[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 442 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 442

Recognizing the importance of the Child and Adult Care Food Program and 
 its positive effect on the lives of low-income children and families.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 2009

  Mr. George Miller of California (for himself, Mrs. McCarthy of New 
 York, Ms. Woolsey, Ms. Clarke, Mr. Tonko, and Mr. Polis of Colorado) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                         on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the importance of the Child and Adult Care Food Program and 
 its positive effect on the lives of low-income children and families.

Whereas Child and Adult Care Food Program participants under the Richard B. 
        Russell National School Lunch Act include sponsoring organizations, 
        child care centers, family day care homes, Head Start programs, at-risk 
        after-school care centers, outside-school hours care centers, emergency 
        shelters, and adult day care centers;
Whereas 49,624 licensed child care centers with 2,300,000 children participated 
        in the Child and Adult Care Food Program in 2008;
Whereas 141,535 licensed or approved family child care homes with 849,000 
        children participated in the Child and Adult Care Food Program in 2008;
Whereas 872 family child care sponsoring organizations participated in the Child 
        and Adult Care Food Program in 2008;
Whereas in 2008, 71 percent of all meals served in child care centers 
        participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program qualified for 
        reimbursement at the rates established for free or reduced price meals;
Whereas 78 percent of all meals served in family day care homes participating in 
        the Child and Adult Care Food Program qualified for tier I reimbursement 
        factors in 2008;
Whereas the Child and Adult Care Food Program was cited as one of the important 
        supports for long-term success in building strong family child care for 
        low-income families;
Whereas 87 percent of the family child care homes considered to be providing 
        good quality child care participated in the Child and Adult Care Food 
        Program;
Whereas the Child and Adult Care Food Program, due to its unique combination of 
        training and oversight, is an effective vehicle for supporting family 
        child care providers and enhancing the care they provide;
Whereas the Department of Agriculture's evaluation of the Child and Adult Care 
        Food Program found that children in the Child and Adult Care Food 
        Program received meals that were nutritionally superior to those meals 
        served in child care settings outside of the Child and Adult Care Food 
        Program;
Whereas studies have shown that young children feel safe and secure, pay 
        attention, behave, and stay healthy, when they are well nourished;
Whereas research has shown that children who participate in the Child and Adult 
        Care Food Program eat more fruits, vegetables, milk, and have a better 
        overall diet quality;
Whereas the current economic crisis is causing more families to rely on the 
        Child and Adult Care Food Program as they struggle to feed their 
        children;
Whereas the Child and Adult Care Food Program contributes to and supports 
        quality child care that provides early education experiences; and
Whereas participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, provides a basis 
        for lifetime healthy eating behaviors: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the importance of the Child and Adult Care 
        Food Program and its overall positive effect on the lives of 
        low-income children and families, as well as its positive 
        effect on improving the quality of a child's child care 
        environment;
            (2) promotes program collaboration and encourages States to 
        better coordinate the use of all Federal and State funding 
        streams across early learning and child development systems and 
        programs, including the Child and Adult Care Food Program;
            (3) recognizes the need to provide adequate resources to 
        improve the availability and quality of nutritious meals and 
        snacks served by Child and Adult Care Food Program facilities;
            (4) recognizes the impact of nonprofit and community 
        organizations that work to increase the awareness of, and 
        access to, the Child and Adult Care Food Program;
            (5) recognizes the need to provide States with resources to 
        improve the availability of nutritious meals in child care;
            (6) recognizes that the Child and Adult Care Food Program 
        provides a higher meal quality and a substantial nutrition 
        contribution to the diets of children in child care; and
            (7) recognizes the Child and Adult Care Food Program can 
        help young children establish healthy eating habits which help 
        to prevent childhood obesity.
                                 <all>