Identifying and supporting children and families experiencing food insecurity

Introduction

Food insecurity is common among Australian families with children. In 2023, around one in eight households experienced food insecurity, with households with dependent children more likely to experience food insecurity than those with no dependent children (16% compared to 8.4%; Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2025).

Food insecurity occurs when the availability of, or access to, nutritious, affordable and safe foods is limited or unreliable (Barnidge et al., 2017; Bowden, 2020a). In Australia, the major drivers of food insecurity include poor availability, high price, a lack of social support, poor nutrition knowledge and poor and cooking skills (Godrich et al., 2017).

There is a continuum of how food insecurity is experienced, from having limited access to quality and healthy food through to cutting down amounts of food eaten or skipping meals entirely (Bowden, 2020a; Hendriks, 2015). For some families, food insecurity occurs at a particular time and for a short period (e.g. after job loss) while for others it can be an ongoing experience (Ipsos Public Affairs, 2025).

Research evidence indicates that food insecurity is linked to undesirable outcomes for children including poor mental health, being above a healthy weight, internalising behaviours (e.g. anxiety), externalising behaviours (e.g. acting out) and poor academic outcomes (Frongillo et al., 2024; Gallegos et al., 2021; Walls et al., 2022).

Children from food insecure households (especially girls) also commonly have poorer self-esteem and self-efficacy for healthy behaviours (Godrich et al., 2019). Food insecurity can contribute to social isolation as families may avoid social activities due to financial hardship and the stigma of not having food to share (Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee [LCLSIC], 2024).

Signs of food insecurity

Research suggests that food insecurity is multidimensional. It can be experienced differently across households depending on circumstances such as family composition, age of child(ren) and life stage of the family. The following are signs that a family with children may be experiencing food insecurity (Baxter et al., 2024; Bowden, 2020a; Loopstra, 2018; McKay et al., 2023):

• Children and/or parents may be hungry because there isn’t enough food to eat or going without food altogether. For example, children may attend school without lunch/snacks or avoid school altogether.
• Children may have poor concentration or behavioural issues.
• They may eat a smaller range of foods or fewer foods from the five core food groups (e.g. fruit and vegetables).
• Parents may ‘bulk out’ meals with foods like rice, pasta, breads and tinned foods.
• Children may have feelings of uncertainty and anxiety related to obtaining food (e.g. related to not having enough food or lack of choice on what food is available or affordable).
• Families may experience changes to food habits and practices, such as using food charities (e.g. soup kitchens), being unable to maintain socially prescribed ways of eating (e.g. three meals a day) and being unable to participate in social food practices (e.g. having friends over for a meal).

How do families manage food insecurity?

Families use various strategies when experiencing food insecurity. These may include:

• adults reducing their food intake by fasting or skipping meals so children can eat
• modifying lifestyle choices or spending less on non-essential items to have money for food (e.g. reducing home energy use)
• purchasing sale items or food close to or past the use-by date
• participating in community gardens
• visiting food cooperatives
• shopping at low-cost supermarkets
• engaging with food relief organisations or free food programs/events (Bowden, 2020a; Ipsos Public Affairs, 2025; Lindberg et al., 2025; Patil et al., 2017).

Some families rely on extended family or friends to provide meals for their children (McCarthy et al., 2018), while some engage with community groups (e.g. faith/religious communities) to feed their children.

What supports are available to children and families experiencing food insecurity?

This section outlines what can work to address food insecurity and briefly describes some of the associated complexities.

Government and community actions

The evidence shows that, on a broad, whole-of-population scale, the following supports are critical to address food insecurity:

• effective government-led social support systems (e.g. those that address employment and working conditions or social security)
• core food group subsidies
• programs that increase dignified access to food
• human rights approaches to food insecurity (Pollard & Booth, 2019).

However, such efforts do not necessarily address the food insecurity needs of individual families.

At a more local scale, community-based settings – such as food cooperatives, community gardens, farmers’ markets and social enterprises – can also increase access to core food groups and promote social connectedness (Molenaar et al., 2023; Pollard & Booth, 2019). These types of initiatives are often provided by local councils, schools, not-for-profit organisations and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.

Emergency food relief, such as school breakfast/lunch programs (Lindberg et al., 2025; McCarthy et al., 2018), are typically facilitated by food relief organisations and aim to provide emergency or short-term support. They often rely on donated food from the community or food companies as well as volunteers to distribute the food.

Research suggests that while food relief programs or organisations such as food banks can provide critical emergency support, they do not provide adequate solutions to long-term food insecurity challenges (Molenaar et al., 2023; Oldroyd et al., 2022).

People who use food relief programs or services have expressed mixed views on their desirability and the experience of using them (Kleve & Gallegos, 2022). While people commonly appreciate the ability to access free food, for many it is a last resort (Molenaar et al., 2023). This is because people often experience a lack of choice about how much food they can access and the types of food available (Molenaar et al., 2023). Food relief programs may provide limited amounts of fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy and protein (e.g. meat and poultry) and the quality of the food provided may be poor.

Other types of community food programs include those that help families manage limited household budgets to access cheaper food or places to grow food. Nutrition and cooking programs offer practical strategies for planning, shopping for and preparing meals with limited resources, such as finding low-cost options and maximising limited ingredients (Lindberg et al., 2025; Molenaar et al., 2023).

