Enhancing Coordination Between SNAP and School Meal Programs for K-12 Student Households

• In Event: Understanding SNAP’s Reach and Impact: Evidence from Households, School Programs, and Markets

Abstract

This paper examines household participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs among families with school-aged children across the United States from the 1980s to the present. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) are federally assisted meal programs operating in public and nonprofit K-12 schools and residential childcare institutions, offering free and reduced-price meals to eligible children. While these programs share overlapping eligibility requirements and food security goals with SNAP, they are administered separately due to their distinct target populations and delivery mechanisms. However, many SNAP-recipient households have children attending NSLP- and SBP-eligible institutions, suggesting fragmentation between programs and presenting an opportunity for greater alignment. 

By analyzing geographic and demographic patterns of participation in these three programs at the county and state levels, this work assesses the potential for integrated administration and coordinated enrollment across SNAP, NSLP, and SBP. Drawing on data from the University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, and the U.S. Census Bureau, this study employs both standard statistical techniques and spatial autocorrelation methods to investigate trends in program use. Special attention is given to households participating in both SNAP and at least one school-based food assistance program, identifying where overlap occurs and what local conditions and population characteristics are associated with dual or triple enrollment. 

Findings include significant spatial clustering in participation among neighboring counties and strong correlations between demographic characteristics and the likelihood of engaging in multiple food assistance programs. These results suggest that coordinating SNAP, NSLP, and SBP—starting at the local level—could enhance program efficiency, reduce administrative burdens, and improve outcomes for families in low-income households. Though final results are forthcoming due to evolving access to key datasets, this paper highlights important directions for federally funded yet locally implemented resources. It also discusses how administrative burdens can limit access and explores ways to streamline applications for means-tested programs with mutually inclusive eligibility criteria, laying the groundwork for more integrated food assistance provision. Finally, this work provides maps illustrating usage hotspots as well as historical and demographic patterns in the U.S. food assistance beneficiary population. 

This research contributes to the social policy field by offering actionable insights into how overlapping nutrition assistance programs can be better aligned to serve families more effectively. By identifying where coordination efforts are most needed, this work informs equitable, child-focused policy design with implications beyond food access, additionally supporting broader goals of improved health and education outcomes.

Author

• Elora Choudhury, University of Michigan Ann Arbor
  Presenting Author