COVID-19 and School Meals Participation in Spring 2020 - Key Findings

COVID-19 and School Meals Participation in Spring 2020 The meals provided through the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, and the Afterschool Supper and Snack Programs are vital supports for millions of children and families. [...] Many of these waivers have pandemic by analyzing March, April, and May 2020 meal been extended to ensure access to meals through the service data for the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and the 2021–2022 school year, including the option to offer school National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which includes the and afterschool meals to all children at no charge. [...] meals and snacks served through the Seamless Summer Despite the hard work of schools, local government Option, the Summer Food Service Program, and the agencies, and community-based organizations, and the Afterschool Supper and Snack Programs through the Child available flexibilities, millions of children still missed out and Adult Care Food Program, compared to participation on meals in the early. [...] The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) number of combined snacks and combined suppers served calculated the children reached in each state by dividing in 2019 and 2020, divided by the number of NSLP service the total number of free and reduced-price breakfasts and days from March, April, and May 2019 for each state. [...] determine the average daily participation rate for suppers Data for children reached in March, April, and May 2020 and snacks, disruptions to the number of traditional NSLP include free and reduced-price breakfasts and lunches service days — and the transition to SFSP in many states served through NSLP and SBP during that month, which — in those months would not provide a fair comparison.