Feeding Children and Maintaining Food Service Operations during COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Implementation and Financial Challenges
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs are critical for the health and food security of U.S. schoolchildren, but access to these programs was disrupted by COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures in spring 2020. While temporary policy changes...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-08-01
|
| Series: | Nutrients |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/8/2691 |
| _version_ | 1797522591394562048 |
|---|---|
| author | Erica L. Kenney Caroline G. Dunn Rebecca S. Mozaffarian Jane Dai Katie Wilson Jeremy West Ye Shen Sheila Fleischhacker Sara N. Bleich |
| author_facet | Erica L. Kenney Caroline G. Dunn Rebecca S. Mozaffarian Jane Dai Katie Wilson Jeremy West Ye Shen Sheila Fleischhacker Sara N. Bleich |
| author_sort | Erica L. Kenney |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs are critical for the health and food security of U.S. schoolchildren, but access to these programs was disrupted by COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures in spring 2020. While temporary policy changes to the programs enabled school food authorities (SFAs) to pivot towards distributing meals throughout their communities instead of within school buildings, SFAs faced complex challenges during COVID-19 with minimal external support. This mixed methods study investigates the implementation and financial challenges experienced by twelve of the largest urban SFAs in the U.S. during COVID-19. We conducted semi-structured interviews with SFA leaders and analyzed alongside quantitative financial data. We found that SFAs reconfigured their usual operations with nearly no preparation time while simultaneously trying to keep staff from contracting COVID-19, accommodate stakeholders with sometimes competing priorities, and remain financially solvent. Because student participation was much lower than during regular times, and revenue is tied to the number of meals served, SFAs saw drastic decreases in revenue even as they carried regular operating costs. For future crises, disaster preparedness plans that help SFAs better navigate the switch to financially viable community distribution methods are needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:30:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ce77ae76e6ee45b9b5bf55d88d1cf32c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:30:36Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-ce77ae76e6ee45b9b5bf55d88d1cf32c2023-11-22T09:04:38ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432021-08-01138269110.3390/nu13082691Feeding Children and Maintaining Food Service Operations during COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Implementation and Financial ChallengesErica L. Kenney0Caroline G. Dunn1Rebecca S. Mozaffarian2Jane Dai3Katie Wilson4Jeremy West5Ye Shen6Sheila Fleischhacker7Sara N. Bleich8Department of Nutrition, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USADepartment of Health Policy and Management, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USADepartment of Nutrition, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USADepartment of Health Policy and Management, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USAUrban School Food Alliance, 1612 K Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006, USAUrban School Food Alliance, 1612 K Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006, USADepartment of Health Policy and Management, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USAGeorgetown University Law Center, 600 New Jersey Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20001, USADepartment of Health Policy and Management, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USAThe United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs are critical for the health and food security of U.S. schoolchildren, but access to these programs was disrupted by COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures in spring 2020. While temporary policy changes to the programs enabled school food authorities (SFAs) to pivot towards distributing meals throughout their communities instead of within school buildings, SFAs faced complex challenges during COVID-19 with minimal external support. This mixed methods study investigates the implementation and financial challenges experienced by twelve of the largest urban SFAs in the U.S. during COVID-19. We conducted semi-structured interviews with SFA leaders and analyzed alongside quantitative financial data. We found that SFAs reconfigured their usual operations with nearly no preparation time while simultaneously trying to keep staff from contracting COVID-19, accommodate stakeholders with sometimes competing priorities, and remain financially solvent. Because student participation was much lower than during regular times, and revenue is tied to the number of meals served, SFAs saw drastic decreases in revenue even as they carried regular operating costs. For future crises, disaster preparedness plans that help SFAs better navigate the switch to financially viable community distribution methods are needed.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/8/2691school mealsfood insecurityschool food service authoritycostsCOVID-19implementation strategies |
| spellingShingle | Erica L. Kenney Caroline G. Dunn Rebecca S. Mozaffarian Jane Dai Katie Wilson Jeremy West Ye Shen Sheila Fleischhacker Sara N. Bleich Feeding Children and Maintaining Food Service Operations during COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Implementation and Financial Challenges Nutrients school meals food insecurity school food service authority costs COVID-19 implementation strategies |
| title | Feeding Children and Maintaining Food Service Operations during COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Implementation and Financial Challenges |
| title_full | Feeding Children and Maintaining Food Service Operations during COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Implementation and Financial Challenges |
| title_fullStr | Feeding Children and Maintaining Food Service Operations during COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Implementation and Financial Challenges |
| title_full_unstemmed | Feeding Children and Maintaining Food Service Operations during COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Implementation and Financial Challenges |
| title_short | Feeding Children and Maintaining Food Service Operations during COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Implementation and Financial Challenges |
| title_sort | feeding children and maintaining food service operations during covid 19 a mixed methods investigation of implementation and financial challenges |
| topic | school meals food insecurity school food service authority costs COVID-19 implementation strategies |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/8/2691 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ericalkenney feedingchildrenandmaintainingfoodserviceoperationsduringcovid19amixedmethodsinvestigationofimplementationandfinancialchallenges AT carolinegdunn feedingchildrenandmaintainingfoodserviceoperationsduringcovid19amixedmethodsinvestigationofimplementationandfinancialchallenges AT rebeccasmozaffarian feedingchildrenandmaintainingfoodserviceoperationsduringcovid19amixedmethodsinvestigationofimplementationandfinancialchallenges AT janedai feedingchildrenandmaintainingfoodserviceoperationsduringcovid19amixedmethodsinvestigationofimplementationandfinancialchallenges AT katiewilson feedingchildrenandmaintainingfoodserviceoperationsduringcovid19amixedmethodsinvestigationofimplementationandfinancialchallenges AT jeremywest feedingchildrenandmaintainingfoodserviceoperationsduringcovid19amixedmethodsinvestigationofimplementationandfinancialchallenges AT yeshen feedingchildrenandmaintainingfoodserviceoperationsduringcovid19amixedmethodsinvestigationofimplementationandfinancialchallenges AT sheilafleischhacker feedingchildrenandmaintainingfoodserviceoperationsduringcovid19amixedmethodsinvestigationofimplementationandfinancialchallenges AT saranbleich feedingchildrenandmaintainingfoodserviceoperationsduringcovid19amixedmethodsinvestigationofimplementationandfinancialchallenges |