Newsletter
Contact
While children spend a substantial amount of time in school, more than half of kids aged 5 to 14 years are also spending time in a child-care setting. This is also an important out-of-home setting for preschool-aged children. This research brief outlines federal food programs and regulations that govern nutrition and physical activity in child-care settings—and what research has demonstrated about the nutritional quality of foods offered in child-care settings.
Age Groups: Adults and Families, Elementary-age children (grades K to 5), Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5), Young adolescents (grades 6 to 8)
Keywords: Body mass index (BMI), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Child Care/Preschool, Food service, Fruits and vegetables, Head Start, Media, Nutrition standards, Physical activity, Snacks, Sugar-sweetened beverages
Focus Area: Early Childhood
Resource Type: Research Review
Related Research
December 2024
Evidence to Support an Additional CACFP Meal Reimbursement for Family Childcare Home Providers
This policy brief provides evidence supporting the need for an increase in the number of reimbursable meals and snacks under the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program, also known as CACFP, from three to four per child daily. CACFP provides nutritious meals to nearly 625,000 children attending family childcare homes nationwide, primarily from lower-income MoreSeptember 2024
Water Is K’é: Learning from the Navajo Community to Promote Early Child Health
Drinking water instead of sugary drinks is key to reducing health disparities. Since beverage habits are shaped by complex personal, community, and environmental factors, community input is critical to design any intervention promoting water. The research team worked with community partners to design a program to promote healthy beverage habits among young Navajo children. The MoreAugust 2024