October 23, 2026 Registration is officially open for the 2027 National Child Nutrition Conference (NCNC27), the nation’s premier conference for Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) professionals. Thousands of child nutrition professionals will gather in Chicago from March 29-April 2, 2027, to learn, connect and share ideas. Attendees…
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October 21, 2026 As a sponsor, you provide training, technical assistance and ongoing support that help providers succeed. The guidance your team provides, along with the help managing paperwork and claims, allows them to focus on the children and adults in their care. When you reach out to prospective providers, does that value come through? …
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Nebraska advocates have shown what is possible when providers, state leaders, and advocates come together around a shared goal. In a major win for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), the Nebraska Legislature unanimously passed LR296, a resolution urging Congress to eliminate CACFP tiering and provide additional reimbursement for all family child care providers.
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USDA issued guidance encouraging State agencies to strengthen their review of organizations seeking to participate in the CACFP. The memorandum emphasizes thorough screening, documentation, and oversight during the application process to prevent fraud, waste, and program abuse while ensuring that only qualified organizations are approved to operate the Program.
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October 19, 2026 The National CACFP Association (NCA) is proud to continue its annual scholarship program for the 2027 National Child Nutrition Conference (NCNC), taking place March 29-April 2, 2027, in Chicago, Illinois. Each year, NCA awards scholarships to Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) professionals who are dedicated to improving access to nutritious…
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Is breastfeeding by a parent on-site creditable in the CACFP?
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October 19, 2026 The National CACFP Association (NCA) is proud to continue its annual scholarship program for the 2027 National Child Nutrition Conference (NCNC), taking place March 29-April 2, 2027, in Chicago, Illinois. Each year, NCA awards scholarships to Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) professionals who are dedicated to improving access to nutritious…
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October 15, 2026 Registration is officially open for the 2027 National Child Nutrition Conference (NCNC27), happening March 29-April 2, 2027, in Chicago. Attendees can now take advantage of the lowest registration rate through December 1, 2026. This year’s theme, Fresh Ideas, Shared Purpose, celebrates what brings the child nutrition community together: a shared commitment to…
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The National CACFP Association (NCA) will celebrate Farm to CACFP Week from October 18–24, 2026, an annual education campaign encouraging child and adult care providers to connect the foods they serve with local agriculture, producers and their communities.
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Each year, the National CACFP Association celebrates Farm to CACFP Week, a national campaign that highlights the many ways child and adult care programs can connect local food, gardening, and agriculture education with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Through these efforts, providers can strengthen community food systems while helping participants build lifelong healthy habits.
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The National CACFP Association (NCA) believes that education and training should be within reach for everyone who serves children and adults in their care. That commitment is why NCA is awarding 92 scholarships to the 2026 CACFP Virtual Summit, providing recipients with free participation in four days of expert-led sessions and connection with peers from across the field.
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https://www.einpresswire.com/article/918726319/national-cacfp-association-opens-call-for-presentations-at-2027-national-child-nutrition-conference-in-chicago
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Summer EBT will provide EBT benefits on an ongoing basis to low-income children during the summer months to ensure continued access to meals and snacks when school is not in session. For 2024, benefits are an amount equal to $40 per month per eligible child during the summer operational period.
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The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, established a permanent non-congregate meal service option for rural areas with no congregate meal service available. This memorandum provides guidance on the administration and operation of non-congregate meal service in rural areas during summer 2023 for the SFSP.
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In December 2022, NCA carried out a member survey to obtain feedback on policy issues and COVID-19 flexibilities from CACFP sponsoring organizations and providers. The results of the survey will be used to inform NCAs advocacy efforts moving forward.
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States, US Territories and local authorities can bring recognition to the importance of the CACFP and its stakeholders by proclaiming the 3rd week of March as CACFP Week.
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USDA released guidance to provide the information needed to conduct the FY 2023 reallocation of State Administrative Expense (SAE) funds. Reallocation is a formal process by which State agencies can: (1) request additional SAE funds above their initial authorized funding level; or (2) return SAE funds they do not need. All State agencies must submit an SAE Funds Reallocation Report (FNS-525) to their respective USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Regional office by March 20, 2023, even if the State agency is neither requesting nor returning funds.
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During the pandemic, emergency shelters participating in the CACFP were temporarily allowed to claim reimbursement for meals and snacks served to individuals under the age of 25. The Food and Nutrition Service announced that these temporary authorized reimbursements are expected to end on May 11, 2023, concurrent with the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
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Behind every CACFP meal is a system of oversight designed to maintain public trust and protect the people the program serves. Sponsoring organizations ensure compliance, accountability and continued access to nutritious meals while providing ongoing technical assistance. Here are resources that explain how program integrity is upheld in the CACFP.
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Exciting news! Head Start programs have an opportunity to access one-time supplemental funds to support nutrition services and healthy eating for enrolled children and families. You can use this funding for staff training on resources and educational opportunities to help your program improve outcomes for children and families and align with USDA requirements – like the CACFP!
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The Child and Adult Care Food Program has new creditable foods listed on the USDA Food Buying Guide! If you are new to the FBG, this interactive tool allows for easy display, search, and navigation of food yield information. In addition, users can compare yield information, create a favorite foods list, and access tools, such as the Recipe Analysis Workbook (RAW) and the Product Formulation Statement Workbook.
