Since April 2020, we have been using the national RAPID survey to ask families with children under age 6 questions designed to better understand their well-being and economic circumstances, including their experiences of material hardship.
RAPID measures caregiver material hardship as difficulty in the last month affording basic needs, such as food, housing, utilities, child care, healthcare, and activities that support well-being. Consistent access to basic needs is key to a stable home environment that supports healthy development of young children and their families.
In December 2024, one in three (32%) families with young children experienced material hardship in one or more areas of basic need, and one in five (19%) families specifically had difficulty affording food. In a previous fact sheet, we reported that families who are struggling the most to pay for food also have the lowest access to grocery sources, and we heard from these parents that food pantries help them to fill the gaps.
Food pantries are important community supports that rely on donations and funding from individuals, businesses, and government agencies to distribute food to hungry families. In March 2025, the federal government ended programs that help schools and food pantries distribute food to communities and provide funding to farmers and food makers, and proposed further cuts to other food assistance programs for families.
Amid the backdrop of food program cancellations and rising rates of material hardship, this fact sheet uses data collected in December 2024 to document caregivers’ experiences using food pantries and challenges to accessing food pantries.
One in four parents of children under age 6 look to food pantries for support
RAPID data show that many caregivers of young children count on food pantries to help feed their children and families.
A quarter (24%) of families with children under age 6 used food pantries one or more times in the past year, with lower-income families (43%) significantly more likely to use food pantries than middle-income (19%) and higher-income families (7%).
Of families who use food pantries, the largest proportion do so three or fewer times a year, and the smallest proportion is families who use food pantries once a month or more. This shows that the majority of caregivers who use food pantries do so intermittently, when they are having trouble affording food. In caregivers’ responses to open-ended questions, they talk about how important food pantries are in helping them meet their families’ needs.
In addition to food, families tell us they use food pantries to access things like soap, diapers, and wipes. This shows that there is a need for assistance in meeting the basic family and caregiver needs that support the health, well-being, and development of young children.
We asked parents what specific things their family needed when they used food pantries, giving them the opportunity to select more than one thing from a list of options.
Parents most frequently reported going to food pantries for fresh fruits and vegetables (62%), followed by proteins (49%), dairy (47%), whole grains (46%), canned goods (44%), personal care items (29%), diapers/wipes (25%), and baby food/formula (6%).
Types of things parents of young children needed from food pantries, overall
We also asked child care providers of children under age 6 about their experiences using food pantries for children in their care and found that one in two (48%) providers used a food pantry one or more times in the past year to access food or other items for children in their care.
Providers told us which items children in their care needed from food pantries and were given the chance to select more than one type from a list of options. Providers most frequently looked for dairy (28%) and baby food/formula (28%) from food pantries, followed closely by whole grains (26%), fresh fruits and vegetables (25%), proteins (24%), diapers/wipes (22%), personal care items (18%), and canned goods (15%).
Types of things child care providers needed from food pantries for young children in their care, overall
“I appreciate the assistance from the food pantries.” Parent in California
“It really served as a great help when I was unemployed.” Parent in Texas
“They are great, they really help people in need.” Parent in Tennessee
“I appreciate the fresh fruits and vegetables.” Center-based provider
“A food pantry helps stretch a tight budget. It can also round out a meal to make it more balanced.” Center-based provider
“Thank goodness for food pantries, but sometimes they do not offer very nutritional foods. They offer foods to fulfill your hunger, not to get/keep your body healthy.” Parent in New Mexico
“Meats and diapers and wipes are the best things I’ve received.” Parent in New Mexico
“I am allotted one toilet paper a month by our local pantry and other limited items. I have had to reach out to other pantries to make do.” Parent in Illinois
“We were some months without enough food because we cannot afford it, until a friend told me about a food pantry near my house, and it has been a blessing for us.” Parent in Texas
“I’m really grateful for the food pantry’s support, but I wish they had more options for people who have dietary restrictions.” Home-based provider
“I know it’s not food, but I’d love to see more cleaning and hygiene products at pantries.” Center-based provider
Caregivers of young children express concerns about some of the offerings at food pantries
Consistent access to nutritious food supports the healthy development of children, and the positive well-being of families and caregivers.
We asked parents about their experiences using food pantries to meet their families’ needs. One in three parents (29%) who used food pantries said food pantries did not improve their ability to provide nutritious meals for their family, and 15% of parents who used food pantries said food pantries did not help them meet their family’s needs.
Caregivers’ responses to open-ended questions help make sense of these findings. Parents say they are worried about the quality of food pantry offerings, which may include nearly expired or expired foods. They also report that the lack of choice and limited variety of foods available in food pantries do not meet their family’s dietary needs and restrictions. Some families report eating foods from food pantries that could be harmful to them, with implications for the health, well-being, and development of young children.
Similarly, 44% of providers who used food pantries for children in their care said food pantries did not improve their ability to provide nutritious meals. In open-ended questions, providers also talked about the low quality of items they received from food pantries.
