Resources and Support During the Government Shutdown
November 5, 2025
The government shutdown has continued into November as Congress has yet to reach an agreement on Fiscal Year 2026 funding. NCA has confirmed with USDA that funds have been released to State agencies to cover all CACFP reimbursement and cash-in-lieu claims for October and November – with funds released in November and December.
Although funding for CACFP is secure through December, this is a time of great uncertainty for other federal food assistance programs like SNAP and WIC. These programs are vital to many families and the potential loss of access can be concerning to many.
Child and adult care providers can help during this time by providing support and resources for families. Below, we’ve put together a list of resources and ideas for providers to help families that experience disruption to food programs during the shutdown.
Resources for Families
- Feeding America Food Bank Locator: Find your local food bank by ZIP code. Many offer groceries, meals, and connections to other services.
- Hunger Free America Hunger Hotline: Call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (or 1-877-8-HAMBRE for Spanish) or text 97779 with a keyword like “food” or “meals” to find nearby food assistance.
Support for Families
- Expand enrollment of existing afterschool education programs that provide CACFP meals, if capacity allows.
- Offer snack and supper in the CACFP afterschool meals program, with State agency approval.
- Harvest food from your garden, if you have one, and distribute produce to families.
- Partner with a local charitable organization to organize food donations for families (must use non-CACFP funds).
Resources for Providers
We recognize this can be a challenging time for CACFP providers. NCA has a couple of helpful tools to stretch your budget:
We are grateful for your commitment to ensuring that millions of children and adults have access to nutritious foods. Stay up to date on the government shutdown at NCA’s blog.