CHILDREN WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT AT THE TIME THEY ENTER KINDERGARTEN ARE 4 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE OBESE AT AGE 14, WITH THE POOREST CHILDREN AT GREATEST RISK. EARLY PREVENTION IN KEY ENVIRONMENTS WHERE YOUNG CHILDREN SPEND SUBSTANTIAL TIME, SUCH AS EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION (ECE) IS ESSENTIAL. BY 2030, WHEN TODAY'S PRESCHOOLERS ARE REACHING ADULTHOOD, THE MEDICAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY WILL BE $48-66 BILLION/YEAR.PRIMARY PREVENTION OF OBESITY IS NECESSARY AND PRIORITIZED TO CURB EXPLODING MEDICAL COSTS AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE.NATIONALLY, 66% OF CHILDREN 3-TO-5-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN ARE IN NON-PARENTAL CARE WHICH INCLUDES CENTER-BASED ECE, LICENSED FAMILY CHILD CARE HOMES (FCCH), AND OTHER FRIENDS OR RELATIVES. CHILDREN ATTENDING CENTER-BASED ECE WITH HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENTS HAVE HEALTHIER WEIGHT STATUS. ECE PROVIDERS ARE IN STRATEGIC POSITIONS TO HAVE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON OBESITY-PREVENTING BEHAVIORS, LIKE HEALTHY DIET. NUTRITION RECEIVED BY CHILDREN IN CENTER-BASED ECE DOES NOT MEET OPTIMAL RECOMMENDATIONS; CHILDREN ARE NOT EATING ADEQUATE AMOUNTS OF WHOLE GRAINS, FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND NUTRIENTS, ALTHOUGH ENERGY INTAKE IS SUFFICIENT. IMPROVING NUTRITIONAL QUALITY FOR YOUNG CHILDREN IS ESSENTIAL TO REDUCE CHRONIC DISEASES.FCCHS ARE TYPICALLY SMALL BUSINESSES THAT CARE FOR UP TO 12 CHILDREN IN THE PROVIDER'S HOME. NATIONWIDE, THERE ARE OVER 1 MILLION CHILDREN IN FCCH (26% OF ALL ECE ATTENDANCE). UNLIKE CENTER-BASED ECE PROVIDERS WHO OFTEN EMPLOY FOOD-SERVICE PROFESSIONALS, FCCH PROVIDERS PREPARE ALL THE FOOD SERVED TO CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE, EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR FOOD PREPARATION AND NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE. LIMITED RESEARCH HAS EXAMINED FOODS SERVED BY FCCH PROVIDERS, AND NO GROUP RANDOMIZED TRIALS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED USING A COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY APPROACH IN FCCH AND INCLUDING AN EVALUATION OF INTERVENTION COSTS.THE GOALS OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDE: 1. DETERMINE COMPLIANCE OF MENUS AND MEALS PROVIDED IN FCCH WITH CACFP GUIDELINES. 2. DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PILOT COMMUNITY-BASED NUTRITION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INTERVENTION TO ENHANCE MEETING CACFP BEST-PRACTICES. 3. DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A STATEWIDE COMMUNITY-BASED NUTRITION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INTERVENTION TO ENHANCE MEETING CACFP BEST-PRACTICES. 4. EXPAND UNIVERSITY STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATION IN HEALTH RESEARCH.THIS PROJECT WILL CONDUCT A CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF A RANDOM SAMPLE OF FCCH PROVIDERS' (N=52) MENUS AND MEALS SERVED. FOODS WILL BE EVALUATED AGAINST THE CACFP REQUIREMENTS AND BEST-PRACTICES. AFTER THE CROSS-SECTIONAL EXAMINATION, PROVIDERS IN THE PILOT WILL BE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A NUTRITION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (N=26) OR COMPARISON INTERVENTION (N=26). FOLLOWING THE PILOT, TRAINED EXTENSION EDUCATORS WILL IMPLEMENT BOTH INTERVENTIONS (N=27 INTERVENTION, N=27 COMPARISON) IN SIX SELECTED RURAL COUNTIES, REACHING UNDERSERVED RURAL AND LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS. THE INTERVENTION IS BASED ON THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS AND FORMATIVE INTERVIEWS, AND WILL CONSIST OF TWO 60-90-MINUTE VISITS TO THE FCCH AND ONE GROUP CLASS LASTING APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS.