If a parent of a child with a disability provides all food components for a meal, can the provider be reimbursed for the meal?
Read MoreCheck out these virtual events coming up at NCA!
Read MoreOn January 31st, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hosted their first ever inaugural Food is Medicine Summit. Over 400 health leaders joined the summit in Washington, D.C., including President and CEO of the National CACFP Sponsors Association (NCA), Lisa Mack.
Read MoreIn April, over 50 Industry and nonprofit organizations will feature their resources at the 2025 National Child Nutrition Conference in Dallas. Their commitment and contributions are central to the conference’s mission of fostering innovation, education and networking among over 2,000 attending professionals and stakeholders in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and SUN MEALS (Summer Food Service Program).
Read MoreCheck out these virtual events coming up this month at NCA!
Read MoreThe National CACFP Association (NCA) is pleased to announce the continuation of its annual scholarship program for the 2025 National Child Nutrition Conference (NCNC) in Dallas, Texas.
Read MoreCheck out these virtual events coming up this month at NCA!
Read MoreRegistration is now open for the 2025 National Child Nutrition Conference, the premier annual event held by the National CACFP Sponsors Association, bringing together professionals from child care centers, home providers, sponsoring organizations, school districts, afterschool programs, Head Start programs, Food Banks, tribal nations and State Agencies.
Read MoreWhen two entities focus on a common mission, anything is possible. The National CACFP Sponsors Association (NCA) sees its mission align with the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TXAEYC) without a hint of deviation: To ensure those serving children are provided with the resources needed to help them sprout to unimaginable heights.
Read MoreThe new year is just around the corner, which means this is the perfect time to reflect. What you do matters. Take a moment and really think about how your work impacts those that you serve, whether it’s the children or adults in your care, providers that you support, or sponsoring organizations you work with. Share your story with NCA!
Read MoreUSDA released a Notice of Funding Opportunity on December 10, 2024, for State agencies to access funds to purchase and distribute local foods for schools and CACFP child care providers in their state. USDA has committed $188.6 million specifically for institutions participating in the CACFP. State agencies must submit a proposal in order to access these funds for the schools and CACFP providers in their state and there can only be one application per state. Funds will be awarded through a non-competitive process based on a formula using the meal counts of participants of the CACFP in each State. Cooperative agreements will be for a period of three years from the time of award.
Read MoreNovember 7, 2024 The USDA released a memorandum to provide additional information and clarification on the state agency monitoring process regarding the: 1) Child nutrition (CN) label, 2) Watermarked CN label, and 3) manufacturer’s Product Formulation Statement (PFS). This memorandum also reflects updates to the CN Label Verification System and provides clarification on the date…
Read MoreCACFP and SFSP operators that primarily serve American Indian or Alaska Native participants can substitute ½ cup of any creditable vegetables or 1 cup of raw leafy greens for 1 oz eq of grains. Vegetables substituting as grains can be used to meet the whole grain-rich requirement in the CACFP. There is no limit to the number of times per week that vegetables may be substituted for the grains requirement.
Read MoreThe National CACFP Association released is 2025 Advocacy Agenda, which will drive our advocacy efforts for the next year. Our agenda centers around five core priorities: fair and equitable funding, reduction of paperwork, expansion of eligibility, State-level action to supplement federal efforts, and support for the child care infrastructure. Read more!
Read MoreUSDA released a memo regarding minor milk substitute updates resulting from the Meal Pattern final rule in 2024. The memo clarifies that registered dieticians may sign medical statements for fluid milk substitutions. It also updates the units of measurement for Vitamins A and Vitamins D, however this does not change the actual amount of Vitamins A and D that is required.
Read MoreThe Child and Adult Care Food Program has new creditable foods listed on the USDA Food Buying Guide! If you are new to the FBG, this interactive tool allows for easy display, search, and navigation of food yield information. In addition, users can compare yield information, create a favorite foods list, and access tools, such as the Recipe Analysis Workbook (RAW) and the Product Formulation Statement Workbook.
