The first five years of a child’s life are arguably the most important for their development. Research confirms that a child’s early experiences lay the foundation that influences their future health, learning skills, social and emotional abilities, and overall growth.

Food insecurity or the lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy life remains a huge problem in today’s society. Currently, North Carolina has the tenth highest rate of food insecurity in the nation, with more than 1.5 million North Carolinians meeting this definition. Ultimately, of course, it will not be possible to solve the problem of food insecurity without addressing a host of underlying factors...