TYLER - According to a new study released by the U.S.D.A., Texas has the highest rate of child hunger in the country.
The study shows 22% of children under the age of 18 don't know where their next meal is coming from.
According to representatives of the East Texas Food Bank, that rate is even higher in East Texas, closer to 25%.
They also say in the last year the number of families needing food has grown.
"Families that traditionally find a way to make ends meet are now being forced to have to make difficult choices like paying for food or paying for their electric bill," Robert Bush, the executive director of the East Texas Food Bank, says.
Louisiana has the highest number of starving children under the age of five, but in that same category, Texas is tied for third.