Design Flaws: Consequences of the Coverage Gap in Food Programs for Children at Kindergarten Entry

Irma Arteaga; Colleen Heflin; Sarah Parsons

doi:10.1093/aepp/ppy009

Design Flaws: Consequences of the Coverage Gap in Food Programs for Children at Kindergarten Entry

Irma Arteaga, Colleen Heflin, Sarah Parsons

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

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.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	265-283
Number of pages	19
Journal	Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy
Volume	41
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/aepp/ppy009
State	Published - Jun 2019

Keywords

Food programs
NSLP
WIC
cognitive skills
kindergarten
policy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Development
Economics and Econometrics

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10.1093/aepp/ppy009

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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.",

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author = "Irma Arteaga and Colleen Heflin and Sarah Parsons",

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AU - Heflin, Colleen

AU - Parsons, Sarah

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N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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Design Flaws: Consequences of the Coverage Gap in Food Programs for Children at Kindergarten Entry

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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