Congress·In Committee·S. 1420

Sen. Blumenthal Introduces Bill to Boost Child Care Food Funding and Simplify Daycare Reimbursements

Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act of 2025

11 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

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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.
From policy text
“each meal and supplement served under this section shall receive an additional reimbursement in the amount of 10 cents (as adjusted pursuant to section 11(a))”
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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.
From policy text
“an additional reimbursement in the amount of 10 cents (as adjusted pursuant to section 11(a))”
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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.
From policy text
“Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Ms. Smith, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Warren, Mr. Welch, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Sanders, and Mrs. Gillibrand) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry”
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Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Apr 10, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Apr 10, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

First day of the first full month after enactment

Higher meal reimbursements begin for all CACFP providers

Child care centers and home daycares start receiving the extra 10 cents per meal and snack, and the two-tier payment gap for home providers is eliminated, meaning better-funded meals for kids in care.