Where's the water: The Impact of a California law to regulate beverages in licensed childcare

Sweetened beverages are strongly implicated in the childhood obesity epidemic. With nearly one in five preschool-aged children obese, establishing healthy beverage habits in early childhood is critical. This year California instituted healthy beverage standards in all licensed childcare to prohibit sweetened beverages (artificial or natural), allow only low-fat/nonfat milk to children 2 years and older, limit 100% juice to one daily serving, and require that water be easily available at all times. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the impact of these standards by administering a survey to childcare providers statewide, conducting key informant interviews, and documenting childcare practices through direct observation. Included in the evaluation are centers and homes that do and do not participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Head Start sites and State preschools. An analogous survey conducted in 2008 (prior to beverage legislation), found that 25% of childcare sites did not have water easily available for children to self-serve and only 28% always provided water with meals and snacks. New survey results will illustrate changes in water and other beverage provision and identify facilitators and barriers to compliance with the 2012 beverage standards. The evaluation results will have implications for the rest of the country as the federal government is about to promulgate new nutritional standards for CACFP and as other state and local jurisdictions adopt beverage policies in childcare. We will conclude by sharing policy and other recommendations to assist childcare providers to meet or exceed the new beverage standards.