Read MoreThe Child and Adult Care Food Program community asked for more Spanish resources to be available on the National CACFP Sponsors Association website and we heard you! Available now in Spanish are more resources to help sponsors and providers with meal pattern requirements, best practices, and so much more!
Read MoreServing meals to young people year-round benefits children, families, and care providers. To do this, many providers transition from operating the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) At-Risk Afterschool (ARAS) during the school year to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) while school is out. For an overview of the main differences between SFSP and CACFP ARAS, see the comparison chart below.
Read MoreNCA understands that the end of flexibilities will cause challenges for many CACFP sponsors and providers and we commend your continued commitment to providing nutritious meals and snacks to the children or adults in your care. In preparation for the end of the additional reimbursement, we have collected the following resources to help you successfully provide meals even if your available budget decreases.
Read MoreCDC created three new fact sheets for Early Care and Education (ECE) providers about Early Child Nutrition and Feeding. The fact sheets offer tips and best practices for supporting breastfeeding families, information about safe storage and handling of breastmilk, and strategies for introducing solid foods.
Read MoreIs apple cider juice creditable in the CACFP?
Read MoreAre brown rice noodles creditable in the CACFP?
Read MoreCan second servings be claimed for reimbursement in family style dining?
Read MoreIs popped sorghum creditable in the CACFP?
Read MoreHow does tempeh credit in the CACFP?
Read MoreIs tempeh creditable in the CACFP?
Read MoreThe Child and Adult Care Food Program has new creditable foods listed on the USDA Food Buying Guide! If you are new to the FBG, this interactive tool allows for easy display, search, and navigation of food yield information. In addition, users can compare yield information, create a favorite foods list, and access tools, such as the Recipe Analysis Workbook (RAW) and the Product Formulation Statement Workbook.
Read MoreThe Child and Adult Care Food Program community asked for more Spanish resources to be available on the National CACFP Sponsors Association website and we heard you! Available now in Spanish are more resources to help sponsors and providers with meal pattern requirements, best practices, and so much more!
Read MoreServing meals to young people year-round benefits children, families, and care providers. To do this, many providers transition from operating the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) At-Risk Afterschool (ARAS) during the school year to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) while school is out. For an overview of the main differences between SFSP and CACFP ARAS, see the comparison chart below.
Read MoreNCA understands that the end of flexibilities will cause challenges for many CACFP sponsors and providers and we commend your continued commitment to providing nutritious meals and snacks to the children or adults in your care. In preparation for the end of the additional reimbursement, we have collected the following resources to help you successfully provide meals even if your available budget decreases.
Read MoreCDC created three new fact sheets for Early Care and Education (ECE) providers about Early Child Nutrition and Feeding. The fact sheets offer tips and best practices for supporting breastfeeding families, information about safe storage and handling of breastmilk, and strategies for introducing solid foods.
Read MoreA survey was administered in the spring of 2023 of licensed California family child care homes (FCCH) to assess the perceived impacts of the increased reimbursement during the Covid-19 pandemic on CACFP participation and anticipated challenges with reinstated tiered rates.
Read MoreThe USDA recently released a study on the “Characteristics of Adult Day Care Centers that Participate in the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program” which seeks to better understand key characteristics of adult day care centers participating in CACFP.
Read MoreUSDA released a survey report focused on SFSP and SSO sponsors who operated the non-congregate meal service option in qualifying rural areas in summer 2023.
Read MoreAfterschool Snack Programs include the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Through NSLP schools can serve one snack afterschool, however through the CACFP schools and sponsoring organizations are able to serve a snack in addition to a supper. This additional supper is an important opportunity to meet children’s nutritional needs after the school day is over. A report by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) found that afterschool supper participation increased from October 2022 to October 2023 by 6%.
Read MoreFRAC’s latest report, Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report 2024, reveals a drop in the number of children receiving nutrition over the summer following the loss of pandemic-era waivers.
Read MoreA report published in the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice examined changes in nutrition and physical activity-related best practices in ECE settings in Illinois from 2019 as compared to 2022.
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