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

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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.

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