1.18.2018 Serving healthy meals in child care is essential to supporting the health and development of California’s youngest learners, but not all children have access. Nearly a quarter of California’s young children live in poverty, and many parents struggle to meet their basic needs, including feeding their families. To build a stronger future, low-income parents need access to affordable, high-quality child care that keeps their children healthy and well-nourished while they work towards financial stability.
In October, 2017, California Food Policy Advocates, the University of California Nutrition Policy Institute and the Sarah Samuels Center for Public Health Research & Evaluation co-convened nutrition and early care partners around the topic of early childhood nutrition, with a specific focus on strategies to increase access to high-quality nutrition environments in child care.
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- California Child Care Nutrition Research Update and Policy Convening Proceedings: describes the presentations from research experts and summarizes lessons learned from the convening.
- Is California Ready for the New Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Pattern?: a companion policy brief, provides recommendations for policy makers to support the nutritional needs of low-income children and their healthy development.
Take action!
Following the convening California Food Policy Advocates launched Food with Care, a state budget campaign to support access to healthy meals for children in child care. To learn more about the campaign and how to get involved in the fight for #Food4All visit: www.cfpa.net/foodwithcare
Questions? Contact Melissa Cannon at 510.433.1122 ext. 102
