@article{d383e2692e3e4436bdf455cf2cc64e94,
title = "Design Flaws: Consequences of the Coverage Gap in Food Programs for Children at Kindergarten Entry",
abstract = "Children age out of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program at 60 months and become eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) upon kindergarten entry. During this period of time, low-income children experience fewer food support services than at any other time. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, we examine the effects of the duration of the coverage gap between WIC and NSLP on kindergarteners' skills. Results show evidence of negative effects on reading, though not on math. Findings also suggest that, for children in full-day kindergarten, effects on reading fade out in the spring term.",
keywords = "Food programs, NSLP, WIC, cognitive skills, kindergarten, policy",
author = "Irma Arteaga and Colleen Heflin and Sarah Parsons",
note = "Funding Information: This research was made possible by the generous support from the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) RIDGE Center for Policy Research at the University of Wisconsin and the United States Department of Agriculture. Funding Information: Irma Arteaga is a assistant professor in the Truman School of Public Affairs, University of Missouri. Colleen Heflin is a full professor in the Maxwell School of Public Administration and International Affairs, Syracuse University. Sarah Parsons is the Director of Institutional Research, Westminster College. This research was made possible by the generous support from the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) RIDGE Center for Policy Research at the University of Wisconsin and the USDA. The authors thank participants at the 2016 IRP conference in Madison and Washington D.C., and participants at the 2016 APPAM Fall Research Conference for their helpful comments. The statements and views expressed in this article do not reflect those of the study{\textquoteright}s sponsors. Any remaining errors are our own. Editor in charge of the manuscript: Craig Gundersen Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 The Author(s).",
year = "2019",
month = jun,
doi = "10.1093/aepp/ppy009",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "41",
pages = "265--283",
journal = "Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy",
issn = "2040-5790",
publisher = "Oxford University Press",
number = "2",
}