CACFP & Links

The Child and Adult Care Food Program - Where Healthy Eating Becomes a Habit

Research shows that taking the time to teach and help establish healthy eating habits early in life has positive effects on a child's health and well being. The Child and Adult Care food Program (CACFP), a nutrition education and reimbursement program for licensed family child care homes and centers, knows this well. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the CACFP helps to assure parents that their children are receiving nutritious meals that contribute to a reduction in spending on health care and remedial education. Last year, the CACFP helped child care providers serve nutritious meals to 2.4 million children across our nation.

To participate in the CACFP, child care providers must serve meals meeting CACFP meal pattern requirements and allow their home to be monitored. In addition, participants must maintain menus, meal counts, attendance records and attend training.

For more information on the Child and Adult Care Food Program or other nutrition or child care organizations click on one of these links:

American Association of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fncs/

Child Care Nutrition Resource System
http://www.nal.usda.gov/childcare

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
http://ombwatch.org/

Food Research and Action Center
http://www.frac.org/html/

National Association for Family Child Care
http://www.nafcc.org/

Save the Children
http://www.savethechildren.org/

Children's Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/

Team Nutrition
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn

The ABC's of Safe & Healthy Child Care
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/abc/

Government Food Safety Information
http://www.foodsafety.gov/

Federal Register: 7 CFR Part 226 (regulations governing CACFP)
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Care/Default.htm

OMB Circular A-122 (Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/OMB/

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence
http://www.ed.gov/free/

CACFP Sponsor's forum
http://www.cacfpforum.org

National Food Service Management Institute
http://www.nfsmi.org

Food & Nutrition Information Center
National Agricultural Library
http://www.nal.usda.gov/childcare