Nutrition Policy Institute's collaborative research was featured in a Nutrients journal special issue, “School Meals and Children's Dietary Behaviour.” The special issue, coordinated by guest editor Pamela Koch from Teachers College Columbia University, highlights research reporting on novel and innovative ways for school meals to have a positive influence on children. Included is a 2023 article co-authored by NPI's Christina Hecht, Ken Hecht and collaborators, “Parent Perception of School Meals in the San Joaquin Valley during COVID-19: A Photovoice Project.” Two articles published in 2022 from NPI's School Meals for All research team are also featured, including “Implementation of Universal School Meals during COVID-19 and beyond: Challenges and Benefits for School Meals Programs in Maine” and “Providing School Meals to All Students Free of Charge during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Challenges and Benefits Reported by School Foodservice Professionals in California,” co-authored by NPI's Christina Hecht, Ken Hecht, Monica Zuercher, Wendi Gosliner, Lorrene Ritchie and collaborators. The special issue and articles are available freely online. NPI's more recent school meals for all research findings are also available online.
Nutrition Policy Institute's Kassandra Bacon will present with CACFP Roundtable's Samantha Kay-Daleiden Marshall at the 2024 Annual CACFP Conference at Universal Studios, CA. The conference focuses on the growth of the Child and Adult Care Food Program, commonly known as CACFP. On October 8, 2:30pm-3:30pm PT, a workshop, “Impacts of COVID-19 Changes to Meal and Snack Reimbursements on Family Child Care Home Providers, Children and Families” will highlight research by NPI's Kassandra Bacon, Danielle Lee, Celeste Felix, Lorrene Ritchie, UC Berkeley's Susana Matias, and CACFP Roundtable's Samantha Kay-Daleiden Marshall and Elyse Homel Vitale. Their research examines the effects of both higher CACFP reimbursement rates for family child care homes during COVID-19 and the return to lower rates post-COVID-19. They will share results from surveys and interviews with California-based providers and sponsors on the nutritional quality of meals and snacks served in child care homes, and food security for child care providers and families. The workshop will engage CACFP stakeholders to develop proposed policy solutions based on study findings.
- Author: Brianna Aguayo Villalon
- Editor: Danielle Lee
- Editor: Lorrene Ritchie
The federal Child and Adult Care Food Program, commonly known as CACFP, provides tiered reimbursements to family childcare homes to ensure children in low-income communities have access to healthy meals. To address heightened food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, tiers were eliminated and all participating family childcare home providers received increased CACFP reimbursement rates. Nutrition Policy Institute researchers examined the perceived impacts of increased reimbursements on CACFP participation and challenges anticipated with the reinstatement of tiered rates after the pandemic from surveys completed by 518 California providers. Results showed that the temporary higher reimbursement rates lowered out-of-pocket food costs, were more adequate than rates prior to COVID-19, and supported greater perceived variety, quality, and healthfulness of foods served, especially for tier 2 providers who previously received the lowest reimbursement. Removal of the tiered reimbursements may help improve child nutrition and address the rise of nutrition-related chronic conditions. The study was published in the Nutrients journal by NPI researchers Lorrene Ritchie, Kassandra Bacon, Celeste Felix, and Danielle Lee, Samantha Marshall and Elyse Homel Vitale with the CACFP Roundtable, and Susana Matias with the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology at the University of California, Berkeley.
A 2023 Arizona survey of food service directors and school nutrition staff identified the effects of the move away from free school meals for all students in the 2022-2023 academic year. While Arizona students no longer were provided free school meals for all, a statewide policy that eliminated co-pays for reduced-price lunch took effect in January 2023, expanding the population of students able to receive meals without charge. The survey respondents represented almost one-third of Arizona school districts with most districts having at least 40% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That academic year, 71% of schools reported experiencing a decline in school meal participation. Respondents perceived that inadequate meal variety, taste or portion sizes, as well as stigma around free and reduced-price lunch contributed to the student participation decline. Respondents also reported perceiving that students prefer meals from home or skipping meals potentially due to high cost. Food service professionals felt that parents were confused about changing meal costs and the burden of an additional application process to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. More than half of respondents reported an increase in paperwork for administration and staffing challenges. Factors that helped schools during this time included federal Supply Chain Assistance funds, state and federal funding for school meals, and a supportive district administration.
- Author: Brianna Aguayo Villalon
Christian Black joined the Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California in September 2024 as our 2024-2025 UC Bonnie Reiss Climate Action Fellowship, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Fellow. Black is a graduate student pursuing a Master's in Public Health with a concentration on Community Health at UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, where he utilizes salivary biomarkers and wearable devices to study the relationship between harsh prison environments and health longevity. As an NPI fellow, Black will support efforts to improve food and nutrition security among currently and formerly incarcerated individuals in California. This 10-month fellowship is part of the 2024-2025 UC Bonnie Reiss Climate Action Fellowship Program, formerly known as the UC Global Food Initiative, which supports the UC's climate goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and establishing climate programs and policies centered on equity, sustainability, and resiliency. In addition to working with the NPI Farm to Corrections project team, Black will participate in UC systemwide activities.