Early childhood is a sensitive period of development marked by rapid brain and body growth. Children whose basic needs are met, including access to enough nutritious foods for healthy growth and development, have the best chance of reaching their full potential. Additionally, eating habits and preferences formed early in life can influence dietary palates and lifelong health outcomes, including risk of chronic disease.
Many young children spend a significant amount of time in early childhood education and care settings, which provides families with the support they need to help children establish and practice healthy eating habits. By exposing children to a variety of nutritious foods, early education and care providers contribute to giving children the best possible start in life while often also helping to offset families’ food costs.
Despite the established benefits of an adequate diet, support for early education and care providers to teach young children about healthy eating habits and provide healthy, age-appropriate foods is limited. Findings from this mixed-methods study indicate that, despite good intentions, the current child care system falls short of meeting the nutritional needs of young children while also failing to provide parents and early education and care providers with the financial resources and coordinated support needed to promote healthy development. Strengthening nutrition provided in early education and care settings will require greater coordination across state agencies, sustained investment, and funding formulas and reimbursement rates that reflect the true cost of providing high-quality, nutrition.