In 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 More
The 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 More
Is apple cider juice creditable in the CACFP?
Read More
The National CACFP Association (NCA) is pleased to announce the promotion of two team members to Vice President within the association. Elizabeth Sherman has been elevated to the position of Vice President of Operations & Finance, and Alexia Thex has been promoted to the position Vice President of Policy, Partnerships & Events.
Read More
USDA 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 More
Are brown rice noodles creditable in the CACFP?
Read More
In 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 More
Check out these virtual events coming up this month at NCA!
Read More
The 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 More
Check out these virtual events coming up this month at NCA!
Read More
Registration 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 More
When 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 More
The 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 More
USDA 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 More
November 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 More
CACFP 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 More
The 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 More
USDA 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 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
Is apple cider juice creditable in the CACFP?
Read More
Are brown rice noodles creditable in the CACFP?
Read More
Can second servings be claimed for reimbursement in family style dining?
Read More
Is popped sorghum creditable in the CACFP?
Read More
How does tempeh credit in the CACFP?
Read More
Is tempeh creditable 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
In December 2022, the Indiana University CACFP Project Team released a report describing the facilitators and barriers to CACFP participation by family child care homes (FCCHs). The report concludes with suggestions for potential strategies to promote participation in the CACFP by FCCHs. The study was conducted in two states, Arizona and New York, that have varying levels of CACFP participation. The study outlines the facilitators and barriers to FCCHs’ enrollment in CACFP and recommends a few strategies to increase participation.
Read More
In October 2021 the USDA released a report on the Study of Nutrition and Activity in Child Care Settings (SNACS), which is the first nationally representative, comprehensive assessment of the CACFP.
Read More
December 2, 2022 Providing Meals in Early Childhood Settings report Hunger Free Vermont conducted a statewide survey of early childhood programs in late 2021, seeking to understand what barriers early childhood providers face when it comes to providing food to program participants. The Providing Meals in Early Childhood Settings report identified the most common barriers…
Read More
The 2022 FACTS Report suggests problems in food advertising to children, and the newly issued National Strategy on Hunger may offer a solution.
Read More
This is a broad overview of the newly published findings of the 2021 study conducted by the National Farm to School Network and Michigan State University’s Center for Regional Food Systems. Read the complete report for an in-depth look at their findings.
Read More
This review of the RAPID Survey is from our friends at Food & Research Action Center (FRAC). We agree with their analysis and concern about childhood hunger.
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
Congressman Marc Molinaro visited Jessica’s Daycare in his home district (NY-19) to witness child care and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) firsthand.
Read More
Hear from three outstanding CACFP sponsoring organizations about the work that they do with CACFP providers to ensure the children and adults in their care receive nutritious meals.
Read More