A Literature Review of Participation Benefits and Challenges
Many Michigan children struggle with limited access to healthy food and uncertain access to the foods needed to live a full and healthy life. There are also disparities in food security, food access, and child care access for people of color and families who have low incomes. The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which could fund healthy meals and snacks for more children, is an underutilized program in Michigan.
The Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC) is leading a research and awareness project to increase the use of the CACFP in Michigan with a grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. (You can find more information about the Health Fund at mihealthfund.org.) The project partners are Public Policy Associates and 1837 Partners.
The CACFP reimburses child care centers, home-based providers, afterschool programs, and adult day care centers who offer healthy meals and snacks to eligible children and adults. However, families can only benefit from this key health equity strategy through providers that voluntarily enroll and sustain participation in it. Yet, despite research documenting CACFP’s positive impacts, extant literature also shows that providers confront substantial barriers to program access, participation, and retention, which together help explain significant CACFP underutilization. In this new literature review, our research team looks at findings related to:
- CACFP benefits for families
- Provider access, participation and retention (as well as benefits, barriers, and challenges)
- Research recommendations
You can read this literature review via the link below.
