U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act in the Senate on November 14. The legislation aims to address financial challenges faced by child care providers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
The proposed act would permanently boost the reimbursement by an additional 10 cents for each meal and snack served under the CACFP. It would also eliminate the tiering of family child care homes, allow these providers to claim their own children’s meals for reimbursement, and shift the calculation of their reimbursement from “food at home” to “food away from home” to align with centers.
Across the country, CACFP providers such as family child care homes, child care centers, Head Start programs, and after-school programs provide meals to over 4.2 million children each day. The proposed legislation aims to increase the reimbursements rates for these meals, easing the financial burdens for both child care providers and parents struggling to afford child care. Companion legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Greg Landsman (D-OH-1).
“Every child deserves access to nutritious meals, especially during their formative years,” said Senator Casey. “By easing the burden on child care providers, the Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act will ensure that children are receiving healthy and nutritious meals and are set up to reach their full potential.”
Insufficient reimbursement rates and outdated policies have created financial barriers for many child care providers participating in CACFP. The new bill could increase the reimbursement rate so that a family child care provider serving seven children could receive an additional $475 a month or $5,700 a year. Similarly, a Head Start program or child care center serving 100 children could receive an extra $600 a month or $7,200 a year.
The bill is cosponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
Over 40 national organizations, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA), and ZERO TO THREE, have endorsed the Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act.
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