Investigator: Erica Kenney
Institution: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
This study examined how revisions to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal patterns impacted the nutritional quality and cost of meals served by family child care home (FCCH) providers. The CACFP revisions, designed to improve children’s diet and be cost-neutral, may present unique challenges to FCCHs due to lack of the economies of scale and fewer training opportunities. FCCH providers were surveyed about CACFP training and technical assistance, perceptions of food costs and program burden, and knowledge of the CACFP changes. Menus were collected for a 4-week period to assess the frequency of food served. Children’s dietary intake was assessed using digital photographs of children’s meals. Despite some gaps in training and knowledge, FCCH providers made positive changes to meals served, especially for whole grains, and children’s dietary intake improved. Compliance was high for limiting juice, not using frying as a preparation method, serving low-fat milk and cereals with limited sugar, and not serving grain-based desserts. Children’s intake of fruits and vegetables increased by nearly a full serving (p<0.001). No negative impact on providers’ food costs or program burden were reported. The new CACFP meal standards have the potential to improve children’s diets in family childcare settings without overburdening providers.
Publications:
Kenney EL, Poole M, Cory H, Cradock A. Impact of changes to the Child and Adult Care Food Program on children’s dietary intake in family child care homes. Public Health Nutrition. 2020; 23(11): 2016-2023. doi:10.1017/S1368980019004646
Poole MK, Cradock AL, Kenney EL. Changes in foods served and meal costs in Boston family child care homes after one year of implementing the new Child and Adult Care Food Program nutrition standards. Nutrients 2020;12(9): 2817. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092817
Poole MK, Cradock AL, Kenney EL. Implementing the new Child and Adult Care Food Program's nutrition standards in Boston. Preventing chronic disease 2020; 17:E44. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd17.190426
Project Contact:
Erica Kenney, ScD
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Department of Nutrition
665 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Email: ekenney@hsph.harvard.edu