No Kid Hungry announced today that it has awarded $20,000 to the American Academy of Pediatrics New York Chapter 2 to train Long Island pediatricians on how to screen for the effects of food insecurity and connect families in need with food assistance.
One in 7 children face hunger in New York. As trusted family confidants, pediatricians have unique insight into the lives of children and families. In their first five years, the average child visits a pediatrician 20 times.
The American Academy of Pediatrics New York Chapter 2 will use these trainings to develop and implement a screening tool for food insecurity to triage all pediatric patients. The chapter will host nutrition workshops for parents and patients as well as identify family advisors to support and advocate for patients who are facing food insecurity.
“There is no voice that families trust more than their pediatrician. We are so proud to be partnering with the American Academy of Pediatrics here in New York to mobilize doctors in the fight against child hunger,” said Rachel Sabella, Director of No Kid Hungry New York. “Pediatricians are usually the first to notice a change in a child’s health. This additional training will help them screen children for signs of food insecurity and provide families with more resources to secure help.”
“Nutrition plays a critical role in children’s overall health and development, and pediatricians are here to partner with families to ensure they have access to healthy food,” said Moira Szliagyi, MD, PhD, FAAP, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Recently highlighted in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, this grant is part of a national effort to provide pediatricians with the additional training needed to screen for food insecurity. No Kid Hungry will provide and offer three different learning models to pediatricians based on each physician's time capacity and work schedule. Pediatricians will be able to refer patients’ families to grocery benefits like SNAP and WIC, as well as other local and state resources for families through these learning models, which are the following:
- A Self-Driven Online Learning Site called PediaLink will offer training materials that physicians can use to learn more about screening and referrals on their own time.
- An Interactive Training Model lets pediatricians receive training through a self-directive, interactive series of programs.
- A Live Virtual Training Model called the “Extension for Community Health Outcomes” will enable physicians to receive hands-on training.
About No Kid Hungry New York
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in New York could face hunger. No Kid Hungry New York is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry New York is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.