Experiences pertaining to child nutrition and care provision among early care and education stakeholders, sponsors, and center directors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multi-method study

Purpose: This study used multiple methods (interviews, survey) to assess experiences of stakeholders, sponsors, and center-based early care and education (ECE) program directors pertaining to child nutrition (e.g., provision of nutritious foods, mealtime practices, CACFP administration/use) and the provision of child-care (i.e., day-to-day ECE operations and programming) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Participants included stakeholders from 22 national and state agencies associated with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) who also work to promote nutrition and quality child-care, representatives of 17 CACFP sponsor organizations, and 40 center-based ECE program directors who participated in interviews, as well as 100 ECE directors who completed surveys. Data were collected across four states. Thematic analyses of interviews and descriptive methods were used to analyze data collected. Results: Six main themes emerged from stakeholders, sponsors, and ECE program directors' focusing on: experiences during the temporary closure of several ECE programs; additional responsibilities and unanticipated expenses for ECE programs; difficulty in keeping up with constantly changing COVID-19 guidance; encounters during shifts from in-person to virtual training and monitoring; changes to nutrition practices at ECE; and the need to prioritize ECE funding. Conclusions: Findings highlight challenges and supports to ECE programs and could inform future efforts to enhance child-care quality and child nutrition in the U.S. during pandemic situations

Determination of the double bond position in monounsaturated acetates from their mass spectra

A simple method of widespread applicability in determining double bond positions in C12, C14, and C16 straight-chain monounsaturated acetates is presented. The analysis is made with a capillary gas chromatograph coupled to a low-resolution mass spectrometer which is operated in the electron impact mode. No chemical derlvatlzation of the unknowns is needed. Five pairs of selected mass spectral fragments are chosen to distinguish positional isomers. A new mathematical model is introduced which permits simultaneous comparisons of all five ratios of unknowns and references. The method can be used for analyses of very small amounts (<5 ng) of unknown acetates in insect samples