The federal Child and Adult Care Food Program, commonly known as CACFP, ensures over 4.2 million children, mostly in families with low income, receive nutritious meals and snacks in childcare. However, not all qualifying childcare providers participate in this beneficial program. Research suggests that the serious deficiency process, designed to ensure program integrity, may hinder More
Date: June 2024
Resource Type: Research Brief
Focus Areas: Early Childhood Nutrition Policy & Programs
The Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition was funded by Healthy Eating Research to conduct a study exploring how the policy changes in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) cash value benefit (CVB), or fruit and vegetable money, during the pandemic impacted the WIC program and child access to fruits and More
Food insecurity puts people at risk for many poor physical and mental health outcomes. Food insecurity stayed stable during much of the COVID-19 pandemic but rose significantly from 2021-2022 among U.S. households with children. Many federal supports were offered during the COVID-19 pandemic. These included expansions in food assistance programs like SNAP, as well as More
Keywords: COVID-19, Supportive family policies
Date: January 2024
Resource Type: Research Brief
Focus Areas: Diet Quality & Healthy Weight Food Access
Licensed family childcare homes (FCCHs) in CACFP receive different reimbursement rates based on their income and location. Tier-1 rates are higher and apply to FCCH providers with low incomes or if they are in low-income areas. In 2021, due to COVID-19, tiering was temporarily suspended, and all FCCH providers received the higher Tier-1 rates. However, More
To inform the consideration by Congress of future benefit levels for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), this brief summarizes findings from studies conducted by Heluna Health’s PHFE-WIC Program and the University of California’s Nutrition Policy Institute.
Keywords: COVID-19, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Date: August 2023
Resource Type: Research Brief
Focus Areas: Early Childhood Nutrition Policy & Programs
In 2019, Healthy Eating Research (HER) developed recommendations on what children ages 0 to 5 should drink as part of a healthy diet, in partnership with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and the American Heart Association. Having one set of uniform recommendations provided More
Date: May 2023
Resource Type: Research Brief
Focus Areas: Beverages Early Childhood Nutrition Policy & Programs
This research brief gives an overview of the Water is K’é intervention, conducted among Navajo Nation families. The intervention was delivered by early care and education teachers to households with children ages 2-5, and covered the cultural importance of water, health benefits of water, and alternatives to sugary drinks. At baseline, more than 70% of children already More
Keywords: Child Care/Preschool, Community setting, Water
This review identifies intervention strategies implemented within U.S. grocery retail stores that are effective in improving the healthfulness of shoppers’ food and beverage purchasing and consumption. Results from our review demonstrate that nutritional scoring and nutritional messaging were the most rigorously tested and effective interventions. Additionally, simple interventions yield the most successful results and minimize More
Keywords: Grocery store, Supermarket
School meal programs play a critical role in feeding children. Meals served in school are generally of better nutritional quality than those that students bring from home and have been linked to improved academic performance and household food security. The aim of this research brief is to highlight and summarize rigorous evidence from a new More
Keywords: Competitive foods, School meal programs, Snacks
SNAP was a critical component of the COVID-19 pandemic response. The beginning of the pandemic saw the largest increase in applications in the program’s history, and the pandemic fundamentally altered how SNAP agencies deliver benefits, interact with participants, and provide supportive services. The goal of this research was to examine SNAP implementation during the first More