As part of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, to see the impact of child nutrition programs in action.
Read More
Are edamame creditable in the CACFP?
Read More
We are pleased to share the exciting news that James (JC) Miller has joined the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as the new Administrator for Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), effective March 24th. With a wealth of experience in leadership across healthcare, nonprofit, and government sectors, James is poised to bring a strong focus on improving the efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness of USDA’s nutrition programs.
Read More
Michelle Buchanan serves as the Food Program Director at the Community Action of Southeastern West Virginia, a sponsoring organization of 65 family child care homes. Learn about her journey in the CACFP!
Read More
April Virtual Events April 1, 2025 We’re only two weeks away from the National Child Nutrition Conference in Dallas, TX. No April Fool’s pranks here! Before we see you in Dallas though, be sure to catch our next webinar on “Supporting Autism in Early Childhood Settings”. After this we start diving into all things conference.…
Read More
Does tomato sauce credit by volume served in the CACFP?
Read More
April Virtual Events April 1, 2025 We’re only two weeks away from the National Child Nutrition Conference in Dallas, TX. No April Fool’s pranks here! Before we see you in Dallas though, be sure to catch our next webinar on “Supporting Autism in Early Childhood Settings”. After this we start diving into all things conference.…
Read More
This year, National CACFP Week was formally recognized at federal, state, and local levels. Read more to learn how your peers raised awareness of the CACFP!
Read More
The 2025 National Child Nutrition Conference (NCNC25) is set to be an inspiring and impactful event, bringing together professionals dedicated to child nutrition and community advocacy. This year’s General Session will feature an exceptional lineup of speakers, led by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, keynote speaker Mike Brown, Jr. and remarks from NCA leadership and USDA.
Read More
Inspired by NCNC25 Keynote Speaker Mike Brown, Jr.
The National Child Nutrition Conference is more than just a training opportunity, it’s a chance for our community to come together, connect and get inspired. This year, we are thrilled to announce our keynote speaker, Mike Brown, Jr., MS, CFRE, President and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth.
Read More
Check out these virtual events coming up this month at NCA!
Read More
The National CACFP Association proudly announces the upcoming 39th annual National Child Nutrition Conference (NCNC), set to take place both in-person at The Anatole Dallas and virtually online. The event will bring together over 2,100 passionate individuals from organizations across the country including child care centers, home providers, sponsoring organizations, school districts, afterschool programs, Head Start programs, Food Banks, tribal nations, and State Agencies.
Read More
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released their eleventh CACFP guidance memo for 2023. The memorandum provides updated guidance on feeding infants and the infant meal pattern requirements and replaces a previous memo from 2018 (CACFP 02-2018). The memo incorporates updated breastmilk storage recommendations, infant formula food safety considerations, and information on crediting grains in ounce equivalents.
Read More
Today, September 19, the Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Greg Landsman and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici to permanently:
• Increase reimbursement rates by 10 cent for each meal and snack
• Eliminate the tiering of family day care homes
• Allow family day care home providers to claim their own children’s meals for reimbursement
The USDA released a final rule on child nutrition program integrity to ensure that child nutrition programs are properly operated and managed. This rule is one of many steps that USDA is taking to ensure that federal child nutrition programs can serve the millions of children who depend on them to reach their full potential.
Read More
USDA released a memo (SEBT 03-2023) to provide information to assist states in preparing to implement summer EBT in 2024. The memo explains how to identify, certify, and verify eligible children.
Read More
The USDA has released the Reimbursement Rates for 2023-2024. Rates are effective from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
Read More
As of June 30, 2023, the Keep Kids Fed Act (KKFA) has expired. However, NCA continues to advocate for the extension of these crucial provisions. NCA has signed a letter with other national organizations urging congress to extend the KKFA for another year.
Read More
The 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 More
The 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 More
Serving 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 More
NCA 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 More
The Exhibit A Grains Tool has a new feature that allows users to select their Program and Meal to filter the search results to only creditable grain items for their specific Program.
Read More
CDC 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 More
Are edamame creditable in the CACFP?
Read More
Does tomato sauce credit by volume served in the CACFP?
Read More
Does tomato paste and tomato puree credit based on the volume served?
Read More
Is there a milk transition period for infants and preschool age children?
Read More
Is a medical statement needed for meal modifications due to disability reasons?
Read More
Are there updated sugar limits for breakfast cereals in the CACFP?
Read More
The 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 More
The 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 More
Serving 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 More
NCA 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 More
The Exhibit A Grains Tool has a new feature that allows users to select their Program and Meal to filter the search results to only creditable grain items for their specific Program.
Read More
CDC 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 More
The “Characteristics of Emergency Shelters Participating in the CACFP” study by USDA seeks to better understand the characteristics of CACFP emergency shelters, who they serve, how CACFP fits into their operations, and their challenges with CACFP. The study was conducted in 2023 and collected data from 242 emergency shelters that participate in CACFP in Fiscal Year 2023.
Read More
A 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 More
The 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 More
USDA 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 More
Afterschool 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 More
FRAC’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 More
Michelle Buchanan serves as the Food Program Director at the Community Action of Southeastern West Virginia, a sponsoring organization of 65 family child care homes. Learn about her journey in the CACFP!
Read More
Denise Andrews is CEO and Director of For the Children, Inc. which is a sponsoring organization of family child care homes in Oklahoma. Learn about her journey in the CACFP!
Read More
Most people think food banks only provide food boxes for those in need. However, food banks do so much more and may also sponsor one or more federal nutrition programs, such as the CACFP. While most CACFP sponsoring organizations are only responsible for the administration and oversight of the program at their sponsored sites, food banks often provide the meals for their sponsored sites as well. The Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) is a great example.
Read More
The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs (CTWS) is a sponsor of the CACFP for their early childhood education center that operates a day care program for infants to children aged 3, as well as a Head start program for 3 to 5 year old children. Read about how they operate the CACFP!
Read More
Leah Penna is the President and Founder of FP Assistance, a sponsor of unaffiliated centers and afterschool sites across the state of Texas. Hear from Leah!
Read More
The CACFP is operated any many different settings, including child care, adult care, and emergency shelters. The CACFP also has an At-Risk Afterschool (ARAS) component that allows sites to serve children and teenagers 18 and under up to one snack and a supper. Not only are eligible sites able to serve meals after the school day, but they can also provide a meal and snack on weekends and during school closures.
Read More