BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE HUMAN
SERVICES COMMITTEE
Senator Leland Y. Yee, Chair
BILL NO: AB 290
A
AUTHOR: Alejo
B
VERSION: May 20, 2013
HEARING DATE: June 11, 2013
2
FISCAL: Yes
9
0
CONSULTANT: Mareva Brown
SUBJECT
Child day care: childhood nutrition training
SUMMARY
This bill requires that a newly licensed teacher or
director of a day care center or family day care home who
receives health and safety training shall also have at
least one hour of childhood nutrition training, including
information about age-appropriate meal patterns, and
information about reimbursement rates for the federal Child
and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), as specified.
ABSTRACT
Existing law:
1) Establishes the California Child Day Care
Facilities Act to establish a statewide comprehensive,
quality system for licensing child day care facilities
to ensure a quality day care environment. (HSC 1596.7
et seq.)
Continued---
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 290 (Alejo)
PageB
2) Establishes in federal law the Child and Adult Care
Food Program (CACFP) and identifies nutritional
standards for meals in such facilities. (7 CFR 226.20)
3) Requires that state child care centers adhere to
CACFP nutrition standards, but leaves open the option
to participate in the reimbursement program. Family
Child Care Homes are not required to adhere to CACFP
standards.
4) States legislative intent to encourage any person
who provides child care in a licensed child day care
facility to have completed "elementary" health care
training such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation,
pediatric first aid, preventative health practices
such as food preparation, sanitation, and practices
that reduce the spread of infectious disease.
5) Requires that at least one director or teacher at
each day care center, and each family day care home
licensee who provides care, shall have at least 15
hours of health and safety training, as specified, to
include:
a. Pediatric first aid
b. Pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation
c. A preventative health practices course or
courses that include instruction in the
recognition, management, and prevention of
infectious diseases, including immunizations, and
prevention of childhood injuries. (HSC 1596.866)
6) Establishes that training may include instruction
in child nutrition, food handling, caring for children
with special needs, and the identification and
reporting of signs and symptoms of child abuse. (HSC
1596.866 (a)(3))
7) Requires that at least one staff member of a day
care center or family day care home who has completed
the training be on-site whenever children are present
on- site or during off-site trips. (HSC 1596.866 (b))
8) Requires the state's Emergency Medical Services
Authority to establish training standards for child
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 290 (Alejo)
PageC
care center directors and teachers and providers in
licensed child care homes. (HSC 1596.8661 (b))
This bill:
1) Makes various findings and declarations about
obesity in children, childhood nutrition and eating
habits.
2) Makes various findings and declarations about the
prevalence of child care use among American families
and within California, and about the benefit to
children of having trained child care providers.
3) Through additional intent language, encourages any
person who provides child care also receive training
in childhood nutrition and practices that support
overall health.
4) Adds one hour of childhood nutrition education to
the required 15 hours of training for directors and
teachers at day center centers and licensed family day
care homes, as specified.
5) Provides that the additional hour of required
training apply only to licenses issued after January
1, 2015 and be included as part of the preventative
health practices course or courses.
6) Requires that childhood nutritional training
include content on age-appropriate meal patterns based
on the most current Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
7) Requires that the training shall contain
information about reimbursement rates for the United
States Department of Agriculture's Child and Adult
Care Food Program (CACFP) and that child care
providers be directed to the state Department of
Education's CACFP for information on eligibility and
enrollment.
FISCAL IMPACT
An analysis by the Assembly Appropriations Committee found
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 290 (Alejo)
PageD
that because the cost of training is borne by child care
providers, any costs to the state should be minor and
absorbable within existing resources.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Purpose of the bill :
The author states that while research indicates child care
provider training has the greatest impact on the quality of
child care programs, California's licensing laws do not
require providers to undergo any nutrition training. With
nearly 25% of preschool-aged children overweight or obese,
thousands of California's youngest residents face a
lifetime of health challenges (e.g., diabetes, heart
disease, cancer) related to poor nutrition, the author
states. The author also states that with more than 45,000
licensed child care facilities in California serving more
than one million children, child care providers are
uniquely positioned to help ensure young children are
exposed to good nutrition during the early years.
According to the author, requiring providers to take one
hour of early childhood nutrition as a part of the
licensing process ensures that licensed child care
providers learn about the importance of healthy meals and
snacks, cost-effective strategies, and age-appropriate meal
patterns and serving sizes. This idea is in line with the
First Lady's Let's Move! Child Care campaign and supports
complimentary efforts to improve the nutritional quality of
school meals. Children who practice healthy eating habits
during the first five years of life are more likely to
extend those healthy habits into adulthood.
In 2012, the Governor vetoed a similar bill by this author.
AB 1872 would have required child care providers to adhere
to federal nutritional standards and to keep a daily menu
of all meals and snacks available for parents to see.
