Food Support for Hospitalized Children and Their Families

This study is looking at whether providing food support to families with hospitalized children can help improve their well-being and reduce hospital readmissions. Researchers are testing two types of support: in-hospital food support, which provides two meals a day for up to two parents, and post-discharge food support, which includes grocery gift cards and frozen meals when a child leaves the hospital. The study wants to see if these interventions reduce how often children need to return to the hospital urgently within 30 days, and if they help reduce hunger and food insecurity for families during and after their hospital stay. You may be able to join if your child is under 21, has Medicaid insurance or is uninsured, and is not receiving end-of-life care or being discharged to a location other than home.

Study design
This interventional study plans to enroll 9119 participants. Researchers will compare the in-hospital food support intervention across different hospital units and the post-discharge food support intervention to standard discharge practices.
What's involved
Not specified in the trial record.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
The study will follow up on urgent hospital re-utilization for 30 days post-discharge and on hunger and food insecurity for 14 days post-discharge.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06946355

Food-based Support for Hospitalized Children and Their Families

Recruiting
NAUp to 21Interventional
Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati
~9,119 participants
Updated 2026-09-16 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:In-hospital food support interventionPost-discharge food support intervention

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
30-day urgent reutilization
Measured over 30 days post-discharge
+2 more outcomes measured
Food Insecurity

NCT06946355

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

    Cincinnati, Ohiono site contact published

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

All families of patients less than 21 years of age with Medicaid insurance or uninsured will be eligible

Exclusion

Patients admitted for end-of-life care, patients who will be discharged to a location other than home, patients who live independently, and patients in county custody.
  • 30-day urgent reutilization30 days post-discharge

    Validated measure of unplanned readmission/ED/urgent care use via electronic health record (EHR)

  • Hunger during hospitalizationWithin 36 hours before discharge

    USDA Six-Item Short Form of the Food Security Survey Module, adapted to measure hunger in hospital. Families with lower scores are less likely to experience food insecurity. The family's level of food insecurity increases with the score. * Raw score 0-1-High food security * Raw score 2-4-Low food security * Raw score 5-6-Very low food security

  • Post-discharge hunger and food insecurity14 Days post-discharge

    USDA Six-Item Short Form of the Food Security Survey Module. Families with lower scores are less likely to experience food insecurity. The family's level of food insecurity increases with the score. * Raw score 0-1-High food security * Raw score 2-4-Low food security * Raw score 5-6-Very low food security