A new policy brief provides evidence supporting the need for an increase in the number of reimbursable meals and snacks under the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program, also known as CACFP, from three to four per child daily. CACFP provides nutritious meals to nearly 625,000 children attending family childcare homes nationwide, primarily from lower-income families. However, it currently reimburses providers for a daily maximum of only two meals and one snack per child. Research by the Nutrition Policy Institute, CACFP Roundtable, and UC Berkeley involved surveys collected from over 250 California family childcare providers in 2024. Findings revealed that providers typically serve at least four meals/snacks daily but struggle financially due to limited reimbursements. Two-thirds of providers expressed a desire for reimbursements to cover four or more meals/snacks, while one-third worried about children going hungry without CACFP meals, highlighting the program's critical role in ensuring child food security. The brief recommends increasing CACFP reimbursements to four meals/snacks to support child nutrition and food security. Interviews with providers, families, and sponsors further highlight the program's critical impact. Read the full brief for more insights. This work was supported by a grant from Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the California Collaborative for Pandemic Recovery and Readiness Research Program which was funded by the California Department of Public Health.
A new research brief from the Nutrition Policy Institute, CACFP Roundtable, and University of California, Berkeley highlights the difficulties faced by sponsors of the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program, commonly known as CACFP. CACFP provides nutritious meals to nearly 625,000 children attending participating family childcare homes nationally who are predominantly from families with lower income. Sponsoring organizations serve an integral role in supporting CACFP participation by family childcare homes, yet declining sponsor participation threatens equitable access to this program. Results from interviews with 15 sponsors in California in 2023-2024 identified key challenges. Sponsors reported CACFP administrative reimbursements are inadequate. Limited sponsor reimbursements also hinder hiring and retaining staff, making program oversight challenging. In addition, sponsors reported that monitoring visits, which resumed in-person post-pandemic, are costly, time-intensive, and raise staff safety concerns. This study underscores the need for increased sponsor funding and virtual monitoring options, to strengthen CACFP. Read the full brief for more insights.
Nutrition Policy Institute, in collaboration with the National WIC Association and Pepperdine University, released two policy briefs encouraging modernization efforts for the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC. The briefs recommend implementing expanded access to online purchasing options and farmers market purchases for WIC participants and improving WIC smartphone applications to better align their information with vendor systems to improve users' ability to identify and purchase WIC-approved items efficiently. These recommendations were encouraged to reduce the stigma and difficulties participants experience while shopping for WIC foods and to increase full benefit redemption. Evidence to support these recommendations came from a 2023 survey of over 38,000 WIC participants from 19 states, one Indian Tribal Organization, and one US territory and focus groups held in 2024 with 44 WIC participants in 16 states and one Indian Tribal Organization. This project was funded by the National WIC Association from a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.