The Kids Café: A program to reduce child hunger☆☆☆

Hunger and food insecurity affect nearly 12 million children in the United States. Poverty is the foremost reason for hunger and food insecurity, but even the working poor sometimes have difficulty providing enough food for their household. Undernourished children may not present with severe clinical symptoms, but their ability to learn and psychosocial behavior can be affected. Feeding programs such as Kids Café can help decrease child hunger while improving learning and overall health. Kids Café's are operated by local food banks and sponsored by America's Second Harvest in partnership with ConAgra Foods, Inc. This article reviews the problem of child hunger and describes the Kids Café Program. J Pediatr Health Care. (2003). 17, 18-21.