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The Child and Adult Care Food Program community asked for more Spanish resources to be available on the National CACFP Sponsors Association website and we heard you! Available now in Spanish are more resources to help sponsors and providers with meal pattern requirements, best practices, and so much more!
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Serving meals to young people year-round benefits children, families, and care providers. To do this, many providers transition from operating the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) At-Risk Afterschool (ARAS) during the school year to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) while school is out. For an overview of the main differences between SFSP and CACFP ARAS, see the comparison chart below.
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NCA understands that the end of flexibilities will cause challenges for many CACFP sponsors and providers and we commend your continued commitment to providing nutritious meals and snacks to the children or adults in your care. In preparation for the end of the additional reimbursement, we have collected the following resources to help you successfully provide meals even if your available budget decreases.
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Is breastfeeding by a parent on-site creditable in the CACFP?
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Are water chestnuts creditable as a vegetable?
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Is ravioli creditable in the CACFP?
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Is A2 milk creditable in the CACFP?
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Is 100% full-strength gelled juice creditable in the CACFP?
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If a packaged grain has the whole grain stamp, is that item whole grain-rich?
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Behind every CACFP meal is a system of oversight designed to maintain public trust and protect the people the program serves. Sponsoring organizations ensure compliance, accountability and continued access to nutritious meals while providing ongoing technical assistance. Here are resources that explain how program integrity is upheld in the CACFP.
Read More
Exciting news! Head Start programs have an opportunity to access one-time supplemental funds to support nutrition services and healthy eating for enrolled children and families. You can use this funding for staff training on resources and educational opportunities to help your program improve outcomes for children and families and align with USDA requirements – like the CACFP!
Read More
The Child and Adult Care Food Program has new creditable foods listed on the USDA Food Buying Guide! If you are new to the FBG, this interactive tool allows for easy display, search, and navigation of food yield information. In addition, users can compare yield information, create a favorite foods list, and access tools, such as the Recipe Analysis Workbook (RAW) and the Product Formulation Statement Workbook.
Read More
The Child and Adult Care Food Program community asked for more Spanish resources to be available on the National CACFP Sponsors Association website and we heard you! Available now in Spanish are more resources to help sponsors and providers with meal pattern requirements, best practices, and so much more!
Read More
Serving meals to young people year-round benefits children, families, and care providers. To do this, many providers transition from operating the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) At-Risk Afterschool (ARAS) during the school year to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) while school is out. For an overview of the main differences between SFSP and CACFP ARAS, see the comparison chart below.
Read More
NCA understands that the end of flexibilities will cause challenges for many CACFP sponsors and providers and we commend your continued commitment to providing nutritious meals and snacks to the children or adults in your care. In preparation for the end of the additional reimbursement, we have collected the following resources to help you successfully provide meals even if your available budget decreases.
Read More
A report from the Global Food Institute at The George Washington University, titled Changing the Default: A Policy Roadmap for Reducing Added Sugars in U.S. Children’s Diets, outlines a comprehensive strategy for helping children consume less added sugar and improve long-term health outcomes.
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A new report from Children’s HealthWatch examines how child care providers are navigating the growing challenge of serving nutritious meals to young children amid rising food costs, staffing shortages, and complex program requirements.
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USDA published a final rule that allows CACFP operators to offer whole or reduced-fat milk to participants ages two and up. Here’s what the research says about milk fat in early childhood.
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The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) released their Afterschool Supper report that snapshots participation in October 2024. They found that afterschool supper participation has increased and that CACFP represents 50% of the daily participation.
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The Stanford Center on Early Childhood released a RAPID report that looks at how issues of food insecurity and hunger are affecting adults who provide care for young children. Their key finding: hunger is on the rise among child care providers.
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USDA released their second report on the Study of Nutrition and Activity in Child Care Settings (SNACS-II), which follow their first in 2022. SNACS-II uses data from program year 2022-23 to assess how well children’s diets and CACFP meals align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
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As Health and Nutrition Specialist for the Navajo Nation Tribal Government Head Start, Anglene Joe helps ensure that children across one of the largest tribal nations in the United States have access to healthy meals, cultural connections and the foundation they need to thrive.
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For more than five decades, 4C for Children has been a cornerstone of support for child care providers and families across southeastern Wisconsin. Among their services is the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), where 4C for Children sponsors 311 family child care homes that collectively serve nearly 4,000 children and provide more than 853,000 meals each year.
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For more than four decades, Darcie Decker has helped shape the nutrition programs at Youth & Family Services (YFS) in Rapid City, South Dakota. As Nutrition Director, Darcie oversees both the organization’s on-site meal programs and its Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) sponsorship of family child care homes across much of western South Dakota.
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For nearly three decades, Pat Siergiey has dedicated her career to supporting child care providers and ensuring children across Vermont have access to nutritious meals through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Read about what her organization is doing to uplift the CACFP.
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Sponsor of Family Child Care Homes September 8, 2026 Karen Velasco and Anabel Tejada have built their careers at Child Care Network of New York from the ground up. Today, they help lead one of New York’s largest CACFP sponsoring organizations, supporting more than 1,100 family child care homes and 13,348 participants across New York…
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Tammy Urich is the CACFP Coordinator at Butte 4-C’s, a Montana Resource and Referral agency that sponsors 94 family homes serving over 1,500 children.
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