Early Childhood Impact Fund: Kids’ Meals, Inc.

Project Description

Kids’ Meals was chosen to expand the healthy meal delivery program to children and families in Harris County. The purpose of Kids’ Meals is to provide children relief from severe food insecurity and food deserts in poverty-stricken neighborhoods. The organization aims to end generational poverty by providing children with meals until they reach kindergarten, thus negating low school engagement, substandard academic development, and poor emotional and physical health. Kids’ Meals also delivers meals for every child in the home up to age 18 during the summer when most children don’t have access to food in school-based settings. A secondary component of Kids’ Meals is to distribute educational materials, essential information about vital wraparound services, and monthly newsletters which detail services and programs offered by collaborative social service partners.

PRIMARY PARTNERSHIPS

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

  • Trunk or Treat for Families
  • Kids' Meals Luncheon
  • Bikes 4 Smiles

TARGET IMPACT

This program’s target goals are to:

  • Serve 1,500 preschool children, 3,700 total children, and 1,800 families in the first year of implementation
  • Serve 1,100 new children
  • Deliver 8,100 meals

WEBSITE LINK

USE OF EVIDENCE & PROGRAM EVALUATIONS

Based on current data from the non-profit organization Children at Risk, it is estimated that at least 88,000 children are living with food insecurity in Houston. Of those, at least 26,000 are under the age of six and qualify for our meal delivery services. This program will address food insecurity worsened or created by the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering free, healthy meals to young children ages 0-5. In addition to providing food, the program will provide resources to families to help end the cycle of poverty in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The RAND Policy Research Corporation will be evaluating Early Childhood Impact Fund investments, including Kids’ Meals.

PHOTOS