Michele Polacsek, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of public health and director of UNE’s Center for Excellence in Public Health, published an article titled “Implementation of Universal School Meals during COVID-19 and beyond: Challenges and Benefits for School Meals Programs in Maine” in Nutrients as part of the Special Issue School Meals and Children’s Dietary Behavior and is available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/19/4031/pdf

School meals play a major role in supporting children’s diets and food security, and policies for universal school meals (USM) have the potential to contribute to positive child health outcomes. This is one of the first studies to examine the impact of pandemic-related USM on schools that have not previously participates in USM within the United States. Study findings suggest there are multiple important benefits of USM to schools not previously eligible to provide free school meals to all students. In particular, the reported increases in meal participation and reductions in stigma may help to promote nutrition equity among students. Schools have also faced many challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and anticipate that school meal program challenges will continue without state and national support for USM.