Protecting child nutritional status in the aftermath of a financial crisis: Evidence from Indonesia

In response to concerns over the vulnerability of the young in the wake of Indonesia's 1997–1998 economic crises, the Government of Indonesia implemented a supplementary feeding program to support early childhood nutritional status. This paper exploits heterogeneity in duration of program exposure to evaluate the impact of the program on children aged 6 to 60months. By examining differences in nutritional status of treated younger children and a placebo group of older children, the analysis finds that the program improved the nutritional status of treated children, and most significantly, led to 7 and 15% declines in rates of moderate and severe stunting, respectively, for children aged 12 to 24months who were exposed to the program for at least 12months over two years.