Community Nutrition Programs in the Era of Welfare Reform: Adaptation, Collaboration, and Innovation

Abstract

Community nutrition programs such as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) have been compelled to find ways to stay accessible and relevant to low-income populations whose lives have been affected by welfare reform. To assess EFNEP adaptation strategies in 3 states, we conducted in-depth interviews with 17 EFNEP managers and focus group discussions with 22 Community Educators (CEs). There was consensus among EFNEP staff that welfare reform has reduced the time available to low-income adults to attend nutrition education programs, despite equal or increased need. EFNEP has adapted primarily through collaboration with agencies serving similar populations and interested in providing nutrition education to groups of their clients. Some sites used innovative marketing strategies and tailored program offerings to attract new audiences and collaborators. Where inter-agency networks functioned well, EFNEP was able to reach participants efficiently and maintain graduation rates. But inter-agency collaboration reduced EFNEP control over program content, duration, and graduation criteria, leading to concerns about reduced effectiveness. Managers varied along a continuum from “compromisers”, mainly concerned with recruitment of participants and program survival, to “negotiators-innovators”, employing strategies aimed at preserving both high participation rates and program quality. To balance adaptation to the expectations of collaborators with fidelity to EFNEP goals, the latter group negotiated for adequate lesson time, provided extra individual or home-study lessons, re-trained CEs and revised curricula. Supported by USDA/ERS.