Childhood Nutrition Security - Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Food Insecurity

Illinois Partnership for Childhood Nutrition Security

The purpose of ICAAP's Childhood Nutrition Security Project is to foster collaboration between pediatricians, state food delivery, and family support partners to improve pediatrician food insecurity screening, referral mechanisms, and resource delivery to families. The Partnership will create and implement a collective impact plan to advance childhood nutrition in Illinois.

View the 2022 Collective Plan

Goal 1: Build Collaboration and Consensus to Address Food Insecurity in Illinois

Recruit and convene current food system organizations, family advisor(s),and ICAAP leadership team in 2-3 meetings in the Illinois Partnership for Childhood Nutrition Security.
Identify the current landscape of food insecurity in Illinois.
Share best practices and assets that partners bring to improve healthy food access to children and families experiencing food insecurity.
Gain consensus on a shared systems model that identifies assets and opportunities to alleviate food insecurity. This will be informed by existing data that captures community member experience through focus groups and surveys.
Develop consensus on sharing relevant data, food resources, and referral networks.
Identify best practices to scale/trial or create solutions which will most likely impact the targeted processes and create a plan.

Goal 2: Build Chapter Capacity to Promote Training and Resources and Pediatrician Efficacy to Address Food Insecurity and Connection to Local Food Resources

Develop and disseminate survey to ICAAP members to assess current practices and barriers to screening, implementation, and connecting patients to food systems.
Create awareness of food insecurity through the development of content and updates on the ICAAP website page featuring member opportunities to participate in training and collaborate in the project.
Develop standardized webinar training for pediatricians, residents, and medical students building upon existing education/tool resources (from the Food Research Action Center and AAP Food Insecurity Toolkit 2021). Webinar training will include universal screening for food insecurity using the validated Hunger Vital Signs, best practices for talking with families about food insecurity, and referral resources.
Conduct out reach to members, residency programs and medical schools and members.
Present trainings.

Goal 3: Implement Collective Impact Plan to Improve Screening and Family Connections to Food Resources

Educational Presentations

Addressing Childhood Food Insecurity as Pediatricians: Increasing Screening, Referrals, and Resource Delivery

Learning Objectives:

Demonstrate the importance of identifying food insecurity
Develop skills to screen using hunger vital signs and discuss food insecurity with families
Identify and provide food resources for families

Watch the Presentation

WIC Education for Pediatricians with the Illinois Department of Human Services

Learning Objectives:

Explain what the WIC program is
Understand the services WIC offers
Understand WIC eligibility and enrollment requirements
Identify ways pediatricians and WIC can collaborate to increase enrollment and retention

Watch the Presentation

Addressing Childhood Food Insecurity in the Capital - Springfield, Illinois

Learning Objectives:

Inspire pediatricians to increase screening and referrals for food insecurity
Identify and provide food resources for families in Springfield, Illinois
Describe recent AAP efforts to address food insecurity

View Resource

IDHS: Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

WIC is a food assistance program for Women, Infants, and Children. It helps pregnant women, new mothers and young children eat well and stay healthy.

Nutrition Program Matrix WIC Flyer WIC 101: Video

Learn more about Hunger in Illinois

Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap study

Food Insecurity Map

ICAAP Announces Participation in National Learning Collaborative to End Childhood Hunger in Illinois

Read the Press Release

Resources for Pediatricians

Screen and Intervene: A Toolkit for Pediatricians to Address Food Insecurity

View Toolkit

WIC Guide for Healthcare Providers

View Guide

Pediatrician Survey: Addressing Food Insecurity Among Children — Pediatrician Beliefs, Practices, and Resource Needs

View the Findings

Bright Futures

View Bright Futures Resrouces

Food Resources

ICAAP developed a handout with links to helpful food security resources.

Download the Handout

Call the "2-1-1 Illinois” hotline for assistance.

Find food throughout Chicago by visiting the Greater Chicago Food Depository

Find local food resources throughout Illinois by visiting the Illinois Extension Food Maps

Illinois Partnership for Childhood Nutrition Security

Childhood Nutrition Security Project Partners

Collaborative Meetings

Meeting 1: December 2, 2021

Meeting Slides

Meeting 2: January 20, 2022

Meeting Slides

Meeting 3: February 17, 2022

Meeting Slides

Healthcare System

Healthcare System
ACCESS Community Health Network
American Heart Association
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Erie Family Health Centers
Esperanza Health Centers
Heartland Health Services
Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
OSF Healthcare Children’s Hospital of Illinois
PCC Community Wellness Center
Proviso Partners for Health: Veggie Rx
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
UIC Office of Community Engagement and Neighborhood Health Partnership

Government Agency

Chicago Department of Public Health
Chicago Public Schools
Cook County Health
Illinois Department of Human Services
Illinois State Board of Education
Southern 7 Health Department
SNAP Education, University of Illinois Extension
Tazewell County Health Department

Public Health
Illinois Public Health Association
Illinois Public Health Institute

Home Visiting / Daycare
Start Early
Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies

ICAAP Food Security Work Group Team

Maggie Chen, MPH, Family Advisor

Amy Christison, MD, FAAP, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics University of Illinois College of Medicine, Medical Director, Healthy Kids U, Children’s Hospital of Illinois

Vera Goldberg, MD, FAAP, Primary Care Pediatrician, Aunt Martha's Health & Wellness

Zohra Moeenuddin, MD, FAAP, University of Illinois College of Medicine-Peoria, Heartland Health Services

Alisa Seo-Lee, MD, FAAP, Cook County Health

Enas Shanshen, MD, FAAP, Pediatric Cardiologist, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

Jabari Taylor, MPH, Family Advisor

Brooke Turnock, MD, FAAP, Medical Director, PCC Austin Family Health Center

Alexandra Vaughn, Family Advisor

For additional information, contact Abby Creek, Senior Program Manager, Health Equity Initiatives, at acreek@illinoisaap.com.

Local Food Initiative

Chicago Food Policy Action Counsel
Experimental Station
Illinois 4-H Food Security Communities
Peoria Grown

Food Bank / Pantry
Beyond Hunger
Catholic Charities of Archdiocese of Chicago Feeding Illinois
Greater Chicago Food Depository
Marillac St. Vincent Family Services Midwest Food Bank
Northern Illinois Food Bank