance programs—such as CalFresh and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program—by improving public awareness and perceptions of the programs, and increasing integration and coordination across nutrition and other safety net programs, which could help streamline enrollment and service delivery (3)
• Promoting robust school and summer nutrition programs, which provide low-income children with access to healthy food before, during, and after school, as well as during the summer months; as part of this, continuing efforts to make it simpler and less stigmatizing for children to receive these meals (4, 5, 6)
• Supporting the work of food councils and community groups that are promoting access to sustainable, affordable, and nutritious food sources through efforts such as community and home gardens, farmers markets, urban agriculture, and public education (2)
• Maintaining, strengthening, and building on state and local policies aimed at reducing poverty among working families in California, including the CalWORKs program, Earned Income Tax Credit, and minimum wage standards (7)