SACRAMENTO -- Many child-care programs would be prohibited from providing children under 2 with any time in front of a television set or computer screen, and older children would be limited to an hour a day under state legislation aimed at reducing childhood obesity.
The bill introduced by state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) would also require the after-school and child-care programs to provide fruits and vegetables at every meal. It would prohibit the programs from serving fried foods and beverages with added sugars.
“Childhood obesity is a challenge we should be tackling on a number of fronts,” Jackson said in a statement. “This bill will help ensure that after-school and child-care programs are working in partnership with parents to make their children’s health a top priority.’’
SB 464 would also require an hour of physical activity for some programs with full-day schedules.
Jackson said her proposal would apply to child-care and after-school programs that receive state and federal funding under the California Department of Education.
