A new report from the Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) finds that school-based feeding programs can effectively feed school-age children, even during COVID-19.

Forty-one percent of children under the age of 15, or 605 million people, worldwide are at risk of hunger, according to the report. This can have negative impacts on both physical and cognitive development, lead to behavioral issues, and impair academic performance.

GFN’s food banks work to address child hunger by uniting and supporting food banks in more than 40 countries. In 2019, GFN sought to learn more about programs addressing child hunger. Between September and December of that year, the Network surveyed food banks and national networks in 30 countries to understand feeding programs that meet children’s needs.

The “Healthy Nations Start with Healthy Children” report shows that “one of the most effective ways to combat food insecurity among children is by establishing school-based feeding programs,” Monica Dykas, GFN’s Director of Child Hunger Programs, tells Food Tank.

According to Dykas, there are many benefits to school-based programs. “Logistically, it is much easier to deliver meals to children in food insecure households while they are in school,” Dykas tells Food Tank. “When scaled, the potential to quickly and efficiently reach vulnerable children is huge.”

Through the help of these programs, children can concentrate better and increase their performance in school, Dykas says. She adds that meal programs are also an incentive for families to keep their children in school. And in many impoverished communities, girls are more likely to stay in school longer where feeding programs are available.

This report offers readers case studies of the GFN food banks to showcase the diverse and innovative models addressing child hunger. These examples focus on food banks from different regions of the world with varying levels of economic development.

Read the full article about school-based food banks by Amanda Fong at Food Tank.