ABSTRACT
Approximately 8–9% of school-age children in Indonesia suffer from undernutrition. To address this issue, the government introduced the Rice for the Poor (Raskin) program to assist low-income households in meeting their daily nutritional needs. However, research evaluating the effectiveness of social assistance programs like Raskin remains limited and often inconclusive. This study aims to assess the impact of Raskin on the nutrition and education of school-aged children, focusing on disparities between urban and rural areas. Using the propensity score matching method, the study reveals that households benefiting from the Raskin program in 2007 did not show significant improvements in their children's nutritional status. However, the program positively influenced children's years of schooling, particularly at the primary school level. These findings highlight the importance of integrating food assistance initiatives with a stronger emphasis on meeting the recommended daily intake (RDA) of essential nutrients. The government should prioritise.
