Blog assignment; Research that benefits children and families-uplifting stories:
Option 2: Imagine that you possess the means and the knowledge to conduct research studies about any topic in the early childhood field. Imagine further that you are not restricted by the reality of the present. Imagine that your study will make a major positive contribution to the well-being of children and/or their families. What topic would you choose? What can you imagine the positive contribution(s) would be?
The topic that I would choose would be Childhood hunger. Hunger prevents kids from reaching their full potential. It is an epidemic that's threatening America's future. More than 16 million kids live in houeholds that struggle with hunger. (USDA Household Food Security in the United States). 10.5 million kids eligible for free or reduced-price school breakfast do not get it. ( Food research and action center, school breakfast scorecard). Six out of 7 eligible kids do not get free summer meals. (Food research and action center, "Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report). According to the Source for USDA food and nutrition services, in 2010, 40.3 million people in over 18.6 million households (18.9 million) were households with children about half of those households recieved SNAP (food stamps). 15.7 million children (21.6%) in America live in poverty. ( U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports).
Why is Childhood hunger Important?
Health: Children who suffer with hunger are sick more often, rcover more slowly, and are more likely to be hospitalized. They experience headaches, stomachaches, colds, ear infections and fatigue. They are susceptible to obesity and the harmful health consequences as children and as adults ( Annual, national-level statistics,2013).
Cognition and Academics: Undernourished children 0-3 years of age cannot learn as much as fast or well. Lack of food or nutritious food impairs their ability to concentrate.(2013).
Emotional and Social Well-being: Children who do not get enough nutritious food have significantly higher levels of behavioral, emotional and academic problems and more aggressive behavior.
The positive contribution (s) to ending world hunger would be to help in joining the fight for hunger through campaigns, and community projects. As educators if we experience children in the classrooms with problems in getting food, we must be able to direct them to the proper resources that are available. The goal is to make sure that every family that needs to seek help from different programs and are eligible for assistance they become aware of how to go about getting help. Child nutrition programs make a positive difference. There are many organizations that help in eliminating childhood hunger. We can join them, recieve free newsletters, and most importantly make a huge contribution.
References:
Share our Strength. No kid hunry (2013). Retrieved from http://www.nokidhungry.org/problem/overview.
Hi Linda. What a great topic this would be especially the fact that today, we are a nation dependent upon many state and government programs to help those that need it the most. Your statistics do show the need to implement more programs and I think ‘community’ projects would also help society (e.g., food drives, donations, etc.). Part of my research paper is based on poverty that affects everyone in every country where the government is helping, but that’s not enough to subsidize the funds needed. Thanks for expressing your thoughts this week…
ReplyDeleteLinda,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post about hunger and how important it is for educators to key in to children experiencing hunger issues. I especially liked that you mentioned that educators need to know the resources and direct those families to resources for assistance. The school I currently work in has a high population of families in need of food assistance and it breaks my heart that anyone in our nation should go hungry.
Nicolette
Linda, thanks for your blog post. I enjoyed reading about your topic and agree that hunger is a very important aspect of children's health and well being. There are many resources out there to help families and children in need. We as educators should always be on the look out for children and families who may need assistance so they can have the healthy benefits as everyone else. Some parents are to embarrassed to say they need help so we should find alternative ways to help parents and children to feel comfortable receiving the help they need to stay productive and healthy. Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLinda,
ReplyDeleteI think child hunger is a great research topic for you to have chosen. What most fail to realize is the fact that hungry children do not learn; that is due to more than the physical aspect of malnutrition. And I agree with you that research in such topic would most certainly contribute to the field in more ways than one. Thank you for your dedication!!!
Annie P.