NCNC26: Day One Highlights
April 13, 2026
The National CACFP Association kicked off its 40th National Child Nutrition Conference on Monday, April 13, as over 1,000 attendees joined us on opening day in Las Vegas.
Hitting the Ground Running
Training kicked off right away with Preconference Academies, which provided classroom-style deep dives on specialized topics, including:
- All About Grains
- Creating Equity: Integrating Indigenous Foods
- Head Start & CACFP: Compliance, Special Diets and Feeding Solutions
- Menu Planning for the CACFP
- Show Me the Money: Getting Through the Budget Approvals Process
- Succession Planning & Organizational Viability Roundtable
Attendee Perspective: Menu Planning for the CACFP
“The two years that I have attended the conference before, I’ve done a preconference and usually a postconference as well. I find that they’re more intensive and you can really get in-depth with the material. I’ve been the menu planner for a few years, and I’m always looking for new ideas. It’s very inspirational to me, as a foodie myself, to keep in mind that the kids are our clients so I can keep trying to bring the world to them through food.”
-Jennifer Cowan, Delta Area Economic Corporation
Learning the Essentials
Attendees were also able to attend the Afterschool Meals Overview and SFSP Overview, which gave an understanding of the foundational principles of the CACFP for at-risk afterschool programs and SFSP, respectively. These sessions were perfect for attendees who are looking to expand their meal programs into the afterschool or summer food realms.
Made for Leaders
Craig Ferreira presented two Leadership Labs, which were new offerings for this year’s schedule of events. His first session focused on setting meaningful goals for leaders and their teams, while his second session focused on modern day leadership and the skills needed to lead with authenticity, inspiration and trust.
Getting to Know Other Attendees
NCA President Alexia Thex gave her insight on how to start meaningful conversations that can help advance a career. This session gave attendees ideas that they could put into practice right away with the evening’s networking event, which focused on meeting other attendees from their USDA region.
Looking Ahead
Monday provided opportunities for attendees to kickstart their conference experience with expert-led training and new connections. Stay tuned as we move into tomorrow’s programming, which features a General Session with USDA Deputy Under Secretary of Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, Patrick Penn, Sesame Workshop’s Antonio Freitas, and motivational speaker Dee Hankins. We’ll also celebrate NCA’s 40th anniversary with a fun-filled 40th Anniversary Celebration Reception and look forward to welcoming all of our attendees to Las Vegas.
