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Year 2

2023-2024

Methods

Caregivers

  • 12 focus groups
    • 8 English, 4 Spanish
    • 115 participants
    • Average length: 78 minutes
    • Completed April – June 2024
    • Conducted by the research team at Rutgers
  • Caregiver Surveys
    • 931 responses

Schools:

  • 12 districts, selected on varying factors: geographic reach, ethnic and racial diversity, SNAP eligibility, rates of free and reduced meal participation
  • School Staff Surveys: 134 responses
  • School Administrators Interviews:
    • 4 online interviews
    • Average length: 41 minutes
    • Completed between June and August 2024
    • Conducted by Jennifer Taylor and Veronica Jones

SNAP Promotional Events:

Event Category Number of Events Number of Participants
Health & Wellness (Health and Wellness Open Gym, SNAP-Ed Family Wellness Night, Smith Wellness Fair, Breast Cancer Walk, SNAP navigators)

5

800
Community & Family (Family Fest, Family Fun Celebration, Superintendent Family Resource Night, ESL Community Resources Fair, Apply for SNAP, SNAP quiz, SNAP navigators)

7

1063
Education & Enrichment (Fusion Festival, Summer Program Registration, Summer School Event, Be Future Ready, Independent Authors Book Experience, Convocation)

7

4550
Student Recognition (Awards Night, 8th Grade Award Night, Senior Sunset Picnic, End of Year Jubilee)

7

979
Cultural & Celebratory (Burlington Day, Juneteenth, Diversity Night, Fun Day, Parent Monthly Meeting x5)

11

1209

Total

37

8601

 

This study was approved by Rutgers IRB.

Findings

Caregivers

Focus group discussions highlighted four key themes:

  1. SNAP is beneficial in times of need
  2. Areas of need when applying for SNAP:
    • Knowledge and understanding
    • Miscommunication or lack of communication
    • Application processing
    • Mixed family status concerns
  3. Schools can be helpful with SNAP promotion and awareness
  4. Community feedback provides opportunities for engagement and suggestions on food assistance program

Schools:

SNAP Promotion Projects: Results of the retrospective post-survey demonstrate statistically significant changes in knowledge levels:

  • Knowledge of SNAP Benefits: A highly significant relationship was observed between knowledge levels before and after the intervention, suggesting a substantial shift in awareness.
  • Knowledge of SNAP Eligibility: Similar to SNAP benefits, knowledge about eligibility showed a significant change.
  • Knowledge of Where to Apply for SNAP: The shift in understanding where to apply was also statistically significant .
  • Knowledge of Where to Find Help Applying for SNAP: The change in familiarity with finding help demonstrated significant improvements .
  • Overall Knowledge Change: The overall knowledge change (progress, decrease, or remaining the same) also revealed a highly significant association, indicating the interventions’ effectiveness in improving knowledge levels.

School Administrator Interviews: School administrators interviewed shared insights about SNAP, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), working with families, and partnering in the community. The following themes emerged:

  1. Communication with families: while there are many methods available, finding the right one is difficult.
  2. Community partnerships: successful relationships with partners rely on clear communication, defined roles, and dedicated staff to build trust and maintain the relationships.
  3. SNAP and School Meal promotion: repeated exposure to information and sharing it district wide helped engage and de-stigmatize the programs.
  4. Recommendations: staff training and communication across school districts about the importance of nutrition assistance programs would benefit district families.