Start Date: November 2023

ID #: 81389

Principal Investigator: Emily Gutierrez, BBA, MS, PhD

Co-Principal Investigator: Poonam Gupta, MSPH

Organization: The Urban Institute

Funding Round: HER Round 13

See more related research

Share


Summer EBT and non-congregate meals are summer meal options that have known associations with reducing food hardship and barriers to food access. But take-up can vary across states, which creates disparities among marginalized populations. The study aims to analyze the coverage, take-up, and implementation decisions made around Summer EBT and non-congregate meals. The research team will conduct a survey of state SNAP directors to assess their plans for utilizing Summer EBT, and a survey of child nutrition directors to assess their experiences with offering non-congregate meals. Investigators will conduct focus groups and case studies for each option to assess implementation barriers and recommendations for future iterations. To address equitable coverage of uptake across states, – state implementation data will be matched to publicly available data on school district characteristics to create a map that visualizes uptake of both programs. The project relies on a mixed methods approach, using publicly available data and qualitative data to document the broad picture of access to each option and equity concerns, as well as instances of specific implementation effects.

Related Research

May 2025

Implementation Insights and Equity: Considerations for Summer EBT in 2024

In 2024, the US Department of Agriculture introduced a new federal nutrition initiative, the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program—also known as SUN Bucks. This program offers grocery benefits to low-income families with children during the summer months to help address gaps in summer food assistance. In 2024, 37 states, all 5 US territories, and More

May 2025

SUN Meals To-Go: Addressing Summer Child Hunger in Rural America

The noncongregate summer meal service program, known as SUN Meals To-Go, was permanently enacted by the federal government in 2023. Compared with the traditional congregate summer meal option, SUN Meals To-Go allows summer meal sponsors in designated rural areas to provide “grab-and-go” or delivery-style meals, for children. This report describes the challenges encountered by state More

February 2025

More States and Sponsors Are Providing Grab-and-Go Meals to Children during Summer

In 2023, to respond to increased rates of child food insecurity during the summer Congress authorized states to opt in to allowing noncongregate, or “grab-and-go,” summer meal services for students in rural areas. In the summer of 2023, 46 states and DC opted in, and in the summer of 2024 all 50 states and DC More

December 2024

Opportunities to Improve Summer EBT: Perspectives from state SNAP agencies

Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), or SUN Bucks, is a new federal program that provides grocery benefits to low-income families with children during the summer months, when children no longer have access to free or reduced-price meals at school. However, 13 states did not opt into the program when it launched in 2024. To understand More