Increasing Capacity for Farm to Early Care and Education in Maryland and Washington: Study Protocol

Abstract Objectives Farm to early care and education (farm to ECE) incorporates local food purchasing; on-site gardens; and food, nutrition, and agriculture education into ECE settings to advance child health and well-being, engage families and communities, and enhance ECE quality. This project aims to advance capacity for farm to ECE training and implementation in Maryland and Washington by (1) measuring uptake and sustainability of farm to ECE activities at two demonstration sites; and (2) testing the feasibility of a train-the-trainer model, which includes training professionals who offer technical assistance to ECE providers to incorporate farm to ECE into existing training models. Methods For this demonstration study, researchers will work in partnership with each site to determine interests, needs, and capacity and develop a plan for integrating farm to ECE activities. Evaluation will consist of process and outcome components, including: (1) Semi-structured interviews with site administrators and educators to determine site needs and priorities (pre), progress and on-going needs (mid) and feedback on process, challenges, successes, and program sustainability (post); and (2) pre and post implementation assessment of ECE program quality (e.g., child nutrition, family engagement, learning environment). For the train-the-trainer model, researchers will utilize pre, post, and follow up surveys to assess changes in knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy regarding delivery and implementation of farm to ECE activities and participant uptake and implementation of training content. Results N/A. Conclusions Farm to ECE has the potential to promote healthier ECE environments and healthier community food systems. This project aims to examine impacts of expanding farm to ECE through state training and individual site level activities, with the goal of identifying best practices to support expansion of sustained and comprehensive farm to ECE initiatives. Funding Sources Bloomberg American Health Initiative Collaboration Awards; Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.