H.R. 1889 — Cutting Red Tape on Child Care Providers Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings that (1) access to minimally processed fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds is crucial for child development; (2) licensed child care providers face food preparation restrictions limiting fresh produce service; (3) home- and family-based child care, serving about one-quarter of families, has declined over the past decade, disproportionately affecting low-income, rural, and shift-working families; (4) burdensome regulations contribute to this decline, especially for home-based providers; (5) current rules favor pre-packaged ultra-processed snacks over simple preparations such as peeling a banana; and (6) simplifying regulations for minimally processed agricultural products can improve child nutrition.

This section defines the term “simple food preparation,” for purposes of this Act and the amendment made by this Act, as the basic preparation of fruits and vegetables, including washing, peeling, cutting, and serving raw or minimally processed produce.

This section requires state plans under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990—which provides federal subsidies for child care services to low-income families—to prohibit barriers to the simple preparation of fresh fruits and vegetables in licensed or license-exempt child care facilities.