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April 13-17, 2026

Las Vegas, Nevada

CACFP · Afterschool Meals · Summer Food

Policy & Advocacy Track | CEU Specialty 7 | Beginner

Shaping the Future of the CACFP

Join the NCA policy team for an overview of the current CACFP policy landscape and the latest updates influencing the program. This interactive session invites attendees to share perspectives, ask questions, and provide feedback to help inform ongoing policy discussions and future priorities.

  1. Understand current policy developments.
  2. Learn about emerging issues influencing the CACFP.
  3. Share insights that shape future priorities.

Presented by

Alexia Thex 2024 Web

Alexia Thex, MEd

President, National CACFP Association

McKenzie Brunner 2024 Web

McKenzie Brunner, MGPS

Senior Policy & Outreach Specialist, National CACFP Association

Late Registration Rates

$739 Members | $859 Non-Members

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Browse more workshops by education track!

Nutrition Education

Addressing Feeding Concerns & Approaches to Nutrition Therapy

All4Kids: Growing Healthy Bodies and Minds in Preschoolers

Eat, Think, Create: Exploring Food Through STEAM

Engaging System-Involved Parents in Nutrition Education

Food Explorers: Growing Adventurous Eaters

Fueling Futures: How Nutrition Shapes Growth, Learning & Behavior

Healthy Habits Outdoors: Nutrition and Play in Child Care

Let’s Try It! Taste Testing in Emergency Shelters

Maximizing Your Budget Through Menu Planning

New Protein Guidelines: Impacts on CACFP Menus

No Pushback, Just Buy-In: Plant-Based Success in the CACFP

Planning Menus That Bring Us Together

Power Up Your Meal Program: Tools to Boost Nutrition Education

Savoring Connection: Nurturing Community Through Our Kitchen

The Future of School Meals: Innovation and Student Engagement

CACFP Meal Patterns

Beyond Beginners: Next Level Menu Planning

CN Labels & PFS Made Simple

Crediting Basics and Beyond in the CACFP

Crediting Recipes Step-by-Step

From Scratch to Success: Creating Cycle Menus and CACFP-Ready Recipes

Grain Ounce Equivalents Made Easy

Identifying Whole Grain-Rich

Little Plates, Big Impact: Enhance CACFP with Local Produce

Mornings Made Easy: Breakfast Solutions for Early Eaters

Navigating Special Diets

Quizapalooza: Are You a Meal Pattern Superstar?

Head Start

Bringing Head Start Home: Helping Families Create Healthy Habits

CACFP & Head Start Food Service Regulations

Conducting Monitoring in the CACFP for Head Start

Family Style Dining in Head Start: Building Healthy Habits

Family Style Dining: Basics to Best Practice

Nourishing Young Minds Starts with Us

On the Hunt for Good Nutrition: Healthy Foundations in Head Start

Out of the Box: Engaging Families Through Nutrition Education

Taste & Tell: Improving Head Start Menus with Family Engagement

Farm to CACFP

Building Your Farm to ECE Program From Seed to Harvest

Cultivating Change: The Collaborative Approach to Farm to ECE

Farm to ECE Panel: Understanding Successful Local Food Purchasing

Fresh Picks: A Deep Dive into Farm to ECE Resources

Garden-Based Nutrition for Early Childhood: I Am a Seed

Let’s GROW Outside: Learning Through Gardening and Collaboration

Local Food Procurement: Find the Best Fit for Your Site

The Children’s Farmers Market: Growing Healthy Futures

Visualize Your Farm to CACFP Dream

Afterschool Meals

Expanding Afterschool & Summer Meals Through Youth Engagement

Keeping Kids Fed Year-Round: SFSP to ARAS

Managing Multiple Afterschool Sites Under One Sponsor

No Kitchen? No Cook? No Problem! Fresh Afterschool & Summer Meals

No Money, No Problem: Turning Scarcity into Innovation

Serving Afterschool Meals Makes Cents

Unlock the Power of Data to Grow Your Afterschool Meals Program

Summer Food

Data-Driven Decisions: Expanding Summer Meals in Oklahoma

Ensuring Integrity in Rural Non-Congregate Meal Service

From Fragile to Resilient: Sustaining Summer Meals in Uncertain Times

Home Delivery: Lessons from Serving 7,000 Children Weekly

Increasing Summer Meal Impact Through Partnerships

Innovation in Motion: SUN Meals To-Go

Non-Congregate Summer Meals: Learnings and Expansion Opportunities

Nourishing Engagement: Marketing Strategies for Summer Meals

Overcoming Challenges in Summer Feeding at the Houston Food Bank

Rural Non-Congregate in Action: Best Practices for Grab & Go Sites

Serving Up Summer: Boosting Meal Program Impact

Sunshine on a Plate: Shining a Light on SUN Meals To-Go

Management & Professional Development

A Mentor’s Wisdom, A Mentee’s Future

Cultivating Well-Being: Practical Strategies for Mental Health in CACFP Workspaces

