Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Abstract
School-based policies are promoted to improve, among all, also children's non-cognitive development, a strong predictor of future life outcomes. Relying on a cross-sectional sample of children aged five from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS), we investigate the impact of the Universal Infant Free School Meal Policy on children's non-cognitive development. We exploit identifying variations in the timing and location of switching from means-tested to a universal provision of free school lunches using a difference-in-difference strategy. Our results show that exposure to universal free school lunches improves children's Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Internalizing Difficulties. The effect seems to be driven by young boys, and children living in medium-income households. This suggests that universal lunch provision policies may help to compensate for gender gaps in early childhood and enhance the non-cognitive skills of middle-class income pupils.