Newsletter
Contact
Early childhood is a critical period for establishing a healthy diet and promoting healthy food preferences. Research in this area focuses on settings where children ages 0-5 spend their time, including preschools and child-care centers, as well as policies and practices that influence families’ ability to provide healthy foods and beverages in early childhood.
Research & Publications See all
February 2026
Water is K’é: Pilot Results of a Community-based Intervention to Increase Healthy Beverage Consumption by Navajo Preschool Children
Researchers developed a culturally-grounded intervention to promote healthy beverage consumption among Navajo children aged 2–5 years. This study, which took place from 2021–2023, evaluated prepost changes in beverage habits and caregiver knowledge and attitudes. This was a prospective cohort study with prepost evaluation. Children attending participating early child education sites and their primary caregivers were More
February 2026
Trends in California Child and Adult Care Food Program Participation Among Family Child Care Home Providers: The Role of Tiered Meal Reimbursements
In March 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic triggered lockdowns in several states, which immediately affected the number of children served by the CACFP. Nationally, there was a 23% reduction in the number of meals served through CACFP in 2020 compared with 2019. From July 2021 through June 2023, a series of USDA waivers More
December 2025
Provider, sponsor and family perceptions of Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) participation and COVID-19 reimbursement increases
Family childcare home (FCCH) providers’ participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) has declined, often due to inadequate tiered reimbursements. During COVID-19, federal waivers temporarily removed tiers and raised reimbursement rates, offering insight into program impacts. From September 2023 to February 2024, interviews with California FCCH providers (n=31), CACFP sponsors (n=10), and More
November 2025
Forecasting WIC funding needs: Supporting families, strengthening access
WIC serves more than 50% of all infants born in the U.S. The goal of this study is to build a forecasting model to estimate national WIC funding needs under various policy and economic conditions through fiscal year 2027. The model will also be designed to allow for updates to forecast funding needs for future More