Child Poverty Action Group is releasing research today showing that families' most basic need - of having access to good food - continues to be difficult for families on low income.

Child Poverty Action Group has launched a series of papers to highlight the problems children face living in food insecure households.

The barriers to child and youth wellbeing that have been identified will be only able to be comprehensively tackled if the Government has a strong, clear and committed focus on child poverty.

The number of children living in households regularly going without sufficient healthy food is unacceptable, especially when healthy food is plentiful in Aotearoa - New Zealand.

“The mental health impacts of poor nutrition in a child's early years as well as poor nutrition among pregnant mothers can be enormous.”

Report finds that one in five children under the age of 15 (161,000 and 188,000 children) experience moderate-to-severe food insecurity.

Families going without food on a regular basis is dangerously on the verge of becoming normal in Aotearoa-New Zealand.

A nutritious lunch for every child would go a long way toward ensuring that all children have the same chance for good educational outcomes, and support healthy development.