Child care providers are a vital part of healthy, thriving communities. Over half of children between the ages of zero and five spend significant time in non-parental child care. These early years are critical for healthy brain development and establishing the habits that last a lifetime. Laws and policies shape how we think of “quality” in child care settings. One key aspect of quality is the food environment. The Public Health Law Center has created an interactive tool to map the early care and education (ECE) food policy environment in Minnesota, beginning with licensed home-based child care settings. This policy map will evolve to include research on other aspects of quality across the range of ECE settings. The map is designed to illustrate how various legal entities and programs connect, interact, or don’t interact as the case may be, with respect to family child care providers and policies that impact food in this setting.
Mapping the Food Policy Environment in Minnesota Child Care
Age Groups: Pregnant women, infants and toddlers (ages 0 to 2), Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5)
Focus Areas: Early Childhood, Nutrition & Agriculture Policy and Programs
Resource Type: Tools & Measures
Keywords: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Legal
State: Minnesota
Related Research
June 2017
Interactive Child Care Licensing Map: Healthy Eating, Active Play, and Screen Time Best Practices
This interactive 50-state map, developed by the Public Health Law Center, syntheses data on how state child care licensing regulations match best practices for 3- to 5-year-olds, relating to healthy eating, active play and screen time best practices. Additional maps relating to best practices for the birth to 2-year-olds plan … More
July 2015
Evaluating Child-Care Licensing Laws, Policies, and Programs for Nutrition, Active Play, and Screen Time
This study will address the research gap in understanding the strengths and weaknesses of child-care regulation across jurisdictions regarding nutrition, active play, and screen time. Specific aims of the project are to: 1) create and implement a standardized child-care regulatory policy content coding system for key obesity-related indicators; 2) develop … More
June 2019
Engaging Fathers in Early Obesity Prevention During the First 1,000 Days: Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change Strategies
Fathers are critical stakeholders in childhood obesity prevention but are difficult to engage. This review presents a new approach to engaging fathers in obesity prevention during the first 1,000 days. The review focuses on five existing health and social service programs, including prenatal care, pediatric care, the Special Supplemental Nutrition … More