Posts Tagged ‘ECE’
Leveraging CACFP for Farm to ECE
When combined, the CACFP and Farm to Early Care Education (Farm to ECE) activities can have an extraordinary impact on children, child care providers, and local communities. FRAC’s report aims to support child care providers to access CACFP and utilize it for eligible Farm to ECE activities by highlighting the mutually beneficial synergy between these initiatives.
Read MoreCACFP Indicator for State-Level Obesity Prevention
The CACFP is an indicator for state-level obesity prevention. The inclusion of the CACFP as an indicator for obesity-prevention shows that the CACFP is an important, recognized factor for proper development in the earliest stages of life.
Read MoreBarriers and Facilitators of Center-Based ECE Program Participation in the CACFP
In April 2023, the Indiana University CACFP Project Team published a study on the barriers, facilitators, and potential strategies to address center-based participation in the CACFP. One of the key barriers to participation shared by study participants included the cumbersome CACFP paperwork. Facilitators to participation included supports provided by stakeholders and sponsors.
Read MoreNew Factsheet for ECE Providers from the CDC
CDC created three new fact sheets for Early Care and Education (ECE) providers about Early Child Nutrition and Feeding. The fact sheets offer tips and best practices for supporting breastfeeding families, information about safe storage and handling of breastmilk, and strategies for introducing solid foods.
Read MoreFirst National ECE Workforce Center Launched
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the launch of the new National Early Care and Education Workforce Center. The ECE Workforce Center is the result of a $30 million investment to support research and technical assistance for states, communities, territories, and Tribal Nations to improve the recruitment and retention of a diverse and qualified workforce across early care and education programs.
Read MoreGetting Started with Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE)
Are you interested in using more local foods in your program, but don’t know where to start? Have you heard of Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE)? Farm to ECE offers increased access to healthy foods through local procurement, gardening opportunities, and food and agriculture education activities to enhance the quality of educational experiences. Our partners at the National Farm to School Network have great resources to get you going!
Read MoreExperiences of Early Child Care and Education Operators During the Pandemic
In December 2022, the Indiana University CACFP Project Team released a report describing the child nutrition and care provision experiences among early care and education (ECE) stakeholders, sponsors, and center directors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted in four states and a variety of ECE stakeholders participated. The study identifies six common experiences among ECE stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read MoreA Safety Net Unraveling: Feeding Young Children During COVID-19
The study proposes critical steps to repair our nation’s fragile ECE system, including greater investment in CACFP, to ensure the nutrition, health, and development of young children during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Taking steps to fix our previous underinvestment in these areas is essential for the nation’s future and recovery from the pandemic.
Read More