State: California

Lived Experiences of Families Navigating Safety Net Expansions and Retractions During the Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

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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

Take-up of the 2021 child tax credit expansion among disadvantaged households in California: Continuing barriers to health equity

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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

WIC Service Use, Benefit Redemption, and Continued Participation among Participants in California

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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

Safety net program participation patterns, sociodemographic factors, and health: A latent transition analysis in a US cohort study

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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

Pilot-testing a peer navigator intervention for the Child and Adult Care Food Program to bridge a gap in nutrition supports in family childcare

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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

Identifying factors contributing to increased Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children participation

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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

Child and Adult Care Food Program: Family Childcare Home Providers’ Perceptions of Impacts of Increased Meal and Snack Reimbursement Rates during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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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

CACFP Family Childcare Home Sponsor Perspectives – Serious Deficiency Challenges

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The federal Child and Adult Care Food Program, commonly known as CACFP, ensures over 4.2 million children, mostly in families with low income, receive nutritious meals and snacks in childcare. However, not all qualifying childcare providers participate in this beneficial program. Research suggests that the serious deficiency process, designed to ensure program integrity, may hinder More

Associations of Increased WIC Benefits for Fruits and Vegetables With Food Security and Satisfaction by Race and Ethnicity

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The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides nutrition support for racially and ethnically diverse populations. In 2021, the monthly cash value benefit (CVB) for the purchase of fruits and vegetables increased from $9 to $35 and was later adjusted to $24. This study investigated, by racial and ethnic groups, whether More

Understanding Multiprogram Take-Up of Safety Net Programs Among California Families

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The U.S. safety net, which provides critical aid to households with low income, is composed of a patchwork of separate programs, and many people with low income benefit from accessing <1 program. However, little is known about multiprogram take-up, that is, participation conditioned on eligibility. This study examined individual and multiprogram take-up patterns and sociodemographic More