2024 NCNC
A Collaborative Approach to Summer Meals
Delivery of the SFSP by community sponsors can result in patchwork approaches, duplication of efforts, and insufficient reach of many eligible children, particularly where the sponsors are not schools. A unique collaborative of sponsors working together for over 10 years, the Summer Meals Collaborative (SMC), represents an effective model for addressing SFSP challenges.Â
Read MoreOut-of-School Time Meal Program Sponsors’ Stories
Youth-serving organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs, Parks and Recreation Agencies, and YMCAs have long played a leadership role in connecting children to summer and afterschool meals. Hear from out-of-school time leaders on the post-pandemic role of these organizations, how schools and other advocates can partner with them, and policy and programmatic opportunities for connecting more children to meals.
Read MoreLeveraging State and Local Funds to Support Participation
The past several years have seen substantial growth in summer and afterschool meals programs with the additional assistance during COVID. SFSP and Afterschool Meals are both a critical part of comprehensive out-of-school time programs. Explore how to partner with existing sites to sustain and grow participation. Â
Read MoreFood Security Beyond Program Walls
How do you know when someone is experiencing food insecurity? The contributors of food insecurity are complex and it can be challenging to know if families struggle to put food on the table. CACFP sites are poised to help alleviate food insecurity beyond their program walls. Learn how to support families by creating a food access resource map.
Read MoreEngaging Your Community in Your Meal Program
Meal programs are an important outreach tool, but what if your meal program also connected kids with others in their community and had business leaders helping out? Find out the potential with us. Bonus – all the ideas involved are cost-free!
Read MoreCACFP Afterschool Meals Overview
Only 1 in 10 children who qualify for afterschool and out-of-school time meals are receiving them. The CACFP offers a solution to this nationwide problem. Learn how we can combat sending kids home hungry by partnering with sponsoring organizations.
Read MoreAfterschool Meals: Feeding Children for a Healthier Future
Are you interested in serving afterschool meals at your site but are unsure where to begin? Get an overview of the requirements needed to provide healthy meals at afterschool sites and to receive financial reimbursement. Understand the basics of the CACFP and how afterschool programs can play a crucial role in providing food security to children. Â
Read MoreGrowing CACFP Beyond the Kitchen
The educational and developmental benefits of introducing gardening to young children have been well documented. However, because providers have many responsibilities, gardening lessons often receive limited attention and occur only one to two hours per month. Explore how food service providers within CACFP facilities can expand their kitchen roles to increase children’s exposure to gardening.
Read MoreFarm to Child: Educational Standard Alignment and Goal Setting
Farm to Child works to increase opportunities for children ages 0-5 to cook, taste, grow and connect with nutritious local foods while engaging ECE professionals, families, and communities. Children who experience these core component activities are more likely to develop healthy life-long habits. Learn how Farm to Child in Colorado finds program success with early learning standard alignment and goal setting.
Read MoreExploring One Vegetable, One Community
Are you looking for a new approach to get children and families excited to eat vegetables? Discover One Vegetable, One Community (OVOC), a program designed to inspire child care providers, Head Start staff, families, and others in the community to grow the same kind of vegetable. Discover learning activities to encourage children to eat the vegetable they are growing.
Read More