Research Report Release!

If you’re a preschooler in a licensed childcare center in Colorado, the state helps pay for your lunch with federal funds. But if you’re one of the thousands of children being cared for by a family member, friend, or neighbor, you don’t get that same support. This puts your access to healthy food at risk. The Donnell-Kay Foundation works with state partners and advocates to fix this unfair system so that all children can get fresh, healthy food, no matter who is taking care of them.

Colorado made progress toward these efforts, and a more just food system, with the passage of HB 24-1223. This law calls for a study to determine how the state can expand the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) to include Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers. This form of care – also known as informal care, license-exempt care, and kith and kin care – is the most common form of nonparental child care in the United States and offers families a trusted, affordable, and flexible child care option. In Colorado, more than half of young children are cared for by FFN providers. To learn more about the current rules that deny FFN caregivers and kids from accessing CACFP food benefits, check out DK’s Spring 2024 blogpost.

Other states like California and Louisiana already give FFNs access to CACFP food benefits, and they provide a successful model for Colorado. However, there are questions about how to ensure FFN providers can use the CACFP program if it becomes available in Colorado. CACFP is a complicated system, and we need to figure out how to support caregivers through the process.

The Donnell-Kay Foundation, along with Home Grown, a national collaborative committed to improving the quality of and access to home-based child care, released a Report to highlight the challenges FFN caregivers, especially those from immigrant backgrounds, face when trying to access CACFP. These challenges include fears of deportation, complicated paperwork, and language barriers.

Key Findings from the Report:

1. Barriers to Access: FFN caregivers in Colorado face challenges in joining CACFP. Right now, only those caring for children enrolled in the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) are eligible. This rule stops many caregivers from getting help, especially since some parents are afraid to enroll in CCCAP due to concerns about immigration and data sharing.
2. Food Insecurity: Many FFN caregivers don’t have enough food themselves and sometimes skip meals to make sure the children in their care are fed. CACFP could provide up to $600 a month to help these caregivers buy food for kids, which would benefit both the children and the caregivers.
3. Policy Recommendations:
   • Decouple CACFP from CCCAP: Let FFN caregivers apply for CACFP without needing families to sign up for CCCAP. This would reduce fears about government tracking. This recommendation does not require additional money to implement.
   • Offer Meal Delivery Options: Provide and deliver prepared meals for FFN caregivers to help meet CACFP’s nutrition and reporting rules. This would also help with tracking and recordkeeping. This recommendation does not require additional money to implement.
   • Provide Financial Support to Sponsors: Allocate resources to sponsor organizations to train and onboard FFN caregivers. The current reimbursement model does not cover these initial costs, so dedicated funding could help more caregivers join the program.
   • Offer Language Support: Make sure all materials and systems are available in multiple languages, with translation and interpretation services.
   • Limit Background Checks: Only require background checks for the caregiver, not for everyone in the household. This would reduce concerns in homes with multiple adults.
   • Collaborate Across Sectors: Encourage nonprofits, philanthropic groups, and government agencies to collaborate on initiatives that address food security and resource access for FFN caregivers. These partnerships can provide funding, outreach, and technical support to help FFN caregivers access CACFP.

Ultimately, this report underscores the importance of expanding access to food assistance for children in FFN care by addressing administrative and policy barriers. Expanding CACFP access would have a positive ripple effect on children, families, and communities across Colorado. Access the Report by clicking on this link.