The majority of U.S. children are placed in some form of non-parental care during their preschool years, in arrangements such as child-care centers and family child-care homes, preschools, and Head Start programs. These early care and education settings provide numerous opportunities to promote healthy eating at a young age, when dietary habits are forming. Compared to research regarding schools, there has been limited research to date about federal, state, and local policies and practices that affect food choices or offerings in these settings. This research aims to identify policy and environmental changes for the child-care and preschool settings that can help prevent childhood obesity.
Fast Fact
Early Childhood
Research & Publications
July 2020
Serving Their Needs: A Qualitative Examination of Nutrition Policy Implementation in the Early Care and Education Setting
Identifying strategies to assist children in establishing healthy habits is essential to reduce the risk of childhood obesity. The Early Care and Education (ECE) setting is ideal for the implementation of obesity prevention practices. However, there are barriers present for implementing nutrition policies in this setting. This report explores the … More
July 2020
Strengthening WIC’s Impact During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
The USDA Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides critical nutrition assistance to lower-income women, infants, and young children. During the coronavirus pandemic, unemployment has risen to levels greater than experienced during the Great Recession, and food insecurity has also increased, making WIC’s role more important … More
April 2020
Determining eLearning Preferences to Inform Beverage Policy Training for Early Care and Education Teachers
This study aimed to determine the eLearning preferences of early care and education (ECE) teachers for an effective beverage policy training. This was a mixed methods study conducted with ECE directors and teachers in 6 regions throughout Georgia. Researchers used an eLearning survey (n = 646) along with focus groups … More
March 2020
Toddler Drink Marketing: Opportunities to Address Harmful Practices
Toddler drinks are a relatively new product category, typically offered by infant formula manufacturers and promoted as beneficial for young children ages 12 months and older. Marketing promotes these drinks as the “next step” after infant formula, using claims that imply unproven benefits for children’s nutrition and health. However, these drinks … More