Focus Area: Nutrition Policy & Programs

Child and Adult Care Food Program: Family Childcare Home Providers’ Perceptions of Impacts of Increased Meal and Snack Reimbursement Rates during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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The U.S. Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides tiered reimbursements for healthy foods for children at participating family childcare homes (FCCH). All FCCHs received a higher rate to address food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was administered in the spring of 2023 to a randomly selected sample of licensed California FCCHs More

CACFP Family Childcare Home Sponsor Perspectives – Serious Deficiency Challenges

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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

Mixed methods evaluation of the COVID-19 changes to the WIC cash-value benefit for fruits and vegetables

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Recent cash-value benefit (CVB) increases are a positive development to help increase WIC participant fruits and vegetables (FV) access. This mixed method study aimed to evaluate (a) the CVB changes’ impact on FV access among WIC child participants measured by CVB redemption rates, (b) facilitators and barriers to CVB changes’ implementation, and (c) differences in More

Associations of Increased WIC Benefits for Fruits and Vegetables With Food Security and Satisfaction by Race and Ethnicity

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The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides nutrition support for racially and ethnically diverse populations. In 2021, the monthly cash value benefit (CVB) for the purchase of fruits and vegetables increased from $9 to $35 and was later adjusted to $24. This study investigated, by racial and ethnic groups, whether More

WIC staff and healthcare professional perceptions of an EHR intervention to facilitate referrals to and improve communication and coordination with WIC: A qualitative study

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Participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has numerous benefits, yet many eligible children remain unenrolled. This qualitative study sought to explore perceptions of a novel electronic health record (EHR) intervention to facilitate referrals to WIC and improve communication/coordination between WIC staff and healthcare professionals. WIC staff in three More

Understanding Multiprogram Take-Up of Safety Net Programs Among California Families

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The U.S. safety net, which provides critical aid to households with low income, is composed of a patchwork of separate programs, and many people with low income benefit from accessing <1 program. However, little is known about multiprogram take-up, that is, participation conditioned on eligibility. This study examined individual and multiprogram take-up patterns and sociodemographic More

WIC Fruit and Vegetable Study

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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

The association of safety-net program participation with government perceptions, welfare stigma, and discrimination

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Safety-net programs in the United States offered critical support to counter food insecurity and poverty during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) are both means-tested programs with significant benefits. Take-up of SNAP and EITC is lower in California than nationwide and More

Supporting the Wake Forest School of Medicine in implementing a WIC referral program within electronic health records to optimize WIC participation

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The United States has an ongoing maternal and infant health crisis, characterized by stark disparities. The WIC program could equitably improve health outcomes, but it is underutilized. Identifying strategies for healthcare systems to efficiently connect pregnant patients with WIC is a public health and policy priority. This study will use the electronic health record (EHR) More

Assessing participation in and implementation of summer electronic-benefits-transfer and non-congregate-meal programs in rural areas

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Summer EBT and non-congregate meals are summer meal options that have known associations with reducing food hardship and barriers to food access. But take-up can vary across states, which creates disparities among marginalized populations. The study aims to analyze the coverage, take-up, and implementation decisions made around Summer EBT and non-congregate meals. The research team More