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Follow this link to FRAC’s Poverty, Hunger, Health, and the Federal Nutrition Programs: A Profile of the Southern Region.

Many in the Southern Region states live with the crushing burdens of food insecurity, poverty, health disparities, and historical and structural racism. These inequities have serious consequences for the health and well-being of children and adults. The federal nutrition programs are one of many resources and significant structural changes needed to address these issues. The federal nutrition programs can help reduce food insecurity, improve dietary intake and health, boost learning and development, help lift families out of poverty, and act as a stimulus for local economies. The federal nutrition programs are an important source of support in the Southern Region. However, there are serious gaps in participation that need to be addressed.

Data are available for Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Collectively, these states are referred to as the Southern Region. This report highlights the need for and value of federal nutrition programs in the Southern Region, especially in light of COVID-19, using indicators of health and inequity. It also explores federal nutrition program strengths, participation gaps, and strategies for improvement that stakeholders can use to connect more people to the federal nutrition programs.

View the data sources and technical notes.

Data last updated July 2020.

DATA TABLES

Population

1. Population

Economic and Food Security, Equity, and Health

1. Income and Poverty
2. Economic Security Policy and Disparity in Economic Opportunity
3. Food Insecurity and Very Low Food Security
4. Food Insecurity by Race and Ethnicity
5. Very Low Food Security by Race and Ethnicity
6. Additional Health Determinants

Health Disparities

1. Health Outcomes and Health Equity
2. Low-Birthweight Births by Race and Ethnicity
3. Obesity by Age Group
4. Diabetes by Race and Ethnicity

Federal Nutrition Programs

1. SNAP – Participation, Benefits, and Funding
2. SNAP – Participation by Race and Ethnicity
3. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) – Participation
4. WIC – Coverage Rates
5. WIC – Coverage Rates by Race and Ethnicity
6. School Breakfast Program – School Participation
7. School Breakfast Program – Student Participation
8. School Breakfast Program  – Additional Participation if States Reach FRAC Goal
9. National School Lunch Program – Student Participation
10. Summer Nutrition Programs – Participation
11. Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) – Home and Center Participation
12. CACFP – Participation in Afterschool Suppers
13. CACFP – Additional Supper Participation if States Reach FRAC Goal

 

INTERACTIVE MAP

This interactive map provides state-by-state data on participation in the federal nutrition programs for Southern Region states. Data includes attendance in CACFP Homes and Centers, coverage rates in SNAP and WIC, and participation in the School Breakfast Program, Summer Nutrition Program, and CACFP Afterschool Supper.