Food Subsidies for Child Care Providers: Correlates of Program Participation and Child Outcomes
This article provides descriptive information about an important and under-studied food subsidy program: the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). We address three basic questions: (1) Does CACFP reach targeted low-income children? (2) How do eligible families and child care providers who participate differ from those who do not participate? (3) What is the association between attending CACFPparticipating child care and children's food intake, weight, and food security? Findings include that a provider’s incentives to participate (costs and benefits) strongly associate with the probability that a child will attend CACFP-participating child care. As a result, provider decisions, in combination with program eligibility rules, leave many poor children outside the CACFP program. Furthermore, among poor children, participation in the program is correlated with positive outcomes such as increased consumption of milk, fruits and vegetables, and healthier weight (BMI).
