THE NOURISHING EFFECT

CHAPTER 1
likely to be hospitalized than a similar group of children who were in child care but not
receiving meals there. 63
In policy debates about child nutrition programs, the Child and Adult Care Food Program
(CACFP) rarely receives the attention that WIC or the National School Lunch Program
does. That may change as national investments increase in early childhood development,
which many policymakers recognize are becoming more
Like food, shelter is such necessary for the United States to remain competitive in a
a basic need that it is little global economy. CACFP currently serves 3.3 million lowincome
children every day in early care and education pro-
wonder it becomes the
all-encompassing focus grams. 64 All of the children’s meals and snacks must meet
of a homeless parent’s strict nutritional requirements. CACFP allows licensed
life, crowding out other childcare centers, family childcare providers, after-school
concerns.
programs, and Head Start and Early Head Start programs
to be reimbursed for the foods they serve. 65
Bright Beginnings, an early education and childcare center in Washington, DC, uses
CACFP to provide for the children it serves in its Early Head Start program. Bright Beginnings
opened in 1994. It is unique among early education programs because the families it
serves are homeless. All Head Start and Early Head Start programs are required to provide
parent education and outreach activities related to health and other issues. At Bright Beginnings,
the wrap-around services provided take this to a higher level. This is the quintessential
two-generation approach to fighting poverty. The families at Bright Beginnings are among
Figure 1.8
Children Enrolled in a Head Start Program as a Percentage of All Children in Poverty,**
by Race, Program Year 2013-2014
60%
Early Head Start
Head Start*
49.1
50.0
40%
35.1
32.7
20%
25.1
0%
7.5
American Indian or
Alaska Native
2.9 3.8 3.6
Asian
Black or African
American
White
5.7
Biracial or Multi-Racial
*Head Start includes Migrant Head Start
**Children in poverty, ages 0-3 for Early Head Start and ages 3 to 5 for Head Start
Sources: Data on number and percent enrollment: The Administration for Children and Families, Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center. {various years}. Head
Start program information report (PIR). Author. Poverty data for percentages: US Census Bureau. (2015). Current Population Survey: CPS table creator. Available at:
http://www.census.gov/cps/data/cpstablecreator.html.
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