New Report from No Kid Hungry: 2 in 5 Moms Worry About Affording Nutritious Meals for Their Kids
Moms are making sacrifices like taking on debt and skipping meals to keep their children fed; champions, including Elaine Welteroth and Lauren Bush Lauren, join forces with No Kid Hungry to highlight urgent need for policies and programs that support families
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WASHINGTON, April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As moms across the United States gear up to celebrate Mother's Day, they are facing impossible choices to provide healthy meals for their children, according to new national research released today by No Kid Hungry.
Among moms surveyed*, almost all say they make significant sacrifices so their children can thrive. Nearly half of moms (43%) worry they cannot consistently provide healthy meals, and almost 1 in 3 moms living on low incomes have taken on additional debt in the past year so their children could eat. This report comes as grocery costs remain stubbornly high, stretching household budgets and putting basic necessities further out of reach, especially for many moms living on low incomes.
At the same time, more than 3 out of 4 moms remain optimistic about their children's future, believing they will have a better life than they do today. A mom in New York shared: "[I hope] that my son will be able to have a higher quality of living than my own. I know that was my parents' hope for me, but it's not the reality. I want him to be safe and healthy with opportunities for happiness and joy."
Key findings from the report include:
- Moms living on low incomes are making difficult trade-offs to keep their children fed
- One-in-three moms report that they took on debt (32%), delayed paying bills like rent or utilities (35%), or skipped meals (34%) in the past year;
- More than 1 in 5 moms cut back or delayed their own medical care, including prescriptions (21%);
- Moms need additional supports to feel confident their children can thrive
- More than half of moms across all income levels say easier access to healthy, affordable food would help (55%);
- Two-in-three moms living on lower incomes cite affordable housing (66%) and more stable income (66%) as critical needs;
- Nearly all moms agree that at least one additional support would help (91%).
An in-depth look at the survey's key findings can be viewed HERE.*
"For millions of moms, the math simply isn't adding up," said Anne Filipic, CEO of Share Our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. "No mom should have to take on debt or skip meals and medical care just to make sure their kids have food. That's why we are working with dedicated partners across the country to help moms access benefit programs, job coaching, healthy food, childcare, and more flexible income. When we invest in these solutions, moms thrive and their kids can thrive too."
The report comes as No Kid Hungry celebrates the power of moms this Mother's Day and honors acclaimed journalist, author, television host, and birthFUND founder Elaine Welteroth. "It's an honor to be recognized by No Kid Hungry for the work we're leading at birthFUND. Supporting mothers doesn't stop at childbirth—it requires meeting families where they are, with access to food, housing, transportation, and the resources that make stability possible," said Welteroth. "When we invest in mothers during these pivotal moments, we change the trajectory for entire generations."
In support of the campaign, FEED will donate a portion of the proceeds of its new limited-edition Mother's Day Book Bag to support No Kid Hungry. Founded by social entrepreneur and hunger activist Lauren Bush Lauren, FEED has been a longtime partner of No Kid Hungry. "We're committed to ending childhood hunger because a healthy child in the classroom turns into an educated adult with a better chance of a well-paying job," said Lauren. "Ending childhood hunger helps lift children and their families out of generational poverty, and that starts with supporting moms."
Fourteen million kids in the U.S. today are living with hunger. Childhood hunger isn't an isolated issue: it is a direct result of challenges like low wages, high costs of living, and other barriers that make it hard for families to get ahead, especially those headed by single moms who play the dual role of wage earner and caregiver. No Kid Hungry works to boost incomes and create lasting stability for moms and their kids. That work includes advocating for an expanded Child Tax Credit, supporting holistic job coaching models that provide community support, increasing access to healthy grocery options and school meals, and advancing flexible childcare solutions that ensure moms can thrive.
These efforts have helped unlock nearly $350 million in child tax credits for families, boosted 13,000 single mothers through innovative programs that increased incomes and removed barriers to food access, and reached 1.2 million people to transform narratives about single moms.
Visit NoKidHungry.org to learn more about the ways we are supporting moms this Mother's Day, and all year long.
* The 2026 Mother's Day Report features key findings from mothers surveyed this spring, including a national sample (n = 1,508). Key survey findings can be found here.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry 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 is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org
MEDIA CONTACT: Georgina Seal, [email protected]
SOURCE No Kid Hungry
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