2026 Q2 Newsletter

Updates to support high-quality care and professional learning

Selected Content Updates in Q2 2026

The VLS integrates the latest research and best practices into its professional development system on an ongoing basis. Our content team reviews new research and updates made to national guidelines. Selected content updates over the last three months include:

  • Nutrition and Healthy Eating Content Updates

    several children sitting at a table smiling and eating during mealtime

    Nutrition, dietary guidelines, and healthy eating content has been updated across several Virtual Lab School courses and trainings to reflect current recommendations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, as well as updated USDA nutrition and CACFP meal pattern recommendations.

    The following courses and trainings have been updated:

    Revised content includes updated lessons and activities that support healthy eating patterns, nutrient-dense food choices, and strategies for promoting healthy habits in early care and education settings. Updated content emphasizes a real food approach that prioritizes protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats while limiting highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars and sodium in meals and snacks.

    Selected updates include:

    • A new Explore activity, Planning Meals and Movement, found in the Direct Care tracks (the linked example is from Preschool track).
    • A new Explore activity, Nutrition Assessment, found in Lesson 3 of the Essentials in Child Care Food Service Focused Topics course.
    • Revised nutritional recommendations and graphics in the Healthy Environments course across all Foundational Tracks, the Essentials in Child Care Food Service Focused Topics course, and the Healthy Eating Habits Targeted Professional Development module.

    These updates support our ongoing effort to provide current, research-informed professional development resources aligned with national guidance and high-quality care and education practices.

  • USDA Updated Milk Options in Child Nutrition Programs

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently issued a final rule expanding the types of milk that can be offered in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and Special Milk Program (SMP). The expansion of fluid milk options is aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and offers more flexibility for programs in selecting milk options, reduces potential milk waste, decreases the burden of purchasing and storing milk varieties, and reduces the risk of meal disallowances due to incorrect milk being served. Effective June 8, 2026, sponsors may offer the following types of milk:

    • 12–25 months: Unflavored whole milk
    • 2–5 years: Unflavored whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, or fat-free milk
    • 6 years–Adults (18+): Unflavored or flavored whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, or fat-free milk

    The following courses have been updated to reflect the ruling on expanded milk options:

    • The Healthy Environment course in the Infants & Toddlers and Family Child Care Foundational Tracks
    • The Essentials in Child Care Food Service Focused Topics course

    For more information, read the full Final Rule on CACFP.org.

New Content

  • New Targeted Professional Development Module: Supporting Children With Transitions

    Transitions are a regular part of daily routines in early childhood, school-age, and family child care settings, and can be challenging for children and professionals. Supporting Children With Transitions is a new Targeted Professional Development module that offers practical strategies to help children navigate transitions with greater ease and consistency.

    For more information, see the VLS announcement from this May.

Highlights from the Field and Recent Research

  • Professional Development for Those Who Support Military Families

    Registration is now open for the 2026 Military Family Readiness Academy.

    OneOp is a no-cost, virtual professional development platform built in partnership with the Land Grant University System, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the War Department. OneOp provides learning opportunities through webinars, courses, and podcasts for professionals who serve military families. Subject areas include child development, family well-being, financial readiness, nutrition and wellness, and more.

    The Military Family Readiness Academy is an annual programming series produced by OneOp. Each year the Academy focuses on an issue relevant to all military family service providers. This year, the Academy will focus on the idea that communities best support military families when they are collectively competent; that is, when infrastructure and resources are intentionally designed with military families in mind. This August, OneOp’s Military Family Readiness Academy will offer four weeks of professional development focused on building the community partnerships and resources that help military families thrive. Sessions include:

    All sessions are at no-cost, begin at 11:00 a.m. EST, and are available live and on-demand. Continuing education credits are also available at no cost across multiple disciplines.

    Learn more about this free, online professional development experience on OneOp.org.

    a boy reading by the playground

  • Preventing the Summer Slide

    Some children and youth experience a slowing or decline in academic skills during the summer months when school is not in session, often referred to as the “summer slide” or “summer learning loss.” Research suggests these patterns are especially noticeable in math skills, which may flatten or decline over the summer (Kuhfeld & McEachin, 2026).

    Summer programs can help support continued learning by providing opportunities for exploration, creativity, and social connection alongside intentional skill-building experiences.

    Child development and youth professionals, in partnership with families, play an important role in supporting continued learning during the summer months. Informal, play-based experiences and intentional daily routines can help children and youth maintain and strengthen literacy, problem-solving, communication, and critical-thinking skills in engaging, developmentally appropriate ways.

    Strategies include:

    • Encouraging daily reading and shared storytelling experiences.
    • Incorporating math into everyday routines such as cooking, games, sports, and outdoor activities.
    • Planning hands-on projects that support creativity, inquiry, and problem-solving.
    • Providing opportunities for physical activity, social interaction, and outdoor exploration.
    • Creating predictable routines that balance structure, choice, and flexibility.
    • Sharing simple activity ideas with families to extend learning at home.

    Everyday experiences such as journaling, nature walks, dramatic play, board games, arts and crafts, and community outings can provide meaningful opportunities for children and youth to continue learning through real-world exploration.

    By creating engaging environments and partnering with families to support learning beyond the program day, child development and youth professionals can help children maintain skills, build confidence, and stay curious throughout the summer months.

    To learn more, see the following resources:

  • Avoid Exercise as Punishment

    A recent article in the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (JOPERD) encourages adults working with children and youth to reconsider the common practice of using physical activity, such as running laps or conditioning drills, as a form of punishment for misbehavior or poor performance. This guidance highlights the importance of creating healthier, more supportive environments for young people.

    While often intended as a disciplinary tool, research suggests this approach can have unintended negative effects. It may increase stress and shame, reduce motivation, and lead young people to associate physical activity with negative experiences rather than enjoyment or well-being.

    For child and youth professionals such as physical educators, coaches, and youth program staff, it reinforces the importance of separating discipline from physical activity. Using non-punitive strategies helps maintain trust, improves behavior management, and keeps children and youth more positively engaged in movement and sport.

    For families, this message is equally important. When exercise is framed as punishment, children may become less likely to see movement as enjoyable or beneficial. Keeping physical activity positive helps young people build confidence, develop healthy habits, and form a lifelong positive relationship with being active.

    To learn more, read the full article on SHAPE America.

  • Addressing Sexual Behaviors in Children and Youth

    A new tip sheet from the National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth (NCSBY) has been designed to help professionals better support children, youth, and families who are coping with concerns related to problematic sexual behavior (PSB). Developed with input from caregivers, the guide emphasizes the importance of offering hope, understanding, and partnership when working with families affected by these challenges.

    The resource highlights that caregivers often experience significant stress when addressing PSB within the family system. It encourages professionals to approach families with empathy and to recognize the value of lived experience in shaping effective support.

    Key strategies include:

    • Inviting families to share their perspectives and experiences.
    • Using supportive, nonjudgmental communication.
    • Building trust through consistency and transparency.
    • Partnering with families as active members of the support team.
    • Tailoring responses to the unique needs of each family.

    These approaches help strengthen relationships, support caregiver engagement, and improve outcomes for children, youth, and families. Read the full tip sheet from NCSBY.

    For additional information on this topic, professionals can also explore the Focused Topics courses Sexual Development & Behavior in Children and Youth and Sexual Development & Behavior in K–12 Students, which provide additional guidance and practical strategies for supporting children, youth, and families.