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 program regulations, and increasing availability of competitive beverages. It also discusses opportunities to increase drinking water availability and consumption, such as improving the quality of tap water, implementing policies that promote free drinking water access and intake, educating students and families about the benefits of tap water, and reducing the marketing and sales of competitive beverages. Future research, policy efforts and funding needed in this area are also identified.
Age Groups: Adolescents (grades 9 to 12), Adults and Families, Elementary-age children (grades K to 5), Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5), Young adolescents (grades 6 to 8)
Keywords: Beverage contracts, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Child Care/Preschool, Competitive foods, Food advertising, Food service, School meal programs, School wellness policies, Sugar-sweetened beverages, Vending machines, Water
Focus Areas: Beverages, Early Childhood, Food Marketing, School & After School
States: California, National
Resource Type: Journal Article
Related Research
February 2023
Rapid Health Impact Assessment on Changes to School Nutrition Standards to Align with 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The national school breakfast and lunch programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are cornerstone federal nutrition assistance programs. School meals are one of the healthiest sources of foods for school-age children, which is significant as some children receive up to half of their daily calories at school. Policy opportunities in 2023 MoreJanuary 2023
Policy, system, and environmental interventions addressing obesity and diet-related outcomes in early childhood education settings: A systematic review
Early childhood education (ECE) settings play an important role in child dietary intake and excess weight gain. Policy, systems, and environment (PSE) approaches have potential to reduce disparities in children at higher risk for obesity. The purpose of this review was to (1) characterize the inclusion of populations at higher risk for obesity in ECE MoreDecember 2022