Bill Summary
The legislation is a resolution expressing support for designating the third week of March 2025 as "National CACFP Week." The resolution emphasizes the importance of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which provides nutritious meals and snacks to over 4.5 million children and 115,000 adults daily, significantly contributing to the health and well-being of vulnerable populations in various care settings. It highlights the program's role in improving nutrition, reducing obesity rates, enhancing child care quality, and supporting public-private partnerships that benefit families and small businesses. The resolution calls for continued strengthening of CACFP, including various measures to improve accessibility and reduce costs for care providers, while acknowledging its potential to alleviate financial burdens in the care economy. Overall, it aims to raise awareness of CACFP's impact on health and nutrition through the observance of National CACFP Week.
Possible Impacts
The resolution designating the third week of March 2025 as "National CACFP Week" can impact people in several significant ways:
1. **Increased Awareness of Nutrition**: The designation of National CACFP Week serves to elevate public awareness about the importance of nutrition for children and adults participating in the CACFP. This heightened awareness can lead caregivers, parents, and communities to prioritize healthy eating habits, thereby improving overall health outcomes. For instance, families may become more proactive about ensuring that their children receive nutritious meals and snacks that promote healthy growth and development.
2. **Enhanced Support for Vulnerable Populations**: By recognizing CACFP's role in providing nutritious meals to over 4.5 million children and 115,000 adults, the resolution highlights the program's importance in supporting low-income and vulnerable populations. This can lead to increased funding and advocacy for the program, resulting in more resources being allocated to child care centers, family day care homes, and adult care facilities, thereby improving the quality of care and nutrition provided to these groups.
3. **Policy Improvements and Reduced Costs**: The resolution urges policymakers to strengthen CACFP by reducing administrative barriers, adjusting eligibility requirements, and addressing food inflation. These changes can lead to more child and adult care providers being able to participate in the program, which may in turn reduce the overall costs of care for families. This can make quality care more accessible and affordable for working families, thereby positively affecting their economic stability and quality of life.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 228 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 228
Expressing support for the designation of the third week of March 2025
as ``National CACFP Week''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 18, 2025
Ms. Bonamici (for herself and Ms. Norton) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the designation of the third week of March 2025
as ``National CACFP Week''.
Whereas the Department of Agriculture reaffirms the vital role positive
nutrition habits play in the healthy growth of children in the United
States;
Whereas the Department of Agriculture also recognizes the importance of
nutrition education for the most vulnerable and youngest children, as
well as adults, through care centers and homes throughout the United
States;
Whereas the child and adult care food program (commonly referred to as
``CACFP'') provides meals and snacks to more than 4,500,000 children in
child care centers, family day care homes, emergency shelters, and
after-school programs and 115,000 adults in adult day care centers
daily, covering the costs of nearly 1,700,000,000 nutritious meals and
snacks each year;
Whereas research has found that participation in CACFP reduces the prevalence of
the conditions of underweight, overweight, or obesity in children, which
highlights the importance of healthful meal patterns along with accurate
nutrition education;
Whereas CACFP increases the quality of child care, especially for children in
low-income communities;
Whereas CACFP increases the effectiveness and viability of Head Start programs,
child care programs, including military child care, and adult day care
homes for many providers, especially in rural areas;
Whereas CACFP improves the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical health and
development of children, leading to more favorable outcomes such as--
(1) a decreased likelihood of being hospitalized;
(2) an increased likelihood of healthy weight gain; and
(3) an increased likelihood of a more varied diet, including increased
consumption of vegetables, meat, eggs, whole grains, and milk;
Whereas the innovative approach to CACFP implementation, which pairs Head Start
programs, child care homes and centers, including military child care,
adult day care centers, emergency shelters, and after-school sites with
either a nonprofit sponsoring organization or a State agency, highlights
a unique public-private partnership that supports working families and
small businesses; and
Whereas the third week of March is annually recognized as ``National CACFP
Week'' to raise awareness of the child and adult care food program of
the Department of Agriculture: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the role of the child and adult care food
program (commonly referred to as ``CACFP'') in improving the
health of the country's most vulnerable children and adults in
Head Start programs, child care programs, including military
child care, family day care homes, emergency shelters, adult
day care homes, and after-school care by providing nutritious
meals and snacks;
(2) urges support for continuing to strengthen CACFP by
offering reimbursement for an additional meal or snack for
children in care for a full day, reducing area eligibility from
50 percent to 40 percent, offering annual eligibility to for-
profit child care centers, factoring in annual food inflation
fairly for child care regardless of setting, and reducing
administrative burdens to participation;
(3) acknowledges that CACFP can, and should, be an
important tool in reducing the costs faced by the care economy,
including licensed or approved child or adult care; and
(4) supports the designation of ``National CACFP Week''.
<all>