Monday, October 18
Poster Session: Education and Counseling; Ethics and Professionalism; Foodservice Management; Informatics; Organization Management; Research, Evidence-Informed Practice and Quality Improvement; Safety and Risk Management
School Meal Participation During COVID-19

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2021.06.177Get rights and content

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Learning Outcome

Describe challenges and identify best practices of school nutrition programs providing meals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

School nutrition programs provide millions of meals daily helping students meet their nutritional needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, participation in these programs decreased. This study aimed to understand challenges and identify best practices for improving participation.

Methods

School foodservice directors in CT were asked to complete an online survey about their operations during the pandemic. This included district size, percentage eligible for free/reduced meals, average meal participation before and during the pandemic, in-person vs remote vs hybrid learning, strategies used for meal distribution, and challenges/successes.

Results

Forty three percent of school districts responded to the survey. Participation decreased for 63%, 26% saw an increase, and 13% had no change during the pandemic. Seventy-nine percent of the schools that saw an increase did not require applications. Electronic communications, flyers, and word of mouth were used to publicize the meal programs and promote participation. One to three distribution sites for remote/hybrid students was most common. Distribution sites were primarily determined by

Conclusions

COVID-19 created enormous challenges for school nutrition programs. School districts used creative solutions and extra efforts to reach students with school meals.

Funding source

None

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