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North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik wants to expand access to nutritious foods

Posted 11/10/15

North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, is one of two congresswomen to introduce the Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act to expand access to nutritious meals for young …

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North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik wants to expand access to nutritious foods

Posted

North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, is one of two congresswomen to introduce the Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act to expand access to nutritious meals for young children.

“By expanding access to nutritious food, our nation’s children can live happier, healthier lives,” Stefanik said.

Stefanik’s district includes St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton, Essex, Fulton, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, Warren and Washington counties, as well as portions of Herkimer and Saratoga counties.

Improvements to the existing Child and Adult Care Food Program would encourage more child care providers to participate, increasing the number of children who benefit.

The bill was also introduced by Oregon Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Democrat.

The Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act makes changes to the existing Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which reimburses child care providers, Head Start programs, homeless shelters, and afterschool programs that serve nutritious meals to eligible children and adults. Each day, more than three million children and 100,000 adults receive meals through the program.

Since the mid-1990s, the CACFP program has seen a persistent decrease in the number of family day care homes that participate. This drop-off in participation jeopardizes access to nutritious meals for children who spend time with child care providers. At the same time, the program authorizes only two meals each day, even though many working families rely on full-day child care. And there have been recent moves by some representatives to lower the program’s standards.

The Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act aims to increase participation by reducing paperwork, streamlining eligibility requirements, and promoting clearer guidelines for providers. The bill also authorizes reimbursements for a third meal in a day.

Providers will be able to be reimbursed for offering nutritious late-afternoon meals to children who are in care for more than eight hours. By streamlining compliance measures and adding a third meal, the bill will encourage more providers to participate in the program. The result will be better, healthier outcomes for children.