Data on Early Childhood Education and School Readiness

1. Data on Early Childhood Education and School Readiness

2. From the Heartland Institute, http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=11620, data From table 260 of the Statistical Abstract of the United States.

8. Food Insecurity • Lacking physical or economic access to food that is safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate in quantities sufficient to sustain a healthy life • Hunger takes this a step further to skipping meals and limiting quantities to the point of experiencing sustained hunger or even malnutrition

9. Food Insecurity and Hunger, 2003-2005 • Percent of U.S. households with food insecurity: 11.4 (range from 6% in North Dakota, New Hampshire, and Delaware to 17% New Mexico and Mississippi). • Percent of U.S. households with food insecurity with hunger: 3.8% (range from 2% in North Dakota, New Hampshire, and Delaware to 6% in South Carolina and New Mexico)

11. Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program • Available products: • Infant formula • Frozen juice • Cereal • Milk • Eggs • Dried beans, peas, or peanut butter • For breastfeeding women not receiving formula: cheese, tuna, and carrots

12. School Lunch Program • Entitlement foods: meat, fruit juice, vegetable shortening, peanut products, vegetable oil, flour and other grain products, and vegetables and fruits (well, sort of) • Bonus products from agricultural surplus, especially processed foods • Average lunch prices are $1.74 in elementary school, $1.93 in secondary school; reduced-price meals cost $0.40 • 68% of eligible students participate