Many Eligible Children Don’t Participate in School Nutrition Programs; Reauthorization Offers Opportunities to Improve

Poverty, Privilege, and Political Dynamics Within Rural School Reform

“…The social stigma of taking advantage of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is sometimes enough to discourage eligible families from enrolling in these programs (Sherman, 2009(Sherman, , 2013. In addition, eligible families in rural areas may choose not to enroll their children in free or reduced price lunch programs (Carson, 2015). While doing so may seem detrimental to a family's well-being, electing not to take these benefits may preserve social relationships and connections that affect the day-to-day experience of living within a small community, as well as future opportunities for obtaining local work (O'Connor, 2013;Sherman, 2009).…”

Using Theory to Evaluate the Implementation and Integration of an Expanded School Breakfast Program in Rural Midwestern High Schools

“…This is an important population to engage because of the difference between the rates of student participation in rural, urban and suburban areas 6 . More students in the city participate in the SBP than rural areas and more students in the South participate in the SBP compared to students in the Midwest or Northeastern parts of the United States 7 . Research is lacking in expanding and sustaining the SBP in rural high schools specifically.…”

“…According to the Economic Research Service of the USDA, food insecurity is more prevalent in rural areas compared to suburban areas in the United States 9 Rural families are more likely to receive needs-based social support than urban families and encouraging children to participate in school nutrition programs may help increase household food security 10 . Expanding the SBP may also benefit students in rural areas who may have long commutes and bus rides, which can be a barrier in making it to school in time to eat breakfast before class starts 7 . Rural schools may benefit from an intervention such as Project breakFAST because of the support provided to the schools in the intervention.…”

The Role of District Wellness Policies in Encouraging Student Participation in the School Breakfast Program, United States

“…This low participation in the SBP is notable given that income eligibility determining whether students were eligible to receive meals for free or at a reduced price was the same for both programs, and similar numbers of schools participated in both programs in the 2018–2019 school year (90,587 for the SBP and 96,781 for the NSLP [ 26 ]). Participation in the SBP is higher among those eligible for free or reduced-price meals, those of lower socioeconomic status, those in elementary as compared to middle and high school, male youth, those who are not non-Hispanic white, and those from urban compared to suburban and rural areas [ 6 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ]. Studies have found that logistical factors, including lack of time in the morning or difficulty with bus schedules needed for children to arrive at the school cafeteria in time for breakfast, are a primary barrier to eating the school breakfast [ 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”