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.
- 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.
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Develop and disseminate survey to ICAAP members to assess current practices and barriers to screening, implementation, and connecting patients to food systems.
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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.
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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.
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Conduct out reach to members, residency programs and medical schools and members.
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Present trainings.
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Implement/trial system changes prioritized by the collective impact plan.
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Share and disseminate aggregated food resources with clinics and others across Illinois.
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Refine the collective impact plan based on implementation and feedback from community members and partners.
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
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
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
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
ICAAP Announces Participation in National Learning Collaborative to End Childhood Hunger in Illinois
Resources for Pediatricians
Screen and Intervene: A Toolkit for Pediatricians to Address Food Insecurity
WIC Guide for Healthcare Providers
Pediatrician Survey: Addressing Food Insecurity Among Children — Pediatrician Beliefs, Practices, and Resource Needs
Food Resources
ICAAP developed a handout with links to helpful food security resources.
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 2: January 20, 2022
Meeting 3: February 17, 2022
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