Dedication, innovation, and collaboration: A mixed-methods analysis of school meals in Connecticut during COVID-19

Abstract

When school buildings across the U.S. closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many school districts mobilized to establish emer­gency school meal programs to operate outside the setting of school cafeterias. The aim of this conver­gent mixed-methods study is to (a) examine the structure and rates of participation in the spring 2020 meal programs in Connecticut, and (b) obtain insight about the challenges, strategies used, and lessons learned during this time by food service leaders. We obtained quantitative data from the Connecticut State Department of Education and district websites, and qualitative data from nine one-hour interviews with school food service lead­ers. Although the National School Lunch Program provides meals at standard price, reduced-price, or no cost based on student household income, all emergency meals during spring 2020 were provided at no cost following the school closures resulting from the COVID-19 public health emergency dec­lara­tion. The average number of meals distrib­uted from March to May 2020 was significantly lower than the overall participation rates (i.e., paid, free, and reduced-price meals combined) prior to COVID-19. However, participation rates in April and May 2020 approached those of free and reduced-price meal participation a year earlier. Four key action themes emerged from the interviews: (1) tailor the program to community needs and resources; (2) identify strategies to facilitate partici­pation; (3) develop partnerships to coordinate school, municipal, and community efforts; and (4) establish programs that encourage resiliency. The interviewees also saw this event as an oppor­tunity to improve the perception of school meals. Inno­vations developed during the spring 2020 school building closures provide a road map for best prac­tices for the 2020–2021 school year and beyond.

Distributing Summer Meals during a Pandemic: Challenges and Innovations

“…This was consistent with barriers reported by families before [17] and during the coronavirus pandemic [8]. Additionally, FSDs' enthusiasm about the USDA waivers and the flexibility it provided for them to be more innovative in their distribution methods was consistent with research conducted during the school year [5,7].…”

“…These included permission to serve (a) grab-and-go meals; (b) meals that did not fully meet the school meal pattern requirements; (c) multiple meals at one time; and (d) children’s meals to parents or guardians when the child was not physically present [ 5 , 6 ]. Several studies have documented how the pandemic impacted school meals during the academic year, and in particular how the USDA waivers allowed flexibility and innovation [ 5 , 7 , 8 ]. These waivers also applied to summer meals, providing food service directors additional flexibility in how to structure their programs.…”

Elementary Schools’ Response to Student Wellness Needs during the COVID-19 Shutdown: A Qualitative Exploration Using the R = MC2 Readiness Heuristic

“…These efforts were recognized and appreciated by families and staff. In another exploration of COVID-19 school meal delivery, food service directors noted a similar potential “silver lining” of the pandemic: that parents’ increased exposure to school meals allowed them the opportunity to see that meals are more nutritious than previously thought [ 33 ]. Our findings support prior studies that also demonstrated the strength of alignment of wellness efforts with the school stakeholders’ motivation for taking on new roles [ 34 , 35 ].…”

“…A recent report described the COVID-19-related closures as a key inflection point for public schools, with the rising public recognition, innovative use of technology, and “new allies” in communities and among parents [ 47 ]. As noted in recent work, many opportunities exist for leveraging newly created infrastructure to improve implementation of school wellness initiatives long-term [ 33 , 37 , 47 , 48 ].…”

“Let’s Use This Mess to Our Advantage”: Calls to Action to Optimize School Nutrition Program beyond the Pandemic

“…COVID-19 brought new public attention to the role of school nutrition programs in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the nation's children and serving as hubs of resilience in communities [15][16][17]. There is a burgeoning body of qualitative and mixed methods literature describing the critical role of school meal distribution programs in improving food access across the country during COVID-19, the challenges faced and solutions implemented, and the innovative strategies used to ensure that children and families were fed [18][19][20][21][22][23]. In this study, we seek a deeper understanding of the contextual factors that influenced these challenges, solutions, and innovations across multiple levels.…”