Date of Publication
1-20-2016
Abstract
Introduction:
1 in 5 Vermont children experience food insecurity. Inadequate nutrition threatens cognitive, social, and emotional development in the first years of life.
49.1% of Vermont children arrive at kindergarten underprepared. It has been shown that undernourished children have reduced activity levels and withdraw from their environment, removing them from critical learning opportunities and social interactions.
Supporting the provision of healthy food in early childcare programs may help address the issue of food insecurity and promote healthy childhood development.
Currently, there are no existing data on both Vermont childcare providers and parents of these children on their perceptions of the importance of providing food in early childcare programs as well as the associated benefits and barriers to do so.
Advisor(s)
Alison Howe, MS University of Vermont College of Medicine
Katy Davis, MA, Hunger Free Vermont
Sarah Kenney, MA, Let's Grow Kids
Agency
Hunger Free Vermont and Let's Grow Kids
Subjects
Access to Health Services, Health-Related Quality of Life & Well-Being, Early and Middle Childhood, Maternal, Infant, and Child Health, Educational and Community-Based Programs, Social Determinants of Health
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License
Recommended Citation
Cruden, Patrick; Flanagan, Timothy; Forbes-Mobus, Emily; Lu, Xiaoyu; Mercier, Alison; Seong, Siyeon A.; Qumsiyeh, Yazen; and Howe, Alison, "Nutrition in Early Childcare Programs: The Benefits and Barriers" (2016). Public Health Projects, 2008-present. 236.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/236