Fffectiveness Of Children's Feeding Programs In Atlantic Canada

Nutrition Research Newsletter, Sept, 1999 by Lynn McIntyre, Kim Travers, Jutta B. Dayle

Poverty is unfortunately a fact of life for one in five Canadian children. This sort of economic deprivation leads to poor nutritional status. In 1989 a survey conducted by the Canadian Education Association found that school-based feeding programs were established across the entire country, providing breakfast and often lunch to thousands of children. These programs were established by volunteers in response to child hunger, unlike the programs that are legislated in the United States.

It remains unclear if these programs contribute to family food security or if they create stigmatism and turn children and their families into dependent clients. A research team recently asked the question: Are children's feeding programs in Atlantic Canada reducing or reproducing inequities'? Nutritional inequities were considered to be inequalities in nutrient intake and nutritional status linked to income as a determinant of health.

The qualitative study examined case studies from nine Atlantic Canadian children's feeding programs. In addition, the researchers observed and interviewed participating children, their families, and operators of these programs. The interviews were semi-structured and conducted in small groups of three to six children. The children were between the ages of 5-12 years. The promotional literature developed by the programs and media articles were also reviewed.

Six of the nine feeding programs served breakfast and three programs served lunch. The programs had been established for five to seven years. Seven of the programs were school-based, one was church-based, and one was t operated by a community organization. All programs followed the school year and were therefore closed over the summer. Six programs were located in distinctly poor neighborhoods and the remaining three were in neighborhoods with diverse economic statuses. Most of the programs received partial funding from the city, federal sources, and charities. Four sites had paid daily operators, the rest were supervised by parent, teacher, principal, or community volunteers.

Eight of the nine sites acknowledged that approximately 75% of the children that attended the feeding programs were not poor, and attended for convenience and social reasons. All nine sites stated that they did feed some poverty-stricken children who did not get food at home. Programs tried to provide a second home for these children. Attention was paid to treating all the children equally. However, the researchers detected evidence of some stigmatism towards the recipients. They were seen as lacking social skills and being greedy. One of the children interviewed stated, "when we started they said that we were welfare bums and that we shouldn't go there." However, one of the observations made was that the "needy" children were always known, and extra food was offered to them discretely. Parents were stigmatized both for sending their children and not sending their children to the programs.

Although the feeding program was designed to promote nutritional opportunities for needy children, efforts were also made to influence children's social development. The feeding programs provided the children with training in manners, hygiene, and rules. Most programs actively recruited children and unanimously felt that the children who needed the meals the most were not reached. Throughout this observation period, the researchers concluded that the feeding programs were actually complex social systems. They also realized that the need for adequate nutritious food is neither prevented nor eliminated by these programs and in fact these programs may be turning children and their families into dependent clients. Children's feeding programs appear to be reproducing, rather than reducing, inequities in Atlantic Canada.

Lynn McIntyre, Kim Travers, Jutta B. Dayle, Children's Feeding Programs in Atlantic Canada: Reducing or Reproducing Inequities? Canadian Journal of Public Health, 90(3): 196-200 (May-June 1999) [Correspondence: Dr. Lynn McIntyre, Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Professions, Dalhousie University, 5968 College St., 3rd Fl., Halifax, NS, B3H 3J5, Canada. E-mail: Lynn.McIntyre@dal.ca.]