Keyword: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

What Role Can Child-Care Settings Play in Obesity Prevention? A Review of the Evidence and Call for Research Efforts

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This article summarizes the scientific literature on state regulations, practices and policies, and interventions for promoting healthy eating and physical activity, and for preventing obesity in preschool-aged children attending child care. Findings of the review indicate that most states lack strong healthy eating and physical activity regulations for child-care settings. Assessments of child-care settings suggest More

Evaluating the Impact of a California Statute Regulating Beverages Served in Licensed Child-Care Settings

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Because lifelong diet habits are shaped in early childhood, California Food Policy Advocates worked with the California Legislature to successfully pass legislation creating healthy beverage standards for all licensed child-care settings. California is among the first states to establish such standards for licensed child care. This project seeks to evaluate the impact of these standards. More

Encouraging Consumption of Water in School and Child Care Settings: Access, Challenges, and Strategies for Improvement

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Children and adolescents are not consuming enough water. Since children spend most of their day in school and child care settings, ensuring that safe, potable water is available in these settings is essential. This article identifies challenges that limit access to drinking water, including deteriorating drinking water infrastructure, limited drinking water availability, insufficient federal meal More

A Review of Environmental Influences on Food Choices

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There is growing interest in the role of the environment in promoting or hindering healthy eating. It has been suggested that individual change is more likely to be facilitated and sustained if the environment within which choices are made supports healthful food options. While there has been a shift in attention to environmental and policy More

A National Survey of Obesity Prevention Practices in Head Start

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This article summarizes obesity prevention practices and environments within Head Start, the United States’ largest federally-funded early childhood education program. On the basis of survey data, researchers found that most Head Start programs report doing more to support healthy eating and gross motor activity than required by federal performance standards in these areas.

Testing Modifications in Child-Care Settings to Promote Nutritional Quality in the Context of Food Insecurity

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The combination of obesity amidst food insecurity presents unique challenges to improving nutrition and feeding policies in institutions serving children. The aim of this study is to evaluate child care nutrition and feeding policies designed to decrease excess caloric consumption in the context of food insecurity and obesity. In this project, three intervention strategies will More

Assessing Recommendations From a Study on Improving Nutrition in Licensed Child-Care Centers in California

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Approximately 50% of preschool-aged children in California are enrolled in licensed child-care settings, primarily in day care centers. These children consume a significant portion of their daily nutrition in child-care centers. Previous research has indicated that centers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) served healthier foods than those not participating in More

Nutrition and Physical Activity Environments in Licensed Child Care: A Statewide Assessment of California

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This report summarizes the results of a survey assessing the nutrition and physical activity environments for 2- to 5-year old children in licensed child-care facilities in California, including child-care centers and homes, and state preschool and Head Start program sites. Researchers found that child-care sites that participated in the Child and Adult Care Food Program More