Federal Legislation for Child Care and Early Learning Initiatives

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Updated January 29, 2010

Child Care
Child Nutrition
Issues in Focus


The Vision for Child Care: A National Agenda
ECEC has worked with national and state organizations dedicated to improving the quality of our nation's child care in developing a national agenda for child care. This "Vision" would expand families' access to high-quality learning opportunities for their children and help ensure all children are cared for in child care settings that enhance their readiness for and success in school.

Child Care and Development Block Grant Act Reauthorization
The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal funding stream for child care. Funds support quality initiatives in the states for all children, and funds provide subsidies to help eligible families pay for child care. CCDBG has been due for reauthorization in Congress since 2002. For more information about CCDBG, please see ECEC's Issues in Focus page.

Early Learning Challenge Fund
U.S. Representative George Miller (D-CA) introduced HR 3221, the “Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009.” The bill, part of a larger reform of the college loan system, establishes an Early Learning Challenge Fund which would invest $1 billion per year for 8 years in grants to increase the number of low-income children in high-quality early learning settings. While quickly passing the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 253 to 171, the Senate has not yet introduced their own version of the bill.

The Early Learning Challenge Fund is important for providers because it would help selected states take a big step forward in investment and support for early care and learning as a system for children from birth to age five.

Resources:
ECEC's Summary of the Early Learning Challenge Fund 

The Early Learning Challenge Fund- What's In It For Providers?

ECEC Radio interview with Dr. Ruth Friendman, Senior Education Policy Advisor to Chairman George Miller

"Challenging States to Improve Quality: A New Federal Proposal” featured in the September/October issue of Exchange

ECEC's letter to Chairman George Miller

National coalition sign-on letter to the US House of Representatives


Promoting Employer-sponsored On-Site Child Care
U.S. Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY), introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to help support high-quality child care in the workplace. The “Child Care Public-Private Partnership Act of 2009,” (HR 2041) introduced on April 22, seeks to establish a business incentive grant program, offering matching funds to businesses to provide on-site child care. ECEC supports this creative way to help working parents and young children access to high-quality child care.

Congressional Hearings on Early Care and Learning
On March 17 and 19, the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee and its Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education held hearings on early childhood development and the impact of early childhood programs on young children. Witnesses included from national organizations and state program administrators.  While the hearings did not focus on a specific piece of legislation, they did reinforce the ideas of a birth to five approach, that no single program solves all needs, and that child care is both early learning and a work support for parents. Click here to read ECEC's 2008 testimony to the House Committee on the need to invest in early education.


Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization and CACFP
The Child Nutrition Act, which includes the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), is due for review in Congress. A thoughtful reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act can help to reduce hunger, reduce childhood obesity, improve child nutrition and health overall, and enhance child development and school readiness if it includes provisions to strengthen CACFP.

Resources:
Strengthen the Child and Adult Care Food Program in the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization

Strengthening the Child and Adult Care Food Program: Streamlining and Simplifying CACFP Program Administration

For information about ECEC members and CACFP, please see ECEC's Issues in Focus page.

Congressional Briefing Held on the Child Care Food Program
On January 26, ECEC co-sponsored a briefing in Washington, DC for policymakers and advocates on the vital role of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in providing food and high-quality nutrition for hungry children in child care programs.
The briefing also highlighted the actions needed in the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization to improve CACFP, including supporting the Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act. Both Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY), sponsors of the Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act, were in attendance.

Congress Extends the Child Nutrition Act
The programs included in the Child Nutrition Act technically were set to expire on September 30, 2009. Without a proper reauthorization bill in place by that time, Congress extended these programs and funded them for one year. In this extension, Congress included additional funding for several projects, including $8 million in grants to improve the nutrition and health of children in child care. USDA will award the grants on a competitive basis to state CACFP agencies, with CACFP sponsors eligible for subgrants. A "request for proposals" from states will be available in spring 2010.

Senator Gillibrand and Representative Tonko Introduce CACFP Legislation
The Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act of 2009 (S. 2749 and H.R. 4402) calls for significant investment in CACFP to increase access and help providers serve more children with good nutritious meals and snacks in child care. ECEC supports this legislation and urges Congress to include the provisions in the Child Nutrition Act reauthorization!

ECEC has sent letters to Representatives and Senators asking them to co-sponsor the legislation.

Resources:
ECEC Fact Sheet: Stengthening the Child and Adult Care Food Program in the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization- S. 2749 and H.R. 4402, the Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act of 2009
 
S. 2749
Senator Gillibrand's Press Release about S. 2749
Click here to read the full text of S. 2749 bill
Take Action! Write to your Representative and Senators asking them to co-sponsor the Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act!

H.R. 4402
Representative Tonko's Press Release about H.R. 4402
Click here to read the full text of H.R. 4402

For information about ECEC members and CACFP, please see ECEC's Issues in Focus page.


Issues in Focus
For more information about ECEC's work on these and other issues, please see the Issues in Focus page.