Reducing Obesity in Youth Act of 2025
The Reducing Obesity in Youth Act of 2025, introduced in the Senate by Senator Cory Booker, would amend the Public Health Service Act to promote healthy eating and physical activity for children from birth through age 5 who participate in early care and education (ECE) settings. The bill creates the Healthy Kids Grant Program, awarding five-year competitive grants to eligible entities to improve both healthy eating and physical activity and to address food insecurity among these young children. Grants would support training for ECE providers, help States integrate nutrition and activity efforts into ECE programs, test new or evidence-based approaches, and strengthen connections between ECE programs, health care providers, and nutrition supports. The program would require independent evaluation, tracking of State progress on obesity-prevention efforts, and a final report to Congress with best practices and lessons learned. Authorized funding is $5 million per year for 2026–2030, plus an additional $1.7 million in 2026 for tracking progress.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of the Healthy Kids Grant Program to fund 5-year competitive grants aimed at improving healthy eating and physical activity and addressing food insecurity for children birth through 5 in early care and education settings.
- 2Eligibility for grants includes: (a) nonprofit organizations with expertise in early childhood health and obesity prevention, (b) institutions of higher education or research centers with relevant training expertise, or (c) a consortium of (a) and (b).
- 3Use of funds focuses on: direct coaching and professional development for ECE providers; building State capacity to integrate healthy eating/physical activity into ECE programs; testing innovative or evidence-informed approaches; and engaging families.
- 4Implementing partners must serve diverse populations and include a mix of rural and urban settings.
- 5A national independent evaluator will be contracted to ensure grant compliance and evaluate program outcomes.
- 6The Secretary may fund monitoring and surveillance efforts to track State progress on obesity prevention in ECE settings and measure changes in food security among exposed groups.
- 7A final Congress-facing report (within 1 year after program completion) will summarize results, best practices, and lessons learned.
- 8Definitions include “early care and education” as birth-5 programs, including Childcare, Head Start, family childcare, and pre-K.
- 9Funding authorization: $5,000,000 per year for Fiscal Years 2026–2030; plus $1,700,000 in 2026 specifically to support tracking-state-progress activities.