NORTH ADAMS â The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has put nearly 1 in 4 Berkshire County children at risk of hunger, but observers see more federal money for parents as a win for childrenâs nutrition.
President Joe Biden has said the $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan he is expected to sign this week would cut child poverty in half, a claim that researchers haveechoed.
Locally, there is hope that the extra money will stem the tide of rising food insecurity among children, in addition to meeting needs related to housing, heat and electricity.
âI think [the relief payments] will really help families, but itâs not a long-term fix,â said Michelle Derr, director of the Berkshire South Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program for Community Health Programs in Great Barrington.