Code of the District of Columbia

§ 38–283. OSSE requirements.

(a) The OSSE shall:

(1) Provide training to support the efforts of a child development facility to meet the requirements of this chapter;

(2) Monitor the progress of a child development facility in complying with this chapter during the facility’s licensing process and record collected data in each facility’s compliance history;

(3) Provide to the Mayor, the Council, and the Healthy Schools and Youth Commission an annual evaluation of the effect of the implementation of this chapter on the health, well-being, and school-readiness of participating District children; and

(4) Provide to the Mayor, the Council, and the Healthy Schools and Youth Commission, no later than June 30 of each year, a report listing the names and locations of licensed child development facilities with 50% or more eligible children enrolled, whether or not the facility participates in the CACF Program, and whether and why the facility was excused from participation.

(b) Within 60 days of February 26, 2015, the OSSE shall add participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program to the searchable criteria on the website for the OSSE Child Care Connections, which is the District’s child care resource and referral center.

(c) No later than December 30 of each year, the OSSE shall submit, in conjunction with the Department of Health, a report to the Council and the Mayor on the efforts to promote WIC in child development facilities, including data on:

(1) Identifying opportunities to better promote WIC at child development facilities;

(2) The feasibility of the development of a breastfeeding-friendly rating for child development facilities; and

(3) Whether data matching or other means tested programs can be used to identify families receiving child-care subsidies and connect them to WIC if they are eligible for WIC benefits and are not receiving them.

(d) Within 120 days of February 26, 2015, pursuant to the authority granted by § 38-2602(b)(11), the OSSE shall issue rules to implement this chapter, which, at a minimum, shall:

(1) Establish nutritional standards for meals and snacks served at child development facilities;

(2) Establish physical activity standards for child development facilities;

(3) Improve the environmental sustainability of child development facilities;

(4) Increase the use of locally grown and unprocessed foods from growers engaged in sustainable agriculture practices;

(5) Enhance nutrition and healthy eating education programming for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers at child development facilities, including farm-to-preschool programs; and

(6) Ensure that child development facilities provide sufficient training to staff on improving nutrition and increasing the level of physical activity of participating infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.