New Community of Practice (COP) on Family Inclusion in Nutrition

Announcing a New Community of Practice on Family Inclusion in Nutrition Through Engagement (FINE)

What roles do family members have in improving nutrition, and how do we translate this into effective strategies to engage the whole family? 

If you have experiences to share, questions to ask, or wish to improve your program, please read on for information about our Community of Practice.

Although mothers tend to be central in child nutrition and health interventions, practitioners increasingly recognize the importance of engaging family members in support of mothers and primary caregivers (e.g. fathers, grandmothers). Evidence suggests that this inclusion improves nutrition outcomes due to family members’ influence on access to food, feeding practices, and household decision-making relevant to maternal and child nutritional outcomes. Making progress in nutrition depends on consideration of the family system as a whole, as well as the mother’s agency, and documenting effective family engagement approaches, best practices, and lessons learned. 

USAID Advancing Nutrition and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invite practitioners, implementers, researchers, and others interested in family-engaged nutrition activities to join our Community of Practice (COP). We will host a series of meetings during the year, and maintain a listserv to share the event announcements and resources. Our first session is scheduled for Thursday, February 17 (time to be confirmed after registration). Members will have the opportunity to share experiences, discuss research evidence, and connect with others to learn about family inclusion in nutrition through engagement.