Don’t Be a Bore: Make Your Trainings ROAR

Fundamentals of Leadership: Dealing with Difficult Employees

Mindful Communication: Speak Clearly, Listen Compassionately

Protecting Your Energy and Purpose in CACFP Work: The Power of No

Resilience is Everything

ROAR Encore: Leveling Up Your Trainings

Self-Care Strategies to Manage Stress and Burnout

Smart Solutions: Free Tech Tools for CACFP Sponsor Success

Strengthening Meal Program Staffing in Times of Crisis

The Power of Their Presence: The Untold Secret to Success in CACFP

Together as One: Strength Through Teamwork

Financial Management

Administrative Review Preparedness for Sponsors

Administrative Review: Financial Management for Sponsors

CACFP Bank Activity Review: A Toolkit & Roadmap for Team Success

Compliance to Credibility: Rethinking CACFP for Business Growth

Financial Fitness 101: Tools & Tips for a Stronger Program

Fraud, Facts and Finding Strength in Legal Partnerships

Investigating Fraud, Waste & Abuse in Federally Funded Programs

Navigating Specific Prior Written Approvals for Budget Items

Sponsor Audits: Avoid Pitfalls, Stay Prepared and Succeed

Sponsoring Summer Food: Keys to Financial Management

Program Administration & Operations

Boosting Produce Intake with the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Communicating CACFP Benefits to Families and Stakeholders

Completing Claims Like Clockwork

Engaging Families in the CACFP: From Menu to Home

Errors to Excellence: Practical Ways to Prevent Costly Mistakes

Overcoming Challenges to Strengthen Your Food Program

Oversight and Monitoring of the CACFP

The Most Customizable CACFP Software: Make It Yours!

To Vend or Not to Vend: Building Your Food Program

Turning Compliance into Cash Flow: A New Way to Talke About CACFP

Using the Food Buying Guide: From Recipe to Shopping List

Policy & Advocacy

Behind the Scenes of the 2015 Paperwork Reduction Report

Championing Change with CACFP Advocacy

Child Nutrition Reauthorization: Continued Advocacy for the CACFP

Compliance and Special Diets in the CACFP

MAHA’s Impact on the CACFP and Child Nutrition Programs

Ultra-Processed Foods: Nutrition Quality in Policy and Practice

Research & Resources

Beyond the Plate: Using the Social-Ecological Model in CNPs

Building Awareness & Connections: A Farm to ECE Campaign for Ohio

Connected and In Community: Digital Well-Being with Sesame Street

Early Childhood Nutrition Assessment: I Am a Seed

Expanding CACFP Through Partnership and Communication

FAMS in Focus: Food Allergy Management for K-12 School

Feeding Connection: Centering Student Voice in Meal Programs

Feeding Curiosity: Engaging Families in Nutrition

From Map to Meals: Using NC’s Farm to ECE Map for CACFP Growth

Leverage Resources to Build a Sustainable CACFP Program

More Than the Meal: Trauma-Informed Nutrition Practices

Navigating Dairy Recommendations Amid New Dietary Guidance

Not on the Menu: Heavy Metals and Harmful Plastics in Kids’ Food

Read, Cook, Learn: Recipe for School Readiness and Family Engagment

Supporting Family Child Care: Creating a Statewide Staffed Network

Taste Test to Tray: Student-Led Recipe Innovation in School Meals

The Crediting Handbook Refresh: What’s New for CACFP Crediting Success

The Desert, The Swamp or a Mirage: What’s Your Food Reality?

Commercial

Budget to Bite: Nutritious Meals Made Affordable

CACFP Monitoring Basics for State Agencies and Sponsors

CACFP Training Program & Nutrition Calendar

Food for Good: Maximizing Your Vendor Relationship

Give Your Program a Protein Boost with Nutritious Dairy

Health-e Pro: Your CACFP Superpower

Scenario Planning for Nonprofits: Building Resilience with YPTC

Smart Food Management with CREDIBLE by Early Learning Ventures

Solids Made Simple: Introducing Solids and Baby-Led Feeding

Taking the Paper Out of CACFP Paperwork with KidKare by Minute Menu

Unlocking the Power of Digital CACFP & SFSP Data

Thank you to our...

Partners
Sponsors

Exhibitors

Gold Level

Food for Good by PepsiCo

KidKare by Minute Menu

Umoja Nutrition Security Solutions

Silver Level

Champion Foodservice

Diversified Foods Inc.

The Edible Education Group

Food & Supply Source

General Mills

Kaplan Early Learning Company

Oliver Packaging and Equipment

Optimum Foods

Peterson Farms Family of Companies

USA Pulses

Bronze Level

The Amazing Chickpea

Arlington Valley Farms

Big Sandy Organics

Brighton Training Group

Choice Partners Cooperative

E S Foods

FitEats K12

Fresh Baby

Gerber Products Company

Harvest Hill Beverage Company

Health-e Pro

Highland Beef Farms

J&J Snack Foods

JA FoodService Corp

Link2Feed

MBC Companies (Bake Crafters & Nardone Bros. Brands)

McLane Hunger Solutions

MH Miles Company, CPA, PC

Myers and Stauffer LC

My Food Program

National Pork Board

Novick Childcare Solutions

NU Health Foods

Rebellyous Foods

Red Gold Tomato & Condiment Products

Starkist

StreamPay

Sun-Maid Growers of California

Sun Pacific

Sunrich Products

Sysco

Tarrier Foods/Rockin'ola

That's it.

UpBup

Wawona Frozen Foods

Your Part-Time Controller

Nonprofit Level

Balanced

Dr. Yum Project

Early Learning Ventures

EducaPro

Institute of Child Nutrition

Leah's Pantry

Team Nutrition