Start Date: September 2015

ID #: CAS029

Organization: University of Connecticut

Project Lead: Tatiana Andreyeva, PhD

See more related research

Share


In January 2015, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a proposed rule detailing potential changes to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) regulations, which are expected to improve the nutritional quality of foods served in CACFP-participating child-care centers. This study will collect baseline data for Connecticut CACFP-participating child-care centers to document the impact of this major policy change. The study objectives are to: 1) assess the nutrition environment of CACFP-participating centers prior to implementation of USDA’s revised CACFP meal patterns, to establish a baseline to assessment of the policy impact; 2) compare CACFP-participating to non-participating centers currently being assessed by a USDA-funded study; and 3) conduct a longitudinal analysis using data from a previous HER-funded study to identify changes in CACFP-participating centers over time. The research team will collect observational and survey data from a sample of CACFP child-care centers in Connecticut, and findings will be analyzed using regression models. Findings will be critical to the evaluation of the USDA’s proposed rule, and help inform future discussions around implementation of nutrition standards in child care.

Related Research

May 2018

Predictors of Nutrition Quality in Early Child Education Settings in Connecticut

This study assessed the dietary quality of lunches and feeding practices in Connecticut child care centers and made comparisons by center participation in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Specifically, overall energy, macronutrient intake, and intake by CACFP meal component were compared with CACFP requirements and recommendations from the Institute of Medicine. More

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 More

November 2024

Experiences with COVID-19 economic relief measures among low-wage worker families: a qualitative study

This study aimed to understand experiences with COVID-19 economic relief measures among low-wage worker households with children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews from low-wage workers in households with children in two U.S. cities in 2022 (n = 40). The sample was recruited from a larger study which included survey measures More