Children's Hospitals Lead the Charge Against Food Insecurity

Food insecurity isn’t just about empty plates. It’s linked to higher rates of chronic illness, hospitalizations, and developmental delays. For children, the stakes are even higher: hunger undermines learning, mental health, and long-term well-being.

Food insecurity is one of the most pressing social drivers of health affecting children today. To address food insecurity, children’s hospitals across the country are stepping beyond traditional care to address the root causes of hunger.

Why hospitals are taking action

Children’s hospitals see firsthand how a lack of nutritious food affects health outcomes. Screening for food insecurity during clinic visits has become a standard practice in many places, enabling providers to identify families in need and connect them to resources. This proactive approach reflects a growing understanding that health care doesn’t end at the hospital door — it extends into homes and communities.

Stories of impact: Hospitals leading the way

Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, partners with the Food Bank of Delaware to stock nonperishable food pantries at two outpatient offices for families with immediate needs. In addition, Nemours Children’s health clinic partners with a local nonprofit that provides fresh summer produce to distribute in the office.

St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital of Tampa has developed several initiatives aimed at addressing food insecurity. Among them is a food clinic model where providers screen all patients coming through the hospital for food insecurity and can provide them with a prescription to the food clinic so they can access fresh and healthy foods, including produce and frozen meats.

In Aurora, Children’s Hospital Colorado installed a 3,000-square-foot community garden on their hospital campus to provide the produce for their Healthy Roots Food Clinic, which serves families from their primary care clinics who screen positive for food needs. In addition to a week's worth of groceries for the household, the food clinic also provides personalized nutrition education, support, and assistance enrolling in public benefit programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

A grocery store on wheels was created to serve selected counties around Fort Worth, Texas, through a partnership between Cook Children’s Medical Center, Tarrant Area Food Bank, and H-E-B Hunger Relief. This refrigerated trailer has shelves stocked with fruit, vegetables, and dairy products and connects families to SNAP and other community resources.

Through a partnership with Houston Food Bank, Texas Children’s Hospital has on-site food bank navigators who assist families with applications for public benefits such as SNAP and connect families to community resources.

Boston Children’s Hospital researchers have been studying the impact of premade meal delivery on children’s health. The pilot program was integrated into a clinic. Meal kits included fresh, preportioned ingredients prepared by local chefs and dietitian nutritionists to suit the cultural and taste preferences of the neighborhood’s families. Initial reports were positive, and larger trials are planned.

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health donates to organizations that address food insecurity through its Community Investment Grants Program. During its last grant cycle, Stanford Children’s donated $300,000 to Second Harvest Silicon Valley and partnered with the organization to build a closed-loop referral system to simplify the process for the nonprofit’s team.

Sharing resources and best practices

Education and knowledge sharing are keys to creating successful food insecurity programs at children’s hospitals.

A webinar series sponsored by the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Share Our Strength and Food Research Action Council (FRAC) examined how pediatricians and other health care professionals can promote food security at the clinical, community, state, and national level. The five sessions of “Building Pediatrician Capacity to Address Food Insecurity” are available on demand.

CHA also offers a Nutrition and Food Security Interest Group where member hospitals can learn with peers, share best practices, post resources, and learn about upcoming events. To join, log into your CHA account and join the Nutrition Security community.

The bottom line

Food insecurity is a health issue and addressing it requires more than medical treatment. By integrating food access into care, building strong community networks, and advocating for systemic change, hospitals are helping kids thrive both inside and outside the clinic.

What you can do

Support local programs: Donate to hospital-led food initiatives or volunteer at community food drives.

Advocate for policy change: Encourage policymakers to strengthen nutrition assistance programs like SNAP and WIC.

Spread awareness: Share resources with families and communities to help connect them to available support.

Learn more: Read about how children’s hospitals are addressing food insecurity by providing vital resources to children.

Together, we can ensure every child has access to the healthy food they need to thrive.