Physical Activity Programming in Family Child Care Homes: Providers' Perceptions of Practices and Barriers

Objective: To examine family child care home (FCCH) providers' perceptions of appropriate physical activity (PA), current practices, and perceived barriers to inclusion of PA within their programs. Design: A trained facilitator lead 4 focus group sessions of FCCH providers. Questions addressed providers' planning for PA, resources and barriers, and perceptions of children's engagement. Setting: Family child care homes. Participants: 32 FCCH providers (100% female) caring for children 6 weeks to 5 years old in predominantly mixed-age programs. Phenomenon of Interest: Types of and extent to which PA was offered for children and perceived barriers to PA in this setting. Analysis: Authors coded and analyzed transcriptions based on a socioecological framework using qualitative data analysis software. Results: Majority of providers reported running and dancing to music as the most common PA, generally in an unstructured context. Frequency varied from none to twice a day. Few providers reported planning intentionally for PA; any plans followed children's interests. Barriers to inclusion of PA included personal, programming, parent, environmental, and financial reasons. Providers requested training on PA, particularly ideas for experiences in mixed-age groups. Conclusions and Implications: Type, frequency, consistency, and duration of PA among FCCH homes vary widely. Implications include training on PA and resources tailored to the unique characteristics of family child care homes.