In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, US Congress authorized the USDA to provide free school meals to all students regardless of family income. After the 2021-2022 school year, most states reverted to previous eligibility criteria, but California and Maine implemented permanent universal school meal policies. A new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics analyzed parent perceptions of these policies during the 2021-2022 school year using surveys and interviews. Results showed that parents, whether eligible for free or reduced-priced meals or not, believe universal free school meals help save time, money, and reduce stress. Parents showed high support for these policies and felt they reduced stigma, especially when applying for free or reduced-price meals. Opinions on meal healthfulness and quality were mixed, but parents appreciated the impact of the meals. Researchers suggested that states should consider adopting universal free school meal policies to reduce stigma and encourage higher participation among low-resource families. The study was conducted by Nutrition Policy Institute researchers Wendi Gosliner, Kenneth Hecht, Christina Hecht, Monica Zuercher, and Lorrene Ritchie, Leah Champman and Deborah Olarte from Merrimack College, Marlene Schwartz from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, University of Connecticut, Lindsey Turner from Boise State University, Michele Polacsek from the University of New England, Anisha Patel from Stanford University and Juliana Cohen and Tara Daly from Merrimack College.

During the first two years of the pandemic, the federal government enacted waivers to allow school meals to be offered to all students at no cost to families. In July 2021, California and Maine became the first states to authorize permanent universal school meals, mandating free school meals to combat food insecurity and improve students' physical and academic health. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 key stakeholders between December 2021 and June 2022 to explore the factors contributing to the passage of school meals for all legislation in each state. The stakeholders interviewed included policymakers, state agency officials, and advocates. Researchers identified 11 themes from the interviews, including national attention on child hunger, budget surpluses, single-party political control, experienced policymakers, and the context of the ending of pandemic meal waivers. Documenting and sharing lessons from the implementation of universal school meals legislation in California, Maine, and other early adopting states can help inform the potential expansion of access to school meals in other states and nationally. This study was conducted by Nutrition Policy Institute researchers Wendi Gosliner, Kenneth Hecht, Christina Hecht, and Lorrene Ritchie, Amelie Hecht from the University of Wisconisin-Madison, Lindsey Turner from the College of Education, Boise State University, Michele Polacsek from the Center for Excellence in Public Health, University of New England, and Juliana Cohen from the Department of Public Health and Nutrition, Merrimack College.

School meals have been shown to be the healthiest source of food for US students on average and have been associated with multiple benefits to students. However, not all students eat school meals, even if they are eligible for free or reduced-price meals based on their family income. This study examined the association between parent perspectives about school meals and student meal participation during the school year 2021-22 in the context of the California Universal School Meals policy. NPI researchers surveyed 1,110 parents of California K-12 students and identified three groups of parental perceptions: positive perceptions (e.g. liking school meals and thinking that they are tasty and healthy), perceived benefits to families (e.g. school meals save families money, time, and stress), and negative perceptions (e.g. concerns about the amount of sugar in school meals and stigma). More positive parental perceptions about school meals and their benefits to families were associated with greater student meal participation, while more negative parental perceptions were associated with reduced student participation in school meals. Overall, study results emphasize that parent perceptions of school meals may affect student participation in school meal programs and that effective communication with parents to ensure parents are familiar with the healthfulness and quality of school meals may be critical for increasing meal participation rates.  A podcast interview with researcher Monica Zuercher and a press release were published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, further explaining the research study findings. The research study was led by NPI researchers Monica Zuercher,  Christina Hecht, Kenneth Hecht, Dania Orta-Aleman, Anisha Patel, Lorrene Ritchie, and Wendi Gosliner, as well as researchers Juliana Cohen, Deborah Olarte, and Leah Chapman with Merrimack College, Margaret Read with Partnership for a Healthier America, and Marlene Schwartz with the University of Connecticut.

In May 2020, running until the end of the 2021-2022 school year, the US Congress authorized the US Department of Agriculture to issue nationwide waivers that allowed all schools to provide universal free school meals to mitigate the impacts of school closures as well as the broader economic challenges faced by families during the COVID-19  emergency. This study aimed to examine parent perceptions about school free meals and whether these perceptions differed by race and ethnicity. In May 2022, 1100 California parents of K-12 students from varying racial and ethnic backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and State regions responded to a survey to share their perspectives about school meals during the school year 2021-22. Across all racial and ethnic groups, California parents reported that free school meals offered multiple benefits to families, saving them money, time, and stress, and expressed that the stigma associated with school meals was low. However, parents expressed that there was an area for improvement in the variety, taste, and healthfulness of school meals, where parents of Hispanic and Asian students reported less favorable perceptions of these qualities than parents of White students. This study suggests that there is strong support among parents for free school meals, but further efforts are needed to implement a variety of culturally appropriate school meals and make improvements in their taste and healthfulness. Results from the study were recently published in the Health Affairs Scholar journal. The study was conducted by Nutrition Policy Institute researchers Monica Zuercher, Christina Hecht, Kenneth Hecht, and Dania Orta-Aleman in collaboration with Juliana Cohen, Deborah Olarte, and Leah Chapman from Merrimack College, Punam Ohri-Vachaspati from Arizona State University,  Michele Polacsek from the University of New England, Margaret Read from Share Our Strength, Anisha Patel from Stanford Pediatrics, and Marlene Schwartz from the University of Connecticut.