At least eight U.S. states currently offer universal free school meal programs, providing meals at no cost to all students regardless of household income. While marketing campaigns may help increase student participation, limited research has examined what message content and design most effectively motivate parents to encourage school meal use. This qualitative study explored parents’ More

This study examined the impact of deimplementing universal free school meal (UFSM) policies compared with continuing UFSM at the state level. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in spring 2023 with 941 school food authorities (SFAs) across eight U.S. states, assessing outcomes such as meal participation, foodservice revenues, staffing needs, administrative burdens, stigma, and student meal More

Family childcare home (FCCH) providers’ participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) has declined, often due to inadequate tiered reimbursements. During COVID-19, federal waivers temporarily removed tiers and raised reimbursement rates, offering insight into program impacts. From September 2023 to February 2024, interviews with California FCCH providers (n=31), CACFP sponsors (n=10), and More

This study aimed to understand the experiences of families with low income in California with pandemic safety net support expansions and retractions, including barriers to program access. Using open-ended questions, we explored the self-reported experiences of pandemic-era safety net expansions and expirations between January and June 2023 among a group of caregivers of young children More

In 2021 Congress expanded the Child Tax Credit (CTC), one of the largest US economic supports for working families with proven benefits for health. Information on CTC take-up among eligible families is lacking. Understanding barriers to anti-poverty programs is an urgent policy issue, as low take-up is an established barrier to health equity. Among a More

The objectives of this study were to describe WIC service utilization patterns (in-person, telephone, video conference, interactive texting, online individual education, online group education) and assess associations of service utilization with WIC benefit redemption and continued participation. Study data include survey and administrative data from households with a WIC-participating child aged 1 to 4 years More

U.S. safety net programs provide critical support to Americans with low income. This cohort study examined patterns of safety net program take-up over time and associations with sociodemographics and health. Surveys among California households with low income (N=380) conducted in 2020-2021 and 2023 captured take-up of federal assistance programs (Medicaid; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP]; More

CACFP has the potential to reach many families with low income to support improved food security, diet quality, and financial stability. Yet just over half of FCCHs in California participate. Previously HER-funded research shows this is due in part to complex program administrative burdens. This project will develop and pilot a peer navigator intervention to More

In 2023 and 2024, after a decade of decreasing participation, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is witnessing a nationwide increase in program enrollment. This project will tackle 3 project aims to identify the policies, procedures, and technologies associated with increasing participation. Aim 1 will focus on California as a More

The U.S. Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides tiered reimbursements for healthy foods for children at participating family childcare homes (FCCH). All FCCHs received a higher rate to address food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was administered in the spring of 2023 to a randomly selected sample of licensed California FCCHs More