She said her health centers recently handed out school supplies, and kids were most excited to get socks; at a giveaway on Christmas, children took hats and gloves over toys. At one event, HealthLinc passed out hot dogs. Wrobel recalled one kid saying, '"Could I have a second one? This is the night during the week I can't eat because we're out of food by now.'"

She said remedies include making sure women get health care as early in their pregnancies as possible, and mentoring programs, like the Lunch Buddies initiative in Valparaiso.

Many of these trends aren't unique to Indiana.

"Unfortunately the U.S. has the seventh-highest child-poverty rate among economically developed countries," said Jill Gonzalez, an analyst for WalletHub. "Moreover, the cost of maltreatment reaches about $80 billion a year.

"This is an alarming statistic, and the issue of underprivileged children exists in each state. However, some states are better than others at addressing the problem, and there are some efficient programs in place to help disadvantaged children and families improve their quality of life."