Presently the Federal Childcare Food Program only covers children who are attending a center with a minimum of 25% CCAP children. Healthy Food is one of the most expensive expenditures for a childcare facility and all children no matter their parents economic standing should be afforded the most healthy food available. It would help stabilize the increasing cost of childcare by taking one of the biggest cost off the table. It would also put the best food available in front of them from their first introduction to food at a one year of age. Children who attend introduction in a public school setting receive food from the child care food program, but the same age child in a private childcare preschool setting are not eligible. In Kentucky all children grade Pre-K through Grade 5 receive meals free from the Federal Food Program no matter their economic backgrounds if they attend a public institution. Shouldn’t all children be afforded the same option if their parents are working and paying taxes. Food is one of the top three expenditures for a childcare and if we want to make children healthy and keep childcare cost low, the Federal Food Program should be for ALL children, regardless of their childcare or preschool has 25% CCAP or Food Stamp eligible parents.
1 Like