Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act of 2025

Key Points

• The bill adds an extra 10 cents to every meal and snack reimbursement under the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which helps child care centers and daycares cover the cost of feeding kids. This extra payment kicks in on the first day of the first full month after the bill becomes law.
• The extra 10-cent payment will automatically increase over time to keep up with inflation, tied to the same adjustment formula used for school lunch reimbursements under the National School Lunch Act.
• The bill eliminates the two-tier reimbursement system for family and group day care homes. Currently, "Tier II" providers in higher-income areas get paid less per meal than "Tier I" providers. This change means all home-based daycare providers would receive the higher reimbursement rate.
• By boosting food reimbursements and simplifying the payment structure, the bill aims to help child care providers — especially small, home-based daycares — afford nutritious meals without passing costs on to families through higher fees.
• Introduced by Sen. Blumenthal with seven Democratic cosponsors, the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. It amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.