The Distribution of and Access to Free Meal Sites Serving School Aged Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Texas

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted access to school meal programs, putting children and adolescents at greater risk for food and nutrition insecurity. In response, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) waived restrictions on where free meal sites (FMS) operating through its summer meal programs could locate. This study assesses whether and how the distribution of FMS across communities and access to them changed after the waiver. Methods: This study used administrative and survey data on all FMS and census tracts in Texas for July 2019, before the waiver, and July 2020, after the waiver. Changes in the characteristics of tracts hosting an FMS and the share within accessible range of a site were evaluated using "t"-tests. These were supplemented with multilevel conditional logit models linking tract characteristics to the likelihood of hosting an FMS and estimates for the number of children and adolescents with access to an FMS. Findings: More FMS were operating after the waiver, and these were spread across a wider range of census tracts. An estimated 213,158 additional children and adolescents gained access to an FMS, including those at highest risk for food and nutrition insecurity. Implications for School Health Policy: Relaxing restrictions on the location of FMS can expand children and adolescent's access to meals during expected and unexpected disruptions to school meal programs.