Feeling Seen, More than Ever: Feeding Matters’ 2024 Accomplishments

Published by Jaclyn Pederson, MHI, chief executive officer on Dec 18, 2024

Every December, we pause to reflect on what we set out to accomplish and celebrate the progress we’ve made together. Feeding Matters exists to create a world where children with Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD) thrive—and 2024 has been an extraordinary year on this journey.

In 2024, we reached more people than ever before in our history. We made significant strides toward our goal of making PFD a household name by 2026.

While our reach and the list of accomplishments below fill us with pride, they can’t fully capture the immense dedication, passion, and collaboration that made these achievements possible. Behind every milestone is a team of individuals—volunteers, leaders, families, professionals, donors, and advocates—working tirelessly to ensure children with PFD feel seen, supported, and understood. Advocacy is never a solo effort. Together, we’re transforming lives and systems.

2024 Highlights: A Year of Impact


Supporting Families:
  • More than 400 families received personalized support through calls, emails, parent coaching, and resource sharing, ensuring no family faces PFD and ARFID alone.
  • Finalized the 2nd Edition of the Family Guide, now including expanded information on ARFID, trauma-informed care, and practical tools for families.
  • Researched long-term family experiences after feeding treatment programs completed over five years ago. Launched the Family-Centered PFD Research Consortium to advance the PFD and ARFID field from a family- and patient-centered perspective.
  • Conducted a trauma-informed audit of our family support programs and implemented key recommendations.
  • Supported 10 families through our Family Assistance Program, easing financial burdens related to PFD and ARFID care.

Raising Awareness:
  • Launched the It’s Not Picky Eating awareness campaign, sharing that when eating is hard, scary, or painful…it’s not picky eating.
  • Partnered with @myARFIDlife and their new nonprofit, ARFID Awareness, reaching 1.6 million followers and laying the foundation for joint advocacy efforts. This included working with Tallulah Willis to spotlight PFD and ARFID on a broader stage.
  • Grew our social media audience to over 30,000, driving critical conversations and helping families feel seen and heard.
  • Reached more than 100,000 accounts during PFD Awareness Month in May, with hundreds of thousands more reached through our community’s advocacy efforts.
  • Launched the Feeding Does Matter podcast to share lived experiences and patient- and family-centered research.

Educating Professionals:
  • Distributed nearly 10,000 educational materials nationally.
  • Presented at professional conferences, engaged with 428 organizations for potential screenings, and partnered with two pediatricians to pilot early screening programs for PFD.
  • Exhibited at six national and local community events (Ohio, California).
  • Hosted our International PFD Conference with 1,489 attendees.
  • Organized our first Feeding and Eating Psychology Summit for 520 participants.

Driving Systems Change:
  • Hosted an Insurance Think Tank in Arizona with providers and payors to address barriers to quality, affordable care.
  • Collaborated with WIC and Early Intervention programs to discuss screening barriers and opportunities for earlier diagnoses.
  • Published our 2023 Consensus Paper on the diagnostic overlap of PFD and ARFID.
  • Released research on system barriers affecting access to care and the education pipeline for qualified providers.

What Made This Year Special? 2024 has been a year of feeling seen. Families are finding the language to describe their children’s struggles. Providers are recognizing PFD and ARFID earlier, equipping families with the tools they need to succeed. And Feeding Matters is gaining recognition as a trusted voice in the field, amplifying all voices to drive meaningful change.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As we celebrate these milestones, we’re already preparing for an impactful 2025. Our priorities include:

  • Expanding awareness efforts to ensure PFD and ARFID become widely recognized.
  • Strengthening family support, educational outreach, and early screening initiatives.
  • Building new partnerships and growing our outreach.
  • Educating healthcare professionals and advocating for an improved pipeline of qualified providers.
  • Increasing physician education on PFD and ARFID through medical school collaborations.
  • Continuing our consensus efforts to unify the eating disorder and pediatric feeding fields.

Thank you for joining us on this journey. None of this would be possible without you. Your generosity, advocacy, and belief in our mission fuel our progress. Together, we’re not only creating change—we’re ensuring no family faces Pediatric Feeding Disorder alone.

Let’s carry this momentum into 2025, building a world where children with PFD can thrive.

Join Us in the Fight: feedingmatters.org/donate


Thank you for an incredible year,

Jaclyn Pederson
CEO, Feeding Matters