Qualitative research, informed by behavioral science, helps to explain why young children do not receive enough food and breastmilk during and after illness to recover and grow well.

The perspectives, experiences, and challenges shared by caregivers, health workers, and others in South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) describe the behavioral factors that stand in the way of optimal complementary feeding during and after illness.

Insights from this work suggest a path forward for program design that helps families identify concrete actions they can take to put their intentions to feed children well into practice not only in the DRC but also across the globe. The work furthermore suggests how programs can equip community- and facility-based health workers with tools, messages, and other resources that guide and encourage families to feed children well during illness and recovery, when they need this care most.