This bill responds to the Governor's veto message which
stated, "I can support a measure that helps family child
care providers learn about nutrition and serve healthier
foods at a lower cost, but this bill goes beyond that.
Small businesses such as family day care providers don't
need another confusing mandate that adds to their struggles
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 290 (Alejo)
PageE
to stay afloat."
Obesity among children
The prevalence of obesity in children has more than doubled
in the past 30 years among young children aged 2 to 5,
according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. It has tripled among youth ages 6 to 11, and has
more than tripled among adolescents ages 12 to 19.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than one
third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese
in 2010.
Two national studies - the USDA's Nationwide Food
Consumption Survey and the Continuing Survey of Food
Intakes by Individuals - demonstrate changes in eating
patterns among American youth that illustrate the
complexity that exists in relating food intake to the
increased prevalence of obesity. These include:
There has been a decline in breakfast
consumption - especially for children of working
mothers.
Average portion sizes increased for salty
snacks from 1.0 oz. to 1.6 oz. and for soft drinks
from 12.2 oz. to 19.9 oz. between 1977 and 1996.
Only 21 percent of young people eat the
recommended five or more servings of fruits and
vegetables each day.
Nearly half of all vegetable servings are fried
potatoes.
Obesity in children is a strong predictor of health
problems and continued health problems in adulthood,
according to numerous studies. One study showed that
children who became obese as early as age 2 were more
likely to be obese as adults.
Other studies have shown that obese youth are more likely
to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according
to the Centers for Disease Control. In a sample of children
aged 5 to 17, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk
factor for cardiovascular disease. Obese adolescents are
more likely to have pre-diabetes, are at greater risk for
bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 290 (Alejo)
PageF
psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor
self-esteem, according to a variety of studies cited by the
CDC.<1>
Child Care training requirements
Current law requires that at least one director or teacher
at each day care center, and each family day care home
licensee who provides care, must have at least 15 hours of
health and safety training on preventative health
practices.
Included in the required training is pediatric CPR;
pediatric first aid; recognition, management, and
prevention of infectious diseases, including immunizations;
and prevention of childhood injuries. State statute
requires the state Emergency Medical Services
Administration to establish standards for the training.
Additionally, the training may include training in sanitary
food handling, child nutrition, emergency preparedness and
evacuation, caring for children with special needs, and
identification and reporting of signs of child abuse. This
bill would change the permissive training for child
nutrition to a mandate.
CACFP
The USDA's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
provides day care providers with cash reimbursement for
serving up to two meals and one snack per day to enrolled
children that meet federal nutritional guidelines. Program
payments for day care homes are based on the number of
meals served to enrolled children, multiplied by the
appropriate reimbursement rate for each breakfast, lunch,
supper, or snack they are approved to serve.
Other states
According to research by the California Food Policy
Advocates, many other states have nutrition training for
licensed daycare centers and family day care homes.
Massachusetts requires two hours of training in nutrition
for young children. Delaware requires that Early Childhood
-------------------------
<1> http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 290 (Alejo)
PageG
Caregivers complete three hours of nutrition training
within a mandated 60-hour training course on early care and
education. Nevada requires child care facility employees to
complete at least two hours of annual training on the
subject of lifelong wellness, health and safety of children
which includes training relating to childhood obesity,
nutrition and physical activity.
Let's Move!
Responding to statistics that indicate nearly one in three
children in America are overweight or obese, the First Lady
launched the Let's Move! initiative nationally in 2010 with
the stated goal of putting children on the path to a
healthy future during their earliest years. The program is
focused on giving parents helpful information and fostering
environments that support healthy choices, providing
healthier foods in schools, ensuring that every family has
access to healthy, affordable food and encouraging children
to become more physically active.
Related Legislation
AB 2084 (Brownley) Chapter 593, Statutes of 2010,
specified the amount of juice and type of milk to be served
at licensed child day care facility and prohibited serving
sweetened beverages, as specified.
AB 1872 (Alejo, 2012) would have required child care
providers to adhere to federal nutritional standards and to
keep a daily menu of all meals and snacks available for
parents to view.
PRIOR VOTES
Assembly floor: 77 - 0
Assembly Appropriations: 17 - 0
Assembly Human Services: 7 - 0
POSITIONS
Support: California Food Policy Advocates (sponsor)
Advancement Project
Atkins Center for Weight and Health at UC
STAFF ANALYSIS OF SENATE BILL 290 (Alejo)
PageH
Berkeley
Asian Law Alliance
California Association of Food Banks
California Center for Public Health Advocacy
California Federation of Teachers
California Teachers Association
Child Care Food Program Roundtable
Child Development Associates, Inc.
Choices for Children
Community Child Care Council (4C's) of
Alameda County
Crystal Stairs, Inc.
Feeding America San Diego
First 5 Fresno County
State Council on Developmental Disabilities
1 individual
Oppose: None.
-- END --