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Expanded School Meal Assistance Policies and Very Low Food Sufficiency Rates in Households with Children

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Title: Expanded School Meal Assistance Policies and Very Low Food Sufficiency Rates in Households with Children
Language: English
Authors: Mark Murphy (ORCID 0000-0002-5709-8390), Eric Ono (ORCID 0009-0002-5881-3314)
Source: Journal of School Health. 2025 95(6):451-461.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Low Income Students, Lunch Programs, Breakfast Programs, Hunger, State Programs, Program Implementation, COVID-19, Pandemics, Surveys, State Policy
DOI: 10.1111/josh.70015
ISSN: 0022-4391
1746-1561
Abstract: Background: Children residing in households with very low food sufficiency (VLFS), where there is "often" not enough to eat, are more likely to experience academic, health, and psychological challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a temporary universal free school meals (UFSM) policy was implemented, improving food access for children nationwide. When this national policy expired in June 2022, 12 states voluntarily implemented expanded school meal assistance policies (i.e., six continued UFSM, and six implemented alternative increased free school meals (IFSM) policies). Methods: Using Household Pulse Survey data from academic years 2021-22 and 2022-23, along with difference-in-differences and triple differences approaches, we assess the impact of these voluntary state-level policies on VLFS rates. Results: VLFS rates for households with children during the 2022-23 academic year were 0.42 percentage points, or approximately 16%, lower in UFSM or IFSM states as compared to households with children in states without such policies. Heterogeneity analyses revealed that VLFS rates for households with children were 0.55 percentage points lower in UFSM states and 0.30 percentage points lower in IFSM states. Conclusions: These results inform contemporary school meal policy debates, demonstrating that both UFSM and IFSM policies can improve VLFS rates for households with children.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1471538
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Expanded School Meal Assistance Policies and Very Low Food Sufficiency Rates in Households with Children
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mark+Murphy%22">Mark Murphy</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5709-8390">0000-0002-5709-8390</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Eric+Ono%22">Eric Ono</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5881-3314">0009-0002-5881-3314</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+School+Health%22"><i>Journal of School Health</i></searchLink>. 2025 95(6):451-461.
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: 11
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Low+Income+Students%22">Low Income Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lunch+Programs%22">Lunch Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Breakfast+Programs%22">Breakfast Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hunger%22">Hunger</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22State+Programs%22">State Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Implementation%22">Program Implementation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Surveys%22">Surveys</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22State+Policy%22">State Policy</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/josh.70015
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  Data: 0022-4391<br />1746-1561
– Name: Abstract
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  Data: Background: Children residing in households with very low food sufficiency (VLFS), where there is "often" not enough to eat, are more likely to experience academic, health, and psychological challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a temporary universal free school meals (UFSM) policy was implemented, improving food access for children nationwide. When this national policy expired in June 2022, 12 states voluntarily implemented expanded school meal assistance policies (i.e., six continued UFSM, and six implemented alternative increased free school meals (IFSM) policies). Methods: Using Household Pulse Survey data from academic years 2021-22 and 2022-23, along with difference-in-differences and triple differences approaches, we assess the impact of these voluntary state-level policies on VLFS rates. Results: VLFS rates for households with children during the 2022-23 academic year were 0.42 percentage points, or approximately 16%, lower in UFSM or IFSM states as compared to households with children in states without such policies. Heterogeneity analyses revealed that VLFS rates for households with children were 0.55 percentage points lower in UFSM states and 0.30 percentage points lower in IFSM states. Conclusions: These results inform contemporary school meal policy debates, demonstrating that both UFSM and IFSM policies can improve VLFS rates for households with children.
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        Value: 10.1111/josh.70015
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 11
        StartPage: 451
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      – SubjectFull: Low Income Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Lunch Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Breakfast Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Hunger
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: State Programs
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      – SubjectFull: Program Implementation
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      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
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      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
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      – SubjectFull: Surveys
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      – SubjectFull: State Policy
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      – TitleFull: Expanded School Meal Assistance Policies and Very Low Food Sufficiency Rates in Households with Children
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              Y: 2025
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