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Addressing Food Insecurity in Foster Care
CASA of Essex County
As the new school year approaches, New Jersey is preparing to see an influx of students who will qualify for free or reduced-price meals – 60,000 of them to be exact including many of the youth we (CASA for Children of Essex County) serve who are placed in foster care. This year thus far, one in five families within Essex County face food insecurity while one in two households cannot afford the basic cost of living.
Having direct access to food can also be burdensome for many families within Essex, which includes youth in foster care as they often experience instability in many areas of their lives. Jerseybee.org has identified that “almost every municipality in Essex County has a community where the nearest grocery store or supermarket is hard to access.” This presents a serious issue for youth living with elderly or differently abled family members as well as families without means for reliable transportation or fluency in English.
Local food pantries in Essex County, which could provide nourishment for such families, are also struggling to keep their shelves stocked as the lines of residents needing assistance wrap themselves around the block. To make matters worse, many food banks are limited in the quality and/or variety of foods they can offer. Much is close to its expiration date, expired, or cannot be consumed by those with dietary restrictions.
In an effort to relieve the extreme need, Governor Phil Murphy signed the Working-Class Families Anti-Hunger Act in January of 2024. The Act effectively allows more students to qualify for meals by lowering the annual income permissible within the household. Such an effort guarantees that our qualifying youth with food insecurity are receiving at least two meals a day. Julmarie Rodriguez, CASA Advocate Supervisor who has much experience as a former teacher involved with registering youth for school meals, states: “Luckily, our youth in foster care automatically qualify for free meals during the school year.”
However, access to meals during the school year does not always translate to the summer months. This poses the question of how best to disseminate information regarding state and federal aid available for such situations when our schools and pantries cannot fulfill the need. It is imperative to question and improve the current systems to eliminate hunger and provide consistent support for youth placed in foster care, ensuring they have the foundation needed for a healthy and successful future.
Nutritional stability for our youth can positively impact so many areas of their life. Access to regular, nutritious meals not only improves their physical health, but can also mitigate the stress and anxiety caused by hunger – thereby relieving the emotional and mental burden of worrying about their next meal. In turn, the improvement in physical and mental health can also increase their chances of educational success as being well fed helps them stay focused and engaged while learning.
With more community support, we can ensure that foster youth receive adequate nutrition, and this act fosters a sense of unity among us. It also shows the children we serve that there are systems in place that care for their well-being, which can have a positive impact on their self-esteem and sense of belonging.
Find out more about CASA Essex and how you can be a force for positive change by contacting our Outreach Coordinator, Alexis Pugliese at apugliese@casaessex.org.
