Senate Bill Introduced Will Help to Improve CACFP
Some time back, in an online survey, we asked AFSCME family child care providers what would be needed to make the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) work better, and we received over one thousand suggestions. We took those suggestions, submitted them to USDA, and recruited the leadership of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Thanks much to CSEA for the great help in tag-teaming to recruit Sen. Gillibrand.
Sen. Gillibrand introduced The Access to Nutritious Meals Act of 2009. This bill sets important priorities to improve CACFP during reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, which is likely next year.
Sen. Gillibrand’s bill would:
· increase meal reimbursements served in family child care homes by $.20/meal and $.10 snack;
· add a third meal;
· expand area eligibility (tiering) so that more providers are considered tier I;
· reduce paperwork burdens; and
· provide resources for sponsors.
The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold its first hearing to consider reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Program under its new chairman Sen. Lincoln (D-AR) on November 17th.
A fact sheet will be posted on website.
Also- please keep sending the handwritten stories/gathering stories from your providers and the families they serve regarding the benefits of the food program. I’m using those to promote this bill in Hill visits.
Becky Levin
Legislation Department
AFSCME
Washington, DC
202.429.1184
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