Food Insecurity and Children: Understanding the Issue to Take Action

Food Insecurity and Children: Understanding the Issue to Take Action

July 13, 2026

Access to sufficient, nutritious, and high-quality food is essential to a child's healthy growth and development. Yet across Canada and Quebec, an increasing number of families are struggling to meet this basic need. Behind the statistics are troubling realities: children arriving at school hungry, parents skipping meals so their children can eat, and families forced to choose between paying for housing, school supplies, or groceries.

A Growing Reality Affecting More and More Children

Food insecurity among children is no longer a marginal issue. Recent data show that it continues to worsen across Canada, reflecting the declining living conditions of many households. Nearly 2.4 million Canadian children lived in food-insecure households in 2025 (PROOF, 2026). This trend is closely linked to rising child poverty, as the number of children living in households experiencing severe food insecurity doubled between 2019 and 2023 (Campaign 2000, 2026).

The situation is equally concerning in Quebec. According to the 2025 HungerCount Report published by Food Banks of Quebec, children accounted for 35% of all individuals receiving food assistance. In March 2025 alone, food banks responded to 3.1 million requests for food assistance, representing more than 47,000 additional children compared with 2022 (Food Banks of Quebec, 2025). These figures underscore the importance of collective action to ensure every child has reliable access to nutritious food.

The situation is particularly alarming for young children, who are especially vulnerable to the effects of food insecurity. According to the Observatoire des tout-petits (2025), 28.8% of Quebec households with at least one child between the ages of 0 and 5 experienced food insecurity in 2023. In other words, nearly one in three young children is growing up in a household where consistent access to adequate, nutritious food is compromised. The consequences of food insecurity during early childhood can have lasting effects on a child's development and future opportunities.

The Impact on Child Development and Academic Success

The effects of food insecurity extend far beyond the experience of hunger. They directly influence children's physical health, cognitive development, emotional well-being, and ability to learn.

According to the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation (2023), a healthy diet provides the nutrients children need for proper growth, maintaining a healthy weight, and supporting a strong immune system. Proteins, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients also play a critical role in brain development and learning.

Conversely, inadequate nutrition or poor diet quality can have long-term consequences. Food insecurity is associated with weakened immune function, increased chronic inflammation, and a greater risk of developing illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain respiratory conditions (Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, 2023).

These impacts are also evident in the classroom. A study highlighted by Alloprof (2025) found that nutrition directly affects memory, attention, concentration, and classroom behaviour. Children who experience food insecurity early in life are more likely to encounter learning difficulties. According to Naître et grandir (2017), they face greater challenges in reading and mathematics, as well as social and emotional development. These effects are particularly significant when food insecurity occurs before the age of two—a critical period for brain development and the acquisition of skills that support future academic success.