Research shows that higher reimbursements equal better food budgets and quality meals in CACFP for family child care providers
- Samantha Marshall
- 13 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The CACFP Roundtable collaborated with researchers at the Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI),
University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR), and the University of California, Berkley, to understand and document the impact of the Tier I for all and additional 10-cent per meal policy choices that Congress made during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and recovery.
The temporary policy changes and anticipation of them going away created a real-world and natural experience for researchers to evaluate by surveying and talking to family child care providers and sponsors in California.
📗 Read the full study in the journal Public Health Nutrition: https://lnkd.in/gp5RQxPZ
Key findings:
🔹 Elimination of tiering and higher reimbursement rates helped strengthen providers’ food budgets and improve the quality of meals served.
🔹 Providers still face significant barriers, including administrative burdens, inadequate reimbursements despite the temporary increases, and strict program regulations.
🔹 Families value CACFP for providing a variety of high-quality foods for their children.
One provider shared: “The funding is a big challenge… I’m charging everybody [families] the same, but it’s very difficult to feed a child a healthy fresh fruit, whole grain for 25 cents per child. You just can’t do it… A lot of people are choosing to quit the program because they say it’s not worth it.”
Overall recommendation: Increase CACFP reimbursement rates and reduce participation barriers to ensure strong program access and impact.
📗 Read the full study in the journal Public Health Nutrition: https://lnkd.in/gp5RQxPZ
🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gSV_ZFKN
This study was conducted by Kassandra Bacon, Danielle L. Lee, Celeste Felix, Reka V., Lorrene Ritchie from the Nutrition Policy Institute UCANR; Samantha Marshall, MA, MPAP and Elyse Homel Vitale, MPH from the CACFP Roundtable; and Susana Matias from the University of California, Berkeley.
This project was funded by Grant # 283-5102 from Healthy Eating Research.
Citation: Bacon KA, Lee DL, Vasicsek R, Felix C, Kay-Daleiden Marshall S, Homel Vitale E, Matias SL, Ritchie LD. Provider, Sponsor and Family Perceptions of CACFP Participation and COVID-19 Reimbursement Increases. Public Health Nutrition, in press, published online ahead of print, 3 November 2025. DOI: https//doi.org/10.1017/S1368980025101389
Interested in more studies about CACFP experiences and participation in California?
Lee DL, Bacon K, Felix C, Fiedler K, Matias SL, Marshall SK, Homel Vitale E, Ritchie LD. Policy Brief: Evidence to Support an Additional CACFP Meal Reimbursement for Family Childcare Home Providers. Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources. CACFP Roundtable. University of California, Berkeley. December 2024. [Full text]
Lee DL, Fiedler K, Bacon K, Felix C, Vasicsek R, Matias SL, Marshall SK, Homel Vitale E, Ritchie LD. Research Brief: Challenges Experienced by Child and Adult Care Food Program Sponsors. Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources. University of California, Berkeley. CACFP Roundtable. November 2024. [Full text]
Ritchie LD, Bacon KA, Felix C, Lee DL, Marshall SK-D, Homel Vitale E, Matias SL. Child and Adult Care Food Program: Family Childcare Home Providers’ Perceptions of Impacts of Increased Meal and Snack Reimbursement Rates during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Nutrients. volume 16, issue 19, article 3241, 25 September 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16193241
Lee DL, Bacon K, Felix C, Matias SL, Marshall SK, Homel Vitale E, Ritchie LD. Research Brief: CACFP Family Childcare Home Sponsor Perspectives - Serious Deficiency Challenges. Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources. CACFP Roundtable. University of California, Berkeley. June 2024.
Lee DL, Bacon K, Felix C, Matias SL, Marshall SK, Homel Vitale E, Ritchie LD. Research Brief: Family Childcare Home Providers Need More CACFP Funding to Provide Healthy Meals and Snacks to Young Children. Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, CACFP Roundtable, University of California, Berkeley. 2 October 2023.
Lee DL, Hecht C, Ritchie LD, Marshall S K-D, Homel Vitale E. Benefits and Challenges of CACFP Participation for Independent Child Care Centers and Sponsors: Research Report for the California Department of Social Services. Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. CACFP Roundtable. 27 October 2022.
Lee DL, Hecht C, Homel Vitale E, Marshall SK-D, Ritchie LD. Research Brief: Child and Adult Care Food Program Participation by Independent Childcare Centers and Their Sponsors: Benefits and Challenges. Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources. CACFP Roundtable. 26 October 2022.
Lee DL, Homel Vitale E, Marshall SK-D, Hecht C, Beck LT, Ritchie LD. Child and Adult Care Food Program Participation Benefits, Barriers and Facilitators for Independent Child Care Centers in California. Nutrients, volume 14, issue 21, article 4449, 22 October 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214449
Gurzo K, Lee DL, Ritchie K, Yoshida S, Homel Vitale E, Hecht K, Ritchie LD. Child Care Sites Participating in the Federal Child and Adult Care Food Program Provide More Nutritious Foods and Beverages. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Volume 52, Issue 7, pages 607-704, 1 July 2020. Available online 5 April 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2020.02.009
[Abstract]
Lee D, Gurzo K, Yoshida S, Vitale EH, Hecht K, Ritchie LD. Compliance with the New 2017 Child and Adult Care Food Program Standards for Infants and Children before Implementation. Childhood Obesity, Vol. 14, No. 6, 1 Sep 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2018.0092.
Research Brief: A Modest State Supplement to Federal Reimbursement for Meals Served in Child and Adult Care Food Program Sites Can Improve the Nutrition and Health of Young Children and Support Child Care. UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Nutrition Policy Institute, May 2018.
Policy Brief: Is California Ready for the New Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Pattern? California Food Policy Advocates, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Nutrition Policy Institute, Samuels Center for Public Health Research and Evaluation, January 2018.
Start 2026 off with your CACFP friends and get the next CACFP Roundtable Member Meeting on your calendar today! January 28th at 10:00 a.m. pacific.. Not a member, give it a try for $25.00 to see what you think? In January, we have a special discount code for Adult Day Health Services community members to join for free. Contact me if you'd like the code! samantha@cacfproundtable.org.
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