A Safety Net Unraveling: Feeding Young Children During COVID-19

Abstract

The emergence of COVID-19 in the United States led most states to close or severely limit the capacity of their early child-care and education (ECE) programs. This loss affected millions of young children, including many of the 4.6 million low-income children who are provided free meals and snacks by their ECE programs through support from the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Although Congress swiftly authorized waivers that would allow CACFP-participating ECE programs to continue distributing food to children, early evidence suggests that most ECE programs did not have the capacity to do so, leaving a fragmented system of federal, state, and local food programs to fill the gaps created by this loss. Critical steps are needed to repair our nation’s fragile ECE system, including greater investment in CACFP, to ensure the nutrition, health, and development of young children during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print November 19, 2020: e1–e4. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305980 )

Parent Feeding Practices in the Context of Food Insecurity

“…Similarly, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs are key safety nets for families. While federal policy has enabled these programs to continue during the pandemic, a lack of capacity among institutions that facilitate these programs has weakened implementation and reach [ 109 , 110 ]. For example, due to the pandemic, many early child-care and education programs that provide free meals through the CACFP had to close or terminate some staff positions, which resulted in a lack of capacity to facilitate meal distribution programs [ 109 ].…”

“…While federal policy has enabled these programs to continue during the pandemic, a lack of capacity among institutions that facilitate these programs has weakened implementation and reach [ 109 , 110 ]. For example, due to the pandemic, many early child-care and education programs that provide free meals through the CACFP had to close or terminate some staff positions, which resulted in a lack of capacity to facilitate meal distribution programs [ 109 ]. In Connecticut, for instance, about 80% of centers participating in CACFP closed, and only 15% were able to continue providing CACFP-reimbursable meals [ 109 ].…”

“…For example, due to the pandemic, many early child-care and education programs that provide free meals through the CACFP had to close or terminate some staff positions, which resulted in a lack of capacity to facilitate meal distribution programs [ 109 ]. In Connecticut, for instance, about 80% of centers participating in CACFP closed, and only 15% were able to continue providing CACFP-reimbursable meals [ 109 ].…”

Pregnant and hungry: addressing food insecurity in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

“…48,49 While the government authorized measures to attempt to ensure continued delivery of food to children early in the pandemic, a decentralized and fragmented system at the state and local level left many children without access to healthy food. 48,49 Studies have shown when food resources are scarce, women prioritize feeding their children over feeding themselves. 5,20 Mitigation strategies against the spread of COVID-19 including social distancing, quarantine, and community lockdowns led to limited access to healthy food, consumption of a low quality diet, and decreased physical activity.…”

COVID-19 and the neonatal microbiome: will the pandemic cost infants their microbes?

“…2 Despite this lower prevalence and severity in children and newborns, pediatric studies are now recognizing unintended consequences of COVID-19 that significantly affect childhood health and development, including an increase in obesity, mental health disorders, myopia, and unreported child maltreatment. [3][4][5][6] However, unforeseen repercussions of COVID-19 on newborns and infants remain largely unknown.…”