Parents know best what their children and families need. While many families are seeking and relying on food pantry assistance to feed their children and families, we hear from parents that, along with more and higher quality options, it would be better if they were able to choose items directly from the food pantries, based on their families’ needs. Many food pantries distribute pre-filled bags of food to caregivers. Research shows that giving caregivers the choice to directly pick the items they need and will use is an effective approach for both families accessing food and food pantries providing support. These data can inform policies and programs that support families with young children in accessing what they need from food pantries.
“It is not good quality/expired but we’ll still eat it.” Parent in Georgia
“Providing boxed items that require add-ins (butter, milk, meat, oil, etc.) without providing the adds-ins is pointless. The boxed goods are the part we CAN afford. We didn’t need help with those! What we needed help with was fruits and vegetables, meat, and all the dairy products. The food the USDA actually recommends we eat!” Parent in Tennessee
“It definitely helps, but having a child with severe food allergies makes it very difficult to get food he can have.” Parent in Minnesota
“Pantries don’t let you choose items. You get a bag of goods and you get whatever is in the bag.” Parent in Missouri
“Food pantries often do not have fresh food and often I have had to cut out the rotten parts.” Parent in Illinois
“Unfortunately, in smaller rural communities, like my own, there are very few options for food pantries and the items they have available are so few and oftentimes too expired to even use.” Parent in Ohio
“I wish food pantries functioned more like a store or voucher experience where you could select items based on your dietary needs and what your family will actually need. Like, for example, if they said you can select four dairy items, four meat items, etc., but you could choose which ones, kind of like shopping.” Parent in Arizona
“The produce at the food pantry is often super old and even moldy. It’s hard to get fresh fruits and veggies.” Center-based provider
“They don’t have enough for everyone that needs it.” Home-based provider
Access to food pantries is a barrier for many caregivers of young children
To understand the challenges families face accessing food pantries, we asked parents of young children who considered using food pantries but didn’t, what prevented them from doing so. We gave the option to select more than one reason in their response. Responses from the survey show the top reasons families do not use food pantries, in order of frequency, are:
- Belief that others need it more
- Feeling embarrassed or ashamed
- Lack of information about available food pantries
- Concern about food quality or selection
- Inconvenient hours of operation
- Transportation issues
Additionally, as indicated by the quotes in this fact sheet, parents detailed specific challenges they experienced accessing food pantries, like inconvenient hours and locations, and suggested that expanded food pantry hours, different and additional locations, and information about food pantries in other community spaces could help.
Among providers, the most frequent reason for not using food pantries was “lack of information about available food pantries.” In their open-ended responses, providers told us about challenges they experienced accessing food pantries, like hours that are hard to get to when providers are working and in locations that are hard for them to reach.
These insights highlight the barriers caregivers face in meeting children’s needs and can guide policies and programs aimed at supporting children, caregivers, and families.
“The hours they are open make it hard to get to with my work schedule.” Parent in Idaho
“I wish they were open on weekends so I could make it to them.” Parent in Illinois
“With the prices of groceries, food pantries are very helpful. My son’s school provides a food pantry a few times per year, and they come with lots of different items, especially fresh fruits and vegetables.” Parent in Louisiana
“It’s hard to get there when they are open with all my kids in tow.” Parent in Tennessee
“Sometimes the pantry’s hours or location can be challenging to access, so extending hours or providing more accessible locations would be helpful.” Parent in Maryland
“Our child care has a food giveaway once a week, which has been huge to have in a place where we already are rather than making a special trip.” Parent in Washington
“It was local through a church. We felt loved and like other people cared.” Parent in Tennessee
“The hours are hard to get to when you work!” Center-based provider
Conclusion
Food pantries are an important tool for increasing food security among young children and communities across the country. This is of critical importance as more than one in three households in the RAPID survey were experiencing material hardship in December 2024 while facing cuts to food programs they may rely on. Currently, RAPID data show that families are experiencing significant barriers to accessing food pantries. Many caregivers struggle with limited hours, location challenges, and insufficient offerings at food pantries. Expanding hours, providing fresh food options, meeting nutritional needs and dietary requirements, and offering choices can better support families. Additionally, increased government funding would allow food pantries to purchase items that directly reflect the needs of families in their communities.
Supporting families with young children to consistently meet basic needs, like food, can improve families’ economic circumstances as well as the physical health and emotional well-being of parents and young children. A previous RAPID fact sheet reported that rates of food hardship were lowest over the past five years when federal food-related programs and policies were in place, such as expanded SNAP and WIC benefits, paused work requirements for food benefits, and universal free school meals. RAPID data showed that when the policies ended in 2022, hunger and material hardship rates began to increase. This suggests that protections like these addressed the cost and access factors that contributed to hardship and hunger and underscores the importance of continuing these measures to support the development that is so essential in early childhood.
