Did you know that peanuts are one of the nine major food allergens listed by the US Food and Drug Administration. The good news is most babies are not at risk of developing a peanut allergy. Those that are at high-risk of developing an allergy can reduce the risk by up to 86 percent by being introduced to peanut containing-foods early.
Read MoreThe National CACFP Sponsors Association released is 2025 Advocacy Agenda, which will drive our advocacy efforts for the next year. Our agenda centers around five core priorities: fair and equitable funding, reduction of paperwork, expansion of eligibility, State-level action to supplement federal efforts, and support for the child care infrastructure. Read more!
Read MoreCheck out these virtual events coming up this month at NCA!
Read MoreAre there any grains that are both gluten free and whole grain-rich?
Read MoreWhat is gluten?
Read MoreRegistration is now open for the 2025 National Child Nutrition Conference, the premier annual event held by the National CACFP Sponsors Association, bringing together professionals from child care centers, home providers, sponsoring organizations, school districts, afterschool programs, Head Start programs, Food Banks, tribal nations and State Agencies.
Read MoreCheck out these virtual events coming up this month at NCA!
Read MoreRegistration is now open for the 2025 National Child Nutrition Conference, the premier annual event held by the National CACFP Sponsors Association, bringing together professionals from child care centers, home providers, sponsoring organizations, school districts, afterschool programs, Head Start programs, Food Banks, tribal nations and State Agencies.
Read MoreWhen two entities focus on a common mission, anything is possible. The National CACFP Sponsors Association (NCA) sees its mission align with the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TXAEYC) without a hint of deviation: To ensure those serving children are provided with the resources needed to help them sprout to unimaginable heights.
Read MoreCheck out these virtual events coming up this month at NCA!
Read MoreAs the cross-section of nutrition education and early childhood education continues to expand in its ever-growing research, efficiencies, policies, practices, operations, and, primarily, its programs, the National CACFP Sponsors Association (NCA) continues to solidify its footprint as a leading educator on the subject at the Academy of Nutrition Dietetics’ Food and Nutrition Conference Expo (FNCE) 2024.
Read MoreCheck out these virtual events coming up this month at NCA!
Read MoreThe National CACFP Sponsors Association released is 2025 Advocacy Agenda, which will drive our advocacy efforts for the next year. Our agenda centers around five core priorities: fair and equitable funding, reduction of paperwork, expansion of eligibility, State-level action to supplement federal efforts, and support for the child care infrastructure. Read more!
Read MoreThe audit threshold for federal awards was raised from $750,000 to $1 million. This means that sponsoring organizations who receive less than $1 million in CACFP reimbursement annually are not required to have an annual audit.
Read MoreToday, October 1, 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $200 million for Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) operators through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).
Read MoreCACFP advocacy is central to the mission of National CACFP Sponsors Association (NCA) and NCA is continuously working to support and advocate for you! This year, we’ve ramped up our advocacy work to help raise awareness and expand and improve the CACFP.
Read MoreDuring the Covid-19 pandemic, the Keep Kids Fed Act provided flexibilities that were critical for the ability to continue to provide nutritious meals and maintain operation of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
Read MoreAdvocacy might seem scary, some of our most active advocates admit to being intimidated by advocacy before they got started, but it can be simple. Advocacy can be as simple as telling your friend about your job or posting a picture of the meals you make on social media (really!).
Read MoreEvery movement from bringing food to mouth, opening mouth, biting, moving tongue to chew food and then swallowing are all learned skills. Use this baby development resource to see how infant eating skills build over time.
Read MoreDownload this members-only resource on making homemade baby puree. You’ll discover tips and tricks, safety information and two recipes.
Read MoreDownload this free set of CACFP flashcards to introduce novel fruits and vegetables in your program.
Read MoreThis meal planning and food-buying guide from the USDA can help you take extra precautions and stay prepared for a pandemic.
Read MoreDownload and print this free full color infographic from the USDA on yogurt. It includes five fantastic yogurt recipes.
Read MoreDownload and print this free full color infographic from the USDA on turkey. It includes five fantastic turkey recipes.
Read MoreAre there any grains that are both gluten free and whole grain-rich?
Read MoreWhat is gluten?
Read MoreAre plantains credited as a fruit or a vegetable in the CACFP?
Read MoreCan CACFP funds be used for supplies for an edible garden?
Read MoreWhere can local foods be sourced to serve in the CACFP?
Read MoreDoes rhubarb credit as a fruit or a vegetable in the CACFP?
Read MoreThe 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 MoreThe 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 MoreServing 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 MoreNCA 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 MoreCDC created three new fact sheets for Early Care and Education (ECE) providers about Early Child Nutrition and Feeding. The fact sheets offer tips and best practices for supporting breastfeeding families, information about safe storage and handling of breastmilk, and strategies for introducing solid foods.
Read MoreFRAC’s latest report, Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report 2024, reveals a drop in the number of children receiving nutrition over the summer following the loss of pandemic-era waivers.
Read MoreA report published in the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice examined changes in nutrition and physical activity-related best practices in ECE settings in Illinois from 2019 as compared to 2022.
Read MoreThe “USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Family Day Care Home Participation Study” focuses on current and former CACFP participants among FDCH providers. These providers serve a critical need within the child care system, frequently offering longer hours of care (often at a lower cost) than other types of providers to children in their own communities and neighborhoods. This study is the first national study to ask former providers why they left. The study spans 2019–2023, which coincides with the COVID-19 public health emergency, so it provides a unique look at FDCHs during that time.
Read MoreThe “USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program Participation Among U.S. Childcare Providers” examines the characteristics of childcare centers and day care home providers by whether they participated in CACFP or not.
Read MoreAcross the nation, racial inequities have impacted access to federal nutrition programs for people of color. The report by D.C. Hunger Solutions aims to address how racial inequities contribute to hunger and poverty among residents of color in the District of Columbia and to lack of access to federal nutrition programs.
Read MoreWhen combined, the CACFP and Farm to Early Care Education (Farm to ECE) activities can have an extraordinary impact on children, child care providers, and local communities. FRAC’s report aims to support child care providers to access CACFP and utilize it for eligible Farm to ECE activities by highlighting the mutually beneficial synergy between these initiatives.
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