Appendix T3. Household Survey Brochure

The National School Meals Study

The United States Department of Food and Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) funds the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. These programs help schools in providing nutritious meals to children.

FNS is conducting a series of studies to gather up-to-date information about these programs, including: a) who they serve, b) how participants feel about the meal services they receive, and c) how eligibility for program participation is collected and reported.

The Study includes a household survey conducted by Westat. Your household was randomly chosen to be in this survey. If you decide to be part of it, we will ask you to talk to an interviewer at your home, or other place you choose, at a time that is convenient for you.

The interviewer will ask a range of questions about your child’s experience with the breakfast and lunch programs provided by your school, as well as household income information used to determine eligibility for meal benefits. We will give you a worksheet to prepare for the survey before we visit you.

Your opinions and experience matter.

APPENDIX T3. HOUSEHOLD SURVEY BROCHURE

Improving Lifes Through Research™

1600 Research Boulevard

Rockville, MD 20850

www.westat.com

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0530. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 3 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

	OMB Number.: 0584-0530 Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX
	NATIONAL SCHOOL MEALS STUDY A Household Survey about School Lunch and Breakfast Meal Programs
	The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service is conducting this Study
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this study being done? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) is sponsoring this study to learn about students and their households who participate in the school meal programs. FNS wants to know more about how school meals are served and how schools determine household eligibility and report meal claims to the FNS. Who is conducting the study? Westat, a private research company, has a contract with the USDA’s FNS to conduct this study. Why did you choose my household? Your household was chosen randomly from a list of households that applied for benefits in the school meal programs. The survey is designed to represent all households who applied for school meal benefits in your school district. You were selected to represent many households similar to you. How long will the interview take? The interview, which will be done in person, usually takes about 45 minutes to complete, plus some time to prepare for the interview. As a thank you, you will receive up to $50 in gift cards when you finish the survey. Where will the interview take place? We will conduct the interview at your home, or another place that you prefer, at a time that is convenient for you. What questions will you ask? The person who interviews you may ask about: Participation in the school breakfast and lunch programs Perceptions on school meals Program eligibility factors including household size and income. Do I have to do this study? No, it is your choice if you want to participate or not. Participation in this research study is voluntary. You can also skip any questions you do not want to answer. However your opinions and experience matter, and are important to helping the USDA improve these programs. Why are you asking about income? Income information helps the FNS/USDA know more about families who qualify for meal benefits. The information you provide will be kept private and will be used for policy and planning purposes only. Can this impact any benefits our household gets? No. Your participation and answers will not affect any benefits you may receive. Also, it will not impact any benefits the school district receives. What about my privacy? We are very serious about protecting your privacy to the full extent allowed by the law. The study is also reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board that is focused on protecting your rights and privacy as a study participant. All interviewers are required to sign a confidentiality agreement. This means interviewers are prohibited from sharing or talking about your personal information to anyone other than authorized research staff. Your answers will be combined with those of other participants nationwide. The study results and reports will be summarized in such a way that no individual family or child can ever be identified.

Have a Question?

Need Help Scheduling an Interview?

Call us toll-free at 1-855-820-6138 or send an email to schoolmealstudy@westat.com

We are happy to assist you!

NATIONAL SCHOOL MEALS STUDY