The Plan to End Childhood Hunger

Ensure access to balanced, nutritious diets for all pregnant women and preschool children

Good childhood nutrition starts with good prenatal nutrition, and continues through the preschool years. Hunger can be devastating for children during the most important period of their physical and mental development – from birth to age three. Help is available through the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program and the lesser-known Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which provides funds to Head Start programs, child-care centers, and family day-care homes to serve meals to low-income children.

Unfortunately, these programs do not reach everyone in the District who needs them. Most signifi cantly, very few family day-care providers – the type of day care most relied on by low-income working parents of hungry kids – take advantage of CACFP. Helping them to get enrolled could make a signifi cant difference. A recent study showed children participating in this program get more key nutrients, far more servings of milk and vegetables, fewer servings of fats and sweets, and have fewer days of illness.

Two-Year Action Plan

• Launch targeted outreach campaign to educate family day-care providers about funding to feed children in their care.
• Create incentive by making enrollment an indicator of quality in child-care rating system.
• Work with community groups to identify eligible women and children not accessing WIC.

Action Steps

• Increase participation in WIC program.
• Increase participation in the CACFP program.

Measures of Success

• Number / % of pre-school children participating.
• Number / % of eligible women participating / young children reached.
• Number / % of eligible children participating / # of providers participating.
• Number / % of CACFP providers