Findings

The Congress finds the following: (1) Access to minimally processed fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds is crucial for the development and well-being of children. (2) Licensed child care providers often face restrictions on food preparation that limit their ability to serve fresh fruits and vegetables. (3) Home and family based child care options, (estimated to serve about 1/4 of families), have seen steady declines over the past decade. While this decreases child care choices for all families, it disproportionately impacts low-income and rural families and those requiring daycare at non-traditional times because of shift work. (4) Complicated and burdensome regulations are more challenging for home-based providers and are likely a part of the reason these centers are declining. (5) Current regulations can make it easier to open a pre-packaged, often ultra-processed, snack than it is to, for example, peel a banana. This undermines the ability of child care providers to provide basic nutrition to our kids. (6) Simplifying regulations to encourage simple food preparation of minimally processed agricultural products can improve nutritional outcomes for children.