Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act
The Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act would reform the child and adult care food program by making several changes aimed at tightening eligibility for for-profit (proprietary) child care centers, updating how serious deficiencies are reviewed and handled, and limiting how many meals can be reimbursed per child each day (with a study on the possible third meal). It also shifts how reimbursements are indexed to inflation and creates a new Advisory Committee on Paperwork Reduction to streamline and modernize the paperwork and recordkeeping required to participate in the program. Overall, the bill seeks to strengthen program integrity, reduce administrative burdens, and encourage more efficient use of resources for parents, providers, and participating sites. Key elements include annual eligibility determinations for certain institutions, a revamped process for addressing serious deficiencies with clearer guidance and independent appeals, a cap on daily meals and supplements reimbursed per child (and a study on whether a third meal is viable and beneficial), a change in how cost increases are indexed for payments, and a formal advisory panel to reduce paperwork through modernized, digital processes.
Key Points
- 1Eligibility criteria for proprietary child care centers: The bill rewrites eligibility rules to require annual determinations for certain institutions and clarifies how sponsoring organizations and centers must operate to qualify, including staff and bonding considerations.
- 2Serious deficiency process reform: Within one year of enactment, the Secretary must issue guidance/regulations on the serious deficiency process, including clearer definitions of noncompliance, fair appeals/mediation, acceptable corrective-action timelines, and mechanisms to reduce additional state requirements while preserving program integrity.
- 3Reimbursements and potential third meal: Reimbursement rules are tightened so that no more than a specified number of meals and supplements per day per child will be reimbursed (with caps depending on the time span of the day). The bill also requires a study within 2 years on the prevalence and impact of a third meal and provides guidance to operators based on findings.
- 4Inflation indexing change: The CPI reference for adjusting reimbursements is changed from food at home to food away from home, affecting how payments keep up with price changes.
- 5Advisory Committee on Paperwork Reduction: The bill creates a new advisory committee to examine and reduce unnecessary paperwork, promote electronic records and direct certification, and streamline applications and monitoring. It establishes diverse membership, a timeline for guidance/regulations (about 2 years), and requires a report explaining recommendations not adopted and additional legislative ideas.