Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT 06103, USA.
Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Mar 8;19(6):3167. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19063167.
The USDA summer food programs provide meals for children when school is not in session. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for food distribution programs, many regulations have been waived, providing opportunities for new approaches to meal distribution. The aim of this study was to identify practices designed to increase program participation during the summer of 2021. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with food service directors (N = 16) in a northeastern state. Questions addressed meal distribution methods; perceptions about facilitators and barriers to family participation; communication strategies used to reach families; and engagement with community partners. The responses were analyzed using an immersion-crystallization approach and four themes emerged: new opportunities for innovation due to the waivers; the importance of collaboration with community partners to increase reach; ongoing logistical challenges due to the pandemic; and the challenge and importance of reducing the stigma of participation. These findings underscore how the USDA waivers increased food service directors' ability to flexibly and creatively solve problems related to summer meal delivery. The FSDs believed that several of the waivers helped them increase participation in the summer meal program, suggesting that permanent changes to the summer meal regulations may be appropriate.
美国农业部的暑期食品计划在学校放假期间为儿童提供膳食。尽管 COVID-19 大流行给食品分发计划带来了挑战，但许多规定已被豁免，为新的膳食分发方法提供了机会。本研究旨在确定在 2021 年暑期提高计划参与度的做法。在东北部的一个州，对食品服务主任（N=16）进行了半结构化访谈。问题涉及膳食分配方法；对促进和阻碍家庭参与的因素的看法；用于联系家庭的沟通策略；以及与社区合作伙伴的合作情况。使用沉浸-结晶方法对回答进行分析，出现了四个主题：豁免带来的创新机会；与社区合作伙伴合作以扩大覆盖面的重要性；大流行带来的持续后勤挑战；以及减少参与污名化的挑战和重要性。这些发现强调了美国农业部豁免权如何增强食品服务主任灵活和创造性地解决与暑期送餐相关问题的能力。FSD 认为，几项豁免帮助他们增加了暑期膳食计划的参与度，这表明对暑期膳食法规进行永久性修改可能是合适的。
