Analysis highlights flexibility of pandemic-era federal food distribution waivers for children

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced unprecedented stressors that forced rapid adaptation in every arena from city halls and county departments to school districts and food distribution services. For the latter, a new study by Mathematica for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service describes how, early on in the pandemic, federal waivers gave food distribution organizations much-needed flexibility that allowed them to feed children during otherwise stringent conditions.

Participating states overwhelmingly reported that the waivers, which allowed operators to use walk-up sites at schools, curbside meal pick-ups, and distribute more than one meal at a time, improved their ability to feed children by reducing barriers and helping with COVID-related safety, according to the report. In July 2020, the Summer Food Service Program served meals to at least 5 million children—nearly double the number who received meals through the program in each of the five previous summers.

“During the early days of the pandemic, so much of the nation scrambled to keep critical services running,” said Veronica Severn, a co-author of the report and survey researcher at Mathematica. “We now know the waivers made it possible for providers to make the operational and financial adjustments necessary to ensure children had continued access to key nutrition services.” 

Another summer child nutrition program from the federal government, The National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option, saw an increase of at least 18% from 1.1 million children served nationwide to 1.3 million. Elsewhere, 175 million meals and snacks were served nationwide through the federally operated Summer Food Service Program as compared to 70 million meals the previous year.

Among the findings, the researchers highlight that operators “commonly distributed two or more days of meals at a time to parents or guardians using drive-thru and walk-up methods,” according to the report. The analysis also found that food distribution sites in childcare centers were impacted more than those in family daycare homes. Among all challenges, staffing shortages and staff safety, along with supply chain issues, were the most difficult to overcome. Rural food programs faced greater difficulties than those in urban settings, with about two-thirds of states reporting “that rural operators faced greater financial challenges, especially with regard to transportation costs, meal site distance, and supply chain issues,” the report says.

Beyond a retrospective study, the research can help states and local governments curate best practices for food distribution programs moving forward.

“Our study revealed how measures taken at the height of the pandemic improved access to vital nutrition services,” said Liana Washburn, a co-author of the report and nutrition researcher at Mathematica. “Simply put, these waivers kept more kids fed. We believe lessons learned in 2020 can inform how to improve participation and access to child nutrition programs during the school year and in summer months, despite the end of the public health emergency.”