; or (C) test innovative or evidence-informed approaches to promoting healthy habits and healthy child development in early care and education settings, which may include linking early care and education and health care providers, enhancing early care and education staff wellness, enhancing access to quality foods in the early care and education settings, and engaging families of children ages birth to 5 years served in the early care and education programs supported by a grant under this section. (2) Implementing partners In selecting States, territories, Indian tribes, municipalities, or nonprofit organizations to be implementing partners under a grant under this section, a grantee shall ensure that such partners, collectively— (A) serve populations that are racially, ethnically, socioeconomically, and geographically diverse; and (B) represent a mix of rural and urban settings. (3) National independent evaluator From the amounts appropriated to carry out this section, and prior to awarding any grants under paragraph (1), the Director shall enter into a contract with an external entity to create a single, uniform process to— (A) ensure that entities that receive grants under paragraph (1) comply with the requirements of this section; and (B) evaluate the outcomes of the grant activities carried out by each participating entity. (d) Tracking State progress The Director may use amounts appropriated under subsection (f)(2) to enter into contracts with, or award grants to, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, or other entities with relevant monitoring and surveillance expertise, for purposes of— (1) tracking State progress in obesity prevention policies and practices of early care and education programs in States where grantees are present