Evaluation of the Impact of Wave 2 Incentives Demonstrations on Participation in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP): 2012

This report evaluated four statewide, multiyear demonstrations to test new innovative strategies to increase participation in the Summer Food Service Program. The demonstrations included (1) incentives to extend the duration of program operations, (2) funding for educational or recreational activities at summer sites, (3) the provision of noncongregate meal delivery in rural areas, and (4) backpack food packages for weekend and holiday use. The study team used administrative data from participating states to assess the effectiveness of the demonstrations. Key outcome measures include the total number of meals served and the total number of children served (as measured by average daily attendance, or ADA). Additional outcome measures include the number of backpacks or meals delivered. This report also presents findings from a sample of non-demonstration sites that served as comparison sites to examine the effectiveness of the demonstrations.