Published: June 2017

ID #: CAS025

Authors: Public Health Law Center

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This interactive 50-state map, developed by the Public Health Law Center, syntheses data on how state child care licensing regulations match best practices for 3- to 5-year-olds, relating to healthy eating, active play and screen time best practices. Additional maps relating to best practices for the birth to 2-year-olds plan to be added. This tool resulted from a project that aimed to understand the strengths and weaknesses of child-care regulation in the United States regarding nutrition, active play, and screen time. The research team created a child-care regulatory policy content coding system for key obesity-related indicators, and developed an interactive map that outlines the policy content and coding results from each state. The site also includes state-specific fact sheets that compare each state’s licensing regulations related to nutrition standards, active play, and screen time limits with scientifically-based health standards.

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