Take Action: Children Deserve Better Nutrition

by Helen Blank, Director, Leadership and Public Policy,
National Women's Law Center,

Thousands of you took action in support of the Senate bill that would improve young children's access to nutritious meals. Now it's time to get a bill moving in the House of Representatives!

Recently, Representative Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) introduced legislation that would improve young children’s access to nutritious meals in child care centers, family child care homes, and Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

Please urge your Representatives to improve the Child and Adult Care Food Program. 

Like the Senate version of this bill introduced by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), this legislation would strengthen the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) by:

· Increasing reimbursement rates for child care centers and family child care homes.

· Adding a third meal or snack option for children in child care, helping to cover the costs of food for children who are in care for longer hours.

· Expanding CACFP family child care home area eligibility, to make more family child care providers eligible for higher levels of reimbursement.

· Increasing the administrative reimbursement rate for CACFP-sponsoring organizations.

· Streamlining and simplifying program and paperwork requirements for states, sponsoring organizations, child care providers, and parents.

With your help, we can gain support for the Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act of 2009 and help millions of children get the start they need in life.

For more information about the Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act of 2009, read our latest fact sheet.