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In March 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic triggered lockdowns in several states, which immediately affected the number of children served by the CACFP. Nationally, there was a 23% reduction in the number of meals served through CACFP in 2020 compared with 2019. From July 2021 through June 2023, a series of USDA waivers for CACFP, followed by congressional policy, increased the reimbursement of tier 2 FCCHs to tier 1 amounts. This trend analysis was conducted to assess whether the temporary policy changes were associated with changes in CACFP participation among licensed FCCH providers in California. The researchers conducted Joinpoint regression separately for each tier, and average monthly percent changes were estimated over 4 predetermined periods. The prepandemic-period indicated small upward CACFP participation trends. Pandemic-with-tiered-reimbursement showed small downward trends. Pandemic with tiers waved detected a plateau for tier 1 FCCHs, and a small upward trend for tier 2 FCCHs. Postpandemic-with-tiers-reinstated revealed significant downward trends. Removing the tiered meal reimbursement system could increase CACFP participation among FCCHs, with likely positive impacts on young children’s access to nutritious meals.
Published: February 2026
ID #: 283-5102
Journal: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
Authors: Matias SL, Bacon KA, Lee DL, Marshall SKD, Felix C, Vitale EH, Ritchie LD
Race/Ethnicity: African American or Black, American Indian, Asian, Latino(a) or Hispanic, Multi-racial/ethnic, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, White
State: California
Keyword: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
Focus Areas: Early Childhood, Pricing & Economics
Resource Type: Journal Article
Age Groups: Pregnant women, infants and toddlers (ages 0 to 2), Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5)
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