Barriers to Participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program for Early Childhood Care Providers

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is one of eight child nutrition programs currently administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). CACFP provides reimbursement for healthy meals and snacks served to young children attending participating child care centers (centers that are licensed to provide child care) and family child care homes (licensed care providers located in private homes). Findings from the nationally representative Early Childhood Program Participation Survey show that the majority of young children in the United States receive regular nonparental care, demonstrating the potential impact of meal provision in these settings. More than 4 million children receive meals and snacks through CACFP on a daily basis, and participating child care providers serve nearly 2 billion meals each year. Yet, CACFP participation trends have been consistently decreasing for the past decade. Research designed to provide an understanding of the barriers to participating in CACFP is just beginning to emerge. This article explores some of these barriers.