School Meal Provision during COVID-19 in California
Food insecurity, a lack of consistent access to adequate food for a healthy and active life, is associated with poor child health and education outcomes. School meal programs, which are key to reducing food insecurity, were disrupted due to school closures implemented to prevent transmission of COVID-19.
It is important to understand how school districts continued to provide meals to students, including innovative methods and implementation of federal food assistance programs.
Goals
The goals of this study are to:
Understand the ways in which California public school districts provided meals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Examine how meal provision practices varied by district characteristics.
Understand how meal provision was associated with participation in meal programs.
evaluation Methods
Extracted online information from district websites and social media feeds using a codebook including: 1) if districts were providing meals, types of distribution methods, 2) if multiple types of meals were being provided, 3) if districts employed batching, or the provision of multiple days of meals on one pick-up or delivery day, 4) if children were required for meal pick-up and 5) which children were eligible
Link participation in meal programs to meal provision information to examine associations in meal participation with provision practices.
Study status
Analysis in progress
Policy Implications
Results can inform strategies that can improve meal participation during school closures and identify schools that could most benefit from resources during future school closures, including summer months.