Complexities associated with addressing food insecurity

To tackle food insecurity, efforts are required across multiple levels, including individuals, service providers, communities and systems (Bowden, 2020b; Saragosa et al. 2025). Effectively responding to food insecurity is often complex because it is frequently connected to other issues such as lack of access to transportation and childcare, unemployment, low social support, low income and homelessness (Botha et al., 2024; Jackson et al., 2025; Murphy et al., 2025).

Research shows that children and families experiencing food insecurity also often experience unmet medical care needs, employment challenges, and physical and mental health issues (Fram & Frongillo, 2021). They may also be reluctant to seek help due to feelings of stigma, shame and embarrassment (LCLSIC, 2024). To address such feelings, and to avoid exacerbating them, interventions need to be grounded in dignity, fairness and respect.

Screening for food insecurity

Practitioners and service providers working with children and families should consider screening all clients or service users for food insecurity as part of routine intake or assessment processes. By making it clear it is part of a regular intake process, screening can normalise the conversation, reduce stigma and help families feel safe to respond honestly (Kerz et al., 2021).

The most common screening tool for food insecurity is the two-item Hunger Vital Sign tool¹ (Hager et al., 2010; US Preventative Services Task Force, 2025). It may be included as part of regular service intake processes, either via interview or a screening that is self-completed by the client.

You might like to use the following introduction and the two screening questions, adapted from Bowden (2020b), with your clients or service users:

We ask everyone these two questions about your household’s access to food. We know that many families experience challenges with food from time to time. Your answers can help us understand whether any support might be helpful. For each question, can you tell me whether this is often true, sometimes true, or never true for your household in the last 12 months:

1. Have you ever worried that food will run out before you are able to buy more?

2. Have you run out of food and not had enough money to buy more?

If a client answers ‘sometimes true’ or ‘often true’ to at least one of these questions, then this is considered a positive screen for food insecurity (Bowden, 2020b). This response can be used to prompt further conversation about the client’s experiences related to food insecurity as well as helping to determine the most appropriate referral pathway.

Children and parents may have different perceptions of food insecurity. Research shows that children’s self-reports of food insecurity can differ from their parents’ reports, as parents often shield children from the full extent of food insecurity (Bernal et al., 2016; Fram & Frongillo, 2021).²

Practice considerations for supporting children and families

This section provides some considerations for practitioners working with families. It focuses on responses to food insecurity at the individual and family level; it does not cover interventions at a service, system or population level.

For food-insecure households with children, practitioners and service providers can help identify families experiencing food insecurity and link them to supports. The following is a list of practice considerations drawn from the existing literature. While it is not exhaustive, it provides a starting point for understanding how to identify and support families experiencing food insecurity.

• Increase your awareness and understanding of food insecurity and its impacts on child health and development.
• Consider including food insecurity screening items (e.g. the Hunger Vital Sign questions) into existing intake and assessment procedures (Bowden, 2020b).
• Provide resources on local support services available in services or practices (e.g. in the reception area or consultation rooms). This might help prompt conversations or disclosures (Barnidge et al., 2020).
• Help children and parents feel comfortable talking about food (and not having enough food) by being empathetic and non-judgemental, avoiding stigmatising or blaming language (Barnidge et al., 2020). Where age-appropriate and safe to do so, consider listening to children’s own experiences of food access and security in addition to their parents. Work with families to find the best solutions for them.
• Ensure your organisation has clear, accessible referral pathways in place for when there may be signs or disclosures of food insecurity (Bowden, 2020b; Kerz et al., 2021; Lindberg et al., 2015). For example, have a list of local food relief organisations, food literacy programs (e.g. that help people plan and shop on limited household budgets) and community food cooperatives.³
• Consider other referrals or supports that can help reduce the impact of food insecurity (e.g. concessions for essential services and bills, vouchers, housing support or debt management; Bowden, 2020b).
• When working with children, consider liaising with schools or early years settings to better understand their food access during the day. Educators may be valuable allies in recognising and responding to food insecurity.
• Take a trauma-informed approach when providing support (Hecht et al., 2018). This includes recognising how hardships or past experiences may affect how families talk about or manage food insecurity. It also includes responding in ways that promote safety, respect, choice and dignity. (See the ‘Related resources’ section of this article for more information about trauma-informed practice.)
• Consider the different dietary needs and cultural practices of multicultural, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families when discussing food or making referrals. Community programs are more meaningful and effective when they are culturally appropriate and community-informed (LCLSIC, 2024).
• Advocate within your organisation to integrate food security into everyday practice (e.g. intake procedures, service design and local referral pathways). This may include building cross-sector partnerships with schools, community groups or health and social services to support a coordinated response (Fram & Frongillo, 2021; LCLSIC, 2024).

Further reading and resources on food insecurity are provided in the following sections.

Notes

1. This tool was validated among low-income families with young children at urban medical centres (Hager et al., 2010) and in Australian paediatric health services (Kerz et al., 2021). The gold standard food insecurity measurement tool is the United States Household Food Security Survey Module, which includes 18 questions, some of which are child-focused. However, when time is limited, the two-question Hunger Vital Sign is suitable (Baker et al., 2024).

2. Where appropriate, the Self-Administered Food Security Survey Module for Youth Ages 12 and Older can be used.

3. Food cooperatives are independent food supply stores where community members come together to order fresh produce directly from growers and suppliers (Kent et al., 2025). Research suggests that food cooperatives can improve access to healthy foods and reduce food insecurity (Kent et al., 2025).