New report says many Utah children going hungry

New data show one in five American households with children don't get enough to eat, and Utah children aren't immune.

A report released Wednesday by the National Center for Children in Poverty shows Utah is one of 16 states nationwide where the number of families with children who have trouble accessing enough food is 9 percent or more.

The report shows families "appear to be more at risk today of experiencing food insecurity than they were a decade ago," said Vanessa Wight, lead author of the report, "Examining Food Insecurity Among Children in the United States." It shows food insecurity among children rose sharply in 2008 to about 11 percent, after ranging between 8 percent and 9.5 percent for the past 10 years.

Researchers blame increasing unemployment and an extended recession for the increase.

Jessica Pugh, spokeswoman for the Utah Food Bank, said the numbers are not surprising, and may even be on the low side since they are a "pre-recession" look at food security. She said one in eight Utah children lives in poverty, and a study based on USDA food data from 2006 to 2008 showed 117,281 Utah children were "food insecure."

"Last year, 42 percent of all clients we had seeking food assistance were children under 18. With our increase in requests for food assistance averaging 30 percent, we know more families are struggling than ever. I'm not sure those numbers reflect the reality today."

The national report points to statistics behind the rising number of hungry children:

Since late 2007, the number of children living with an unemployed parent nearly doubled from 5.5 million to 10.5 million children by 2009.

The number of food stamps participants increased 31 percent, from 25.7 million in 2005, to 33.7 in 2009. The sharpest uptick occurred between 2007 and 2009, as participation increased by 27 percent.

Participation in the School Breakfast and National School Lunch Program rose by 18 percent and 6 percent respectively.

In the last year alone, emergency food assistance programs like food banks and pantries, have seen an 18 percent increase in demand.

e-mail: carrie@desnews.com