Policy
Modernizing the CACFP to Expand Access with Off-Site Monitoring
To ensure the integrity of the CACFP, participating programs must be monitored. Historically, monitoring visits have been conducted on-site, with monitors traveling to each child care program to observe meal service and review records. This process results in increased time and costs for monitoring organizations. Learn how off-site monitoring could benefit and modernize the CACFP.
Read MoreNCA 2023 Advocacy Update
Our team here at the National CACFP Sponsors Association is continuously looking for ways to support and advocate for you! This year, we’ve really ramped up our policy and advocacy work in an effort to expand and improve the CACFP.
Read MoreEquitable Reimbursement Crucial for CACFP
Current CACFP Reimbursement rates are not enough to cover food costs. The inequitable tiering of family homes causes reimbursement for some to be even less. As a result, a financial burden is placed on small businesses and working families. An increase in reimbursement would help to keep care affordable and protect children against hunger.
Read MoreThe CACFP’s Impact Across the Nation
More than 138,000 child and adult care providers operate the CACFP, serving nutritious meals to over 4.5 million children and adults daily. The CACFP supports small businesses, helps families keep their children fed, provides balanced meals to those in care, and helps build life-long healthy habits.
Read MoreBest Practices for Determining Proximity of Sites in the SFSPÂ
USDA’s memorandum, SFSP 15-2023, provides best practices for preventing approval of multiple sites serving the same meals at the same time to the same children.
Read MoreSFSP Question and Answer – 2023 RevisedÂ
USDA updated their previous Summer Food Service Program Question and Answer guidance (SFSP 05-2017) in September of 2023.
Read More1 Year Later: NCA’s Commitments During the White House Conference
One year ago today, on September 28, 2022, President Biden hosted the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over a half century. At the conference, the administration called on stakeholders to make commitments towards ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases. NCA answered this call for action, writing a letter committing to raising awareness of the CACFP.
Read MoreSFSP Unused Reimbursement Guidance
In order to maintain program integrity and proper use of SFSP funds, it is important that both sponsors and state agencies understand what to do when there are remaining, unused funds at the end of the program year. USDA released two pieces of updated guidance regarding unused reimbursement in the SFSP.
Read MoreFeeding Infants and Meal Pattern Requirements in the CACFP
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 MoreChild Care Nutrition Enhancement Act
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