This article is part of “Unaffordable America,” a series examining rising economic inequality in the U.S. and the policies that drive it.

In Texas, a 6-year-old stood in front of her family’s refrigerator, hoping food would magically appear. In Delaware, an 11-year-old wondered why her family could no longer afford Cinnamon Toast Crunch. In New Jersey, four siblings wanted their mother to buy groceries — but she had to tell them she couldn’t. Across America, the government’s policies are making children hungry.