Bill > HR5224

This bill aims to address childhood obesity and food insecurity by establishing the Healthy Kids Grant Program, which will provide competitive 5-year grants to eligible entities to improve healthy eating and physical activity among children from birth to 5 years old in early care and education settings. The program will fund efforts to train childcare providers through coaching, peer learning, and professional development focused on nutrition and physical activity, build state capacity to promote healthy habits, and test innovative approaches to child development. Eligible grant recipients include nonprofit organizations with childhood health expertise, higher education institutions, or consortiums of such entities. The grants will prioritize working with implementing partners serving diverse populations across rural and urban settings, with a focus on promoting equity. The bill allocates $5 million annually from 2026 to 2030, with an additional $1.7 million in 2026 for tracking state progress in obesity prevention. A national independent evaluator will be contracted to ensure grant compliance and evaluate program outcomes, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services will submit a comprehensive report to Congress after program completion, detailing best practices and lessons learned in reducing food insecurity and childhood obesity.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5224/all-info