Increased School Breakfast Participation from Policy and Program Innovation: The Community Eligibility Provision and Breakfast after the Bell.

Dan Ferris,J.S. Onésimo Sándoval,Jason Jabbari,Yung Chun

doi:10.3390/nu14030511

Dan Ferris, J.S. Onésimo Sándoval + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14030511

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Abstract

School meals provide significant access to food and nutrition for children and adolescents, particularly through universal free meal mechanisms. Alongside added nutritional meal requirements under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (2010), schools can utilize meal program and policy mechanisms such as the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and Breakfast after the Bell (BATB) to increase participation. This study examines longitudinal statewide school-level CEP and BATB adoption and estimates the impact on increased free and reduced-price (FRP) breakfast participation. We find that FRP breakfast participation increased for schools that utilize both CEP and BATB (14-percentage-point increase) and that CEP-participating schools are more likely to use BATB approaches such as breakfast in the classroom, grab-and-go carts, and second-chance breakfast. Additionally, using a conditional Difference-in-Differences (DiD) approach, we find that BATB adoption accounted for a 1.4-percentage-point increase in FRP school breakfasts served (p < 0.05). Study findings can inform policy and school official decision making around the policy and program mechanisms at their disposal to increase school meal participation and student nutrition.

Highlights

Pertaining to child nutrition and dietary intake, children participating in school meals in the U.S have a lower prevalence of inadequate nutrients [13], which is especially important when considering that meals brought from outside of school have been found to be of lower nutritional quality than meals received
We find that Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)-participating schools are more likely to use Breakfast after the Bell (BATB) approaches and that both are related to increased free and reduced-price (FRP) breakfast participation
Our findings demonstrate how making FRP school breakfast more accessible increases student participation and can contribute to how decision makers—

Summary

Introduction

This study examines longitudinal statewide school-level CEP and BATB adoption and estimates the impact on increased free and reduced-price (FRP) breakfast participation. Using a conditional Difference-in-Differences (DiD) approach, we find that BATB adoption accounted for a 1.4-percentage-point increase in FRP school breakfasts served (p < 0.05). When considering the long-established connection between poverty status and food insecurity [5], as well as the negative effects of food insecurity on child development [6], unsurprisingly, school meal programs have been found to reduce food insecurity [7,8] while improving health [9] and education outcomes [10,11,12]. Pertaining to child nutrition and dietary intake, children participating in school meals in the U.S have a lower prevalence of inadequate nutrients [13], which is especially important when considering that meals brought from outside of school have been found to be of lower nutritional quality than meals received

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