Childhood Obesity published a special theme journal issue on early care and education programs (ECE) policy and practice. It unites a group of outstanding researchers focusing on the role of policies and practices within ECE programs to support healthy practices. Each article addresses one or more important influences, including public policies, such as the federally funded Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) or state licensing standards, facility-level policies for physical activity or screen-time, and food procurement practices, to mention a few. This supplement is the first to address early care and education settings, both child care centers and family child care homes, to illustrate and guide best practices for healthy weight development. The special supplement was supported by Healthy Eating Research and the Early Childhood working group, a collaboration between HER and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (NOPREN). The supplement is dedicated to Susie Nanney, a champion of promoting population health and reducing health disparities, who worked to improve children’s and family health in underserved and rural communities, including in early care and education settings.
Keywords: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Child Care/Preschool, Head Start, Nutrition standards, Physical activity
Focus Area: Early Childhood
State: National
Age Groups: Pregnant women, infants and toddlers (ages 0 to 2), Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5)
Resource Type: Special Journal Issue
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