A recent Nutrition Policy Institute research brief explores how funds from the US Department of Agriculture and the State of California may have helped schools make improvements to their meal programs. The grants were distributed after California started the School Meals For All program to offer breakfast and lunch daily to all K-12 students at no charge, regardless of family income level, in 2022-23. The study surveyed 430 food service directors in March 2023, representing a third of all school food authorities in California, and asked about federal and local grants awarded from school year 2021-2022 until time of survey in 2023. Schools that had used...
- Author: Danielle Lee
- Editor: Lorrene D Ritchie
The federal Child and Adult Care Food Program, commonly known as CACFP, ensures over 4.2 million children, mostly in families with low income, receive nutritious meals and snacks in childcare. However, not all qualifying childcare providers participate in this beneficial program. Research suggests that the serious deficiency process, designed to ensure program integrity, may hinder participation. Interviews with ten California CACFP sponsors—who administer the program for family childcare home providers and some centers—highlight key issues. Sponsors find the process too harsh, disqualifying providers for simple mistakes, creating equity issues for those with limited technology skills or non-English speakers, and being...
A new research brief developed by the Nutrition Policy Institute highlights promising school-based CalFresh Healthy Living—California's SNAP-Ed program—physical activity interventions. The study used latent class analysis to describe the predominant combinations of CFHL physical activity interventions implemented in California public schools in partnership with local health departments. Using Fitnessgram data from over 440,000 students in nearly 4,300 schools, the researchers assessed whether intervention combinations were associated with student cardiorespiratory fitness, as measured by V02 max. The study found that students in...
- Author: Brianna Aguayo Villalon
- Editor: Christina E Hecht
- Contributor: Lorrene Ritchie
- Contributor: Dania Orta
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In a recent research brief, Nutrition Policy Institute researchers highlight the benefits of California's School Meals for All program which offers breakfast and lunch to all K-12 students at public and charter schools every instructional day, at no charge, regardless of household income. The program began in the 2022-2023 school year after temporary federal pandemic funding for universal meals ended. Prior to the pandemic, household income determined school meal charges. The brief shares findings...
- Author: Brianna Aguayo Villalon
- Editor: Lorrene Ritchie
A recent research brief from researchers at Merrimack College and the Nutrition Policy Institute highlights the impact of the Massachusetts Healthy School Meals for All policy on families. The policy was implemented in 2022, aiming to alleviate financial burdens for families by providing free school meals for all students. A sample of 284 parents selected to be representative of the state completed a survey, revealing strong support for the policy across all income brackets. Families reported numerous benefits of the policy, including financial savings, time efficiency, and reduced stress as well as improved student behavior...