Hunger relief organisation Foodbank has revealed it is more likely for a child in Australia to go hungry than an adult in 2018.
Its research report on the prevalence of child hunger, called Rumbling Tummies, found that while 15 per cent of Australian adults have experienced food insecurity in the last year, more than one in five children in Australia (22%) have experienced food insecurity over the same period.
Foodbank found hunger amongst Australian kids is more common than once imagined, with one in three parents living in food- insecure homes reporting their children go hungry at least once a month.
Meanwhile, at least once a week, 18 per cent of food-insecure children go to school without eating breakfast, 15 per cent go to school without a packed lunch or lunch money, and 11 per cent go to bed without eating dinner.
With data collated from more than a thousand Australian parents with children under the age of 15, Foodbank uncovered that the major factor driving the growing need for hunger relief in Australia is the rising cost of living.
An unexpected bill or expense (52%) and house payments (38%) are two of the most prominent causes of food insecurity in homes with children under 15, the organisation found.
Foodbank provides food for over 652,000 people a month, however, their front-line charity partners report that demand for food relief has increased by 10 per cent in the last year.
Furthermore, they are forced to turn away 65,000 people every month due to lack of food.
Foodbank is Australia’s largest hunger relief organisation, providing 67 million meals a year to over 2400 charities and 1750 schools. Foodbank works with the farmers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and retailers to donate food.
