(P12-012-23) CACFP Participating Family Child Care Providers and COVID-19: Implications for Child Nutrition

Objectives: The primary aim is to understand family childcare providers’ experience participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically challenges providers experienced utilizing temporary programmatic waivers, difficulties purchasing nutritious food, financial challenges, and if there were any urban/rural differences in their experiences.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of Illinois licensed family childcare providers who participated in CACFP in Fall 2021. Participants were recruited by email and completed a survey using Qualtrics. Household food insecurity was assessed using the Household Food Security Survey Module and poverty level was calculated using U.S. federal poverty guidelines. Rural/urban locale was determined using Census Bureau rural-urban commuting area codes. Independent sample t-tests and paired samples t-test were used to assess group differences.

Results: A total of 143 providers participated (female, 97.9%; 50 years or older, 69.4%; food insecure, 15.4%; urban, 58.8%, rural, 41.3%; below poverty, 38%). The majority of providers did not use waivers (85.9%) and many had not heard of them (44.1%). Waiver use was not statistically significantly related to the providers’ CACFP sponsor (X²(10) = 13.28, p = .21) or the providers’ urban/rural locale (X²(3) = 4.89, p = .18). There was a statistically significant difference (t(143) = -8.96, p < .001, Cohen’s d = .59) between reported difficulties purchasing items that met CACFP menu requirements currently (M = 1.68, SD = .57) as compared to before COVID (M = 1.23, SD = .46). Findings also indicated a statistically significant difference (t(143) = -6.54, p < .001, Cohen’s d = .59) between reported difficulties making meals/snacks that met CACFP requirements and that children liked to eat currently (M = 1.6, SD = .58) as compared to before COVID (M = 1.28, SD = .48). The relationship between urban/rural locale and difficulty purchasing food was not significant ((X²(3) = 4.86, p =.30). 

Conclusions: The majority of providers did not use waivers, faced financial challenges, and had more difficulty purchasing nutritious food during COVID-19 but there was no urban/rural differences.

Funding Sources: Supported in part by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with additional support from the Christopher Family Food & Family Program.