Partnerships between Early Head Start (EHS) programs and child care providers strive to improve access to high-quality, comprehensive services for infants and toddlers whose families have low incomes. Early Head Start-Child Care (EHS-CC) Partnership grants provide a dedicated funding stream to support some of these partnerships. In 2015, the…

Nearly one in four college students struggle with food insecurity. Over the past decade, states and postsecondary institutions have expanded support for student nutritional needs through food pantries, emergency aid grants, and outreach and application efforts to efforts to increase student participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance…

This technical annex accompanies "Addressing College Student Food Insecurity in Colorado: Trends in Student Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and College Practices." The main report presents RAND's findings on trends in student participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and college…

Since its inception in 1965, Head Start has provided low-income families with wraparound early childhood programming. Serving nearly a million children and families nationwide, Head Start's "Whole Child" philosophy was particularly evident during COVID-19 when families faced unprecedented disruptions at home, school, and work. Utilizing…

College students are more likely to be food insecure than the general population. CalFresh (SNAP) food benefits can reduce hunger by helping low-income students pay for their food. This is particularly relevant as the rising cost of food is putting extra strain on students' budgets. Unfortunately, the administrative hurdles and time required to…

This study evaluates the Dual Language Program (DLP) implemented at a Title I public school in Baltimore City during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. Building on previous research, the DLP's implementation, sustainability, and effects on students' learning outcomes were examined. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study's second…

This article examines children's health coverage today and explores the ways and means to ensure its financial sustainability and the factors associated with it. As extensively argued, long term negative effects could be on health, education, and financial success as an adult. It also suggests that reductions in children's coverage could have…

The well-being of Head Start teachers is essential to ensuring high-quality early care and education (ECE) and supporting children's development. The COVID-19 pandemic raised unique challenges to teachers' well-being. In this brief, the authors explore Head Start teachers' health, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, stress, and job…

Purpose: We used data from the National Survey of Children's Health to (1) examine differences in economic hardship and safety net program use after the implementation of federal relief efforts, and (2) assess whether the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated autism-based disparities in hardship and program use. Methods: We examined five dimensions of…

The COVID-19 pandemic and shifts to virtual learning drastically altered school environments, often leaving students without a say in the many changes happening in their lives. To understand how diverse adolescents experienced their school's climate during the COVID-19 pandemic and elevate youth voice in school decisions, we conducted a…

This report summarizes findings from the School Meals Operations Study (SMO), part of an ongoing series to assess school meal operations on a school year (SY) basis. This volume of the study covers July 2021 through the end of September 2022 and includes SY 2021-2022. When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, the Families First Coronavirus…

Many preschool agencies nationwide continue to experience closures and/or conversions to virtual or hybrid instruction due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the importance of understanding young children's learning and development during the COVID emergency, limited knowledge exists on adaptable practices of assessing young children during…

Recognizing that a successful middle school is one where adult advocates foster and guide students' academic and personal development (Bishop & Harrison, 2021), we explore how COVID-19 acted as a catalyst for one middle school to create novel spaces that supported students' social and emotional well-being. Calling on Bhabha's (1994) and…

Media resources are a central component of families' learning ecologies in the U.S. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the information ecosystem was flooded with content about the SARS-CoV-2 virus and personal protection measures. However, much of the coverage came through channels for adult audiences, and the 'infodemic' added to the…

Background: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) is the federal nutrition education program of the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP-Ed is designed to increase the likelihood that individuals with limited budgets can eat…