Malnourishment Of Children During The Great Depression

The New Deal was successful because it provided children with the opportunity to grow and reach their full potential. The Great Depression was a period of time marked by an economic and mental health crisis across the U.S. Unemployment rates were higher than ever before, and many families lost all of their savings and most of their income; in fact, the average family income decreased by 40% in 1933 compared to 1929. Many families were in extreme poverty and barely had enough food for all family members. Children were hit especially hard, as a lack of food stunted their growth and made them more susceptible to horrific and deadly diseases. Malnourishment in children was widespread, as in 1932, according to the NYC health department, 20.5% of all children in NYC were

In 1.5 years, this program managed to provide 80 million meals to over one million malnourished children. In 1935, Ellen Woodworks, who worked in the WPA, stated that “through the daily service of warm, nourishing food. the WPA is making it possible for many underprivileged children of the present to grow into useful, healthy, citizens of the future.” Having stable access to good, warm, and nutritious food allowed children to have better childhoods, which was especially important after they had lived through such hardship. First and foremost, proper food and nutrition helps with children’s mental, emotional, and physical development, setting them up for success in the future. Furthermore, with food, children are able to fight off disease better and overall, be healthier and stronger. In addition, food allowed children to perform better in school; according to Ellen Woodward, thanks to these federally provided lunches, school attendance had increased by around 80%, and classroom work had improved