The Washington, D.C. Healthy Tots Act (HTA) is a comprehensive bill that promotes increased participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and offers increased reimbursement for purchasing local foods (Local5) in early care and education (ECE) setting. HTA is the first, and remains one of the few, local food incentive policies that include ECE and offers great potential to learn about potential impact and best practices in policy development and implementation.

This new report from the National Farm to School Network and Research Triangle Institute International examines how HTA and the Local5 component influence ECE site local food purchasing practices and impact local food intermediaries and local producers, with a focus on HTA impacts on low-income children and children of color as well as Black, Indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC) producers. Based on the successes and challenges of HTA implementation identified through key stakeholder interviews, ECE provider surveys, and participation data analysis, the authors outline key recommendations for developing more impactful and equitable local food incentive policies for ECE settings.