FY26 Advocacy Year in Review
September 30, 2026
At the National CACFP Association (NCA), advocacy is central to our mission. Our advocacy works towards strengthening the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and ensuring providers, sponsors, and state agencies have the support they need to serve nutritious meals in their communities.
Over the past year, NCA has worked alongside advocates across the country to elevate the voices of CACFP operators, influence federal policy, engage in regulatory processes, and raise awareness of the program's impact. From Capitol Hill to federal agencies, these efforts have helped ensure decision-makers understand both the opportunities and challenges facing the CACFP community.
Congressional Advocacy
One of NCA's primary advocacy goals has been to educate Congressional staff on the CACFP and advance legislation that strengthens, modernizes, and expands access to CACFP.
In April 2025, two critical CACFP bills were reintroduced in Congress: the Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act and the Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act. Together, these bills address longstanding challenges faced by CACFP operators by proposing increased reimbursement rates, eliminating tiering of family homes and reducing administrative burdens.
Throughout FY26, NCA met with congressional offices, educated lawmakers on the importance of CACFP, and mobilized advocates through the CACFP Action Network to build support for these priorities. NCA also worked with congressional offices to ensure that legislation, including the Universal School Meals Program Act, met the needs of the CACFP community.
NCA also opposed proposals that could negatively impact providers, sponsors, and participants, ensuring policymakers understood how changes would affect real-world program operations.
Regulatory Advocacy
Beyond legislation, NCA remained actively engaged in federal regulatory advocacy throughout the year. Our policy team has met multiple times throughout the year with the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees Head Start and child care licensing. During these meetings NCA shared the current challenges faced by CACFP operators and opportunity for improvement.
USDA released the final rule expanding fluid milk options in Child Nutrition Programs, NCA gathered feedback from the CACFP community through listening sessions and submitted formal comments to USDA. NCA supported the additional flexibility allowing whole and reduced-fat milk options for participants age two and older while also recommending reduced paperwork requirements, clearer implementation guidance, and consistent state-level adoption of the new flexibilities.
NCA also submitted comments regarding USDA's information collection for the CACFP National Disqualified List. While supporting the importance of maintaining program integrity, NCA recommended improvements to the data collection process, including gathering more detailed information about serious deficiency determinations and state agency removal processes. These recommendations were intended to improve consistency, transparency, and technical assistance across states.
NCA is also actively engaging with Head Start operators, sponsors, and stakeholders to develop a comment for the Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed rule Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs. Although the proposed rule still requires Head Start participation in the CACFP, some proposed changes could affect Head Start programs’ ability to implement nutrition programs successfully.
In addition, NCA has been actively monitoring USDA's upcoming rulemaking to align CACFP requirements with the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To prepare for future advocacy, NCA surveyed CACFP operators regarding dietary guideline implementation challenges and shared findings directly with the Office of Management and Budget, ensuring the experiences of providers are considered early in the regulatory process.
Raising Awareness
Advocacy extends beyond legislation and regulations. Building public awareness is equally important to strengthening support for the program.
During National CACFP Week 2026, NCA led a nationwide effort to highlight the vital role CACFP plays in combating hunger, supporting healthy development, and promoting nutrition security. The campaign achieved recognition at every level of government, including bipartisan congressional resolutions in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Advocates also secured governors' proclamations in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, and Wisconsin, while local leaders across the country issued recognitions highlighting CACFP's impact in their communities. The campaign generated media attention nationwide and helped elevate the visibility of CACFP providers and the families they serve.
Another significant milestone was the launch of NCA's first annual Farm to CACFP Week. The initiative encourages child and adult care programs to connect participants with local foods, gardening opportunities, agriculture education, and community food systems. Through educational resources and outreach activities, Farm to CACFP helps providers incorporate local food procurement and nutrition education into their CACFP operations while strengthening connections between care settings and local agriculture.
Looking Forward to FY2027
As we prepare for a new Congress and continued USDA rulemaking, your voice remains essential. Together, we will keep advocating for policies that strengthen CACFP, reduce administrative burden, support providers, and ensure access to healthy meals.