This bill aims to ease regulations on child care providers, allowing them to serve fresh fruits and vegetables by simplifying food preparation rules.
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez
Representative
WA-3
The "Cutting Red Tape on Child Care Providers Act of 2025" aims to improve children's nutrition by removing obstacles that child care providers face when serving fresh fruits and vegetables. It defines "simple food preparation" as basic preparation of produce. The Act prohibits states from creating barriers to this simple preparation in child care facilities through amendments to the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990. This will allow providers to easily offer healthier food options.
New Bill Aims to Slice Red Tape, Allowing More Fresh Fruits & Veggies in Child Care
Congress is looking at making it easier for child care providers to serve fresh fruits and vegetables with the 'Cutting Red Tape on Child Care Providers Act of 2025'. The core idea? To stop states from putting up regulatory roadblocks that prevent simple preparation of fresh produce in daycare settings, both licensed centers and home-based providers. This bill directly amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (CCDBG), a major source of federal funding for child care.
Beyond the Snack Pack
The bill highlights a problem many parents and providers know well: sometimes it's easier for daycares to serve pre-packaged snacks than fresh options (Section 2). Complex rules, originally designed for safety, can unintentionally make serving something as simple as sliced apples a bureaucratic headache. This act argues these hurdles disproportionately affect smaller, home-based providers – the very ones often serving low-income families, rural communities, and parents working non-traditional hours. By easing these specific rules, the bill aims to boost access to nutritious food for kids in care.
What 'Simple Prep' Actually Means
So, what kind of food prep are we talking about? Section 3 defines 'simple food preparation' pretty clearly: basic tasks like washing, peeling, cutting, and serving raw or minimally processed fruits and vegetables. Think slicing bananas, cutting up melon, or washing berries – not cooking elaborate meals. The goal is to allow providers to easily incorporate fresh produce without triggering regulations designed for commercial kitchens.
Who Gets a Bite?
This change, mandated by Section 4, applies to any child care provider participating in the CCDBG program, whether they are formally licensed or legally exempt from licensing. The idea is to level the playing field, making it less burdensome for providers, especially smaller home-based ones, to offer healthier food options. Ultimately, the intended beneficiaries are the children, who get better access to nutritious fresh foods during their day, potentially improving health outcomes and establishing better eating habits early on.