Implementation Strategies Used by States to Support Physical Activity Licensing Standards for Toddlers in Early Care and Education Settings: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

Child care settings have been a target for childhood obesity prevention efforts; changing licensing standards to require physical activity (PA)-related best practices is one strategy being used by states. The mechanisms used to support implementation by providers remain understudied, despite the potential for these efforts to significantly impact child-level outcomes. This qualitative study explored the mechanisms used and any outstanding challenges to implementation experienced by US states with one specific best practice PA licensing standard for toddlers (60-90 min of PA/day).