Improving the Health of Our Nation’s Children: Best Practices for Implementation of the New Child and Adult Care Food Program Nutrition Standards

The prevalence of childhood obesity in the US is a pressing public health concern, especially among more vulnerable low-income and minority populations. Intervening in early childhood settings may help to alleviate poor health outcomes now and in the future, as well as prevent against academic, social and emotional difficulties that may continue throughout a child’s critical developmental years. The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal-level entitlement program that addresses these issues primarily through offering low-income child care providers reimbursement for serving foods that meet healthy nutritional guidelines. CACFP affords children many health benefits and has done so since its inception as a food assistance pilot program back in 1968; however, no significant nutritional updates to the meal pattern have gone into effect since then. In 2010 under the passage of the Health Hunger-free Kids Act (HHFKA), CACFP received meal pattern changes that more closely align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the latest nutritional science, and bring it more in line with other federal child nutrition programs. The new meal pattern will go into effect in October 2017. With all of the new meal pattern changes, states may experience challenges to implementation. In order to ensure that updated nutritional requirements are fulfilled as intended, states will need guidance, support and technical assistance. This paper will offer states implementing the new CACFP meal pattern a set of best practice recommendations for implementation efforts. States will need to create collaborative partnerships and engage stakeholders, develop training infrastructure and materials, offer technical assistance to CACFP sponsors and providers and consider cost containment measures and funding in carrying out the new meal pattern. Best practices will help states effectively make the transition to the new meal pattern and ensure that millions of children participating in CACFP every day receive the nourishment they need to maintain a healthy weight so they may continue to live healthy, productive lives.Master of Public Healt