There are 8.6 million preschool-aged children enrolled in child-care facilities in the United States. The licensing regulations for these facilities in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, and media use (e.g., television, videos, computers) show that there are many potential opportunities to prevent obesity among these children.
Keywords: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Child Care/Preschool, Food service, Home, Media, Nutrition standards, Physical activity, Vending machines
Focus Area: Early Childhood
Resource Type: Journal Article
State: National
Age Group: Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5)
Related Research
April 2024
Height and Weight Measurement and Communication With Families in Head Start: Developing a Toolkit and Establishing Best Practices
Head start (HS) programs are required to collect children’s height and weight data. Programs also communicate these results to families. However, no standardized protocol exists to guide measurements or communicate results. The purpose of this article was to describe the development of a measurement toolkit and best practices for communication. HS programs contributed to the MoreNovember 2023
State Agency Perspectives on Successes and Challenges of Administering the Child and Adult Care Food Program
The federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) improves nutrition and reduces food insecurity for young children while helping cover food costs for care providers and families. Despite its important benefits, the program is underutilized. This report uses qualitative interviews with state CACFP administrators representing 28 states to explore federal and state policies and practices that support or discourage CACFP participation among licensed child MoreNovember 2023