October 9, 2026 The Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) released its 2026 State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America report on September 24, highlighting policies and programs that can help build a healthier America. This year’s report includes a special feature, “How the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Shape Food and Nutrition Programs,” examining…
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Are water chestnuts creditable as a vegetable?
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October 9, 2026 The National CACFP Association (NCA), a national organization supporting the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) community since 1986, is reflecting on a fiscal year marked by advocacy, education and connection as the association celebrated 40 years of supporting the CACFP community. The CACFP plays an important role in helping…
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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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Over the past few months, USDA has released new policies, HHS as proposed changes to Head Start, and Congress has introduced new legislation. Keep reading to see what you’ve missed and stay up to date with CACFP policy!
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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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The National CACFP Association proudly announces U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) as the recipient of the 2026 Friend of CACFP Award. This honor recognizes decision-makers who have demonstrated a strong commitment to strengthening and advancing the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) through leadership, advocacy and meaningful legislative action.
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NCA leaders brought the CACFP story to Las Vegas radio ahead of the 40th annual National Child Nutrition Conference.
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Over the past few months, USDA has released new policies, HHS as proposed changes to Head Start, and Congress has introduced new legislation. Keep reading to see what you’ve missed and stay up to date with CACFP policy!
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The National CACFP Association (NCA) recently submitted comments on the Administration for Children and Families’ proposed rule, Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs (ACF-2026-0595). While NCA supports the proposed rule’s continued emphasis on nutrition, healthy eating, physical activity, and family engagement, NCA raised significant concerns about provisions that could unintentionally undermine nutrition services for children enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
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USDA announced that the CACFP and SFSP Area Eligibility Mapper has been updated for fiscal year 2027. Area eligibility is used to determine the tier of family child care homes in the CACFP, as well as the eligibility of CACFP At-Risk Afterschool sites and SFSP summer site.
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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.
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For CACFP operators looking to purchase locally grown, raised, or caught foods, this guidance outlines the minor changes made by the final rule and provides an overview of geographic preference options.
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September 17, 2026 The Strengthening Protections for Children with Food Allergies Act (H.R. 10228) has been introduced in Congress by Representatives Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) and Doris Matsui (D-CA). The legislation would strengthen food allergy training requirements across federal child nutrition programs and expand food allergy education and outreach for families participating in the Special Supplemental…
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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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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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Can a mixed age group of 1- and 2-year-olds all be served unflavored 1% milk in the CACFP?
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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
Afterschool Snack Programs include the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Through NSLP schools can serve one snack afterschool, however through the CACFP schools and sponsoring organizations are able to serve a snack in addition to a supper. This additional supper is an important opportunity to meet children’s nutritional needs after the school day is over. A report by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) found that afterschool supper participation increased from October 2022 to October 2023 by 6%.
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FRAC’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.
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A 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.
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The “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.
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The “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.
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Across 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.
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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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Bhavini Patel is the owner of Kirkland Child Care, located in her home in Kirkland, Washington state. Bhavini opened Kirkland Child Care 10 years ago and has been participating in the CACFP since the opening of her program.
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NCA Response – Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs
The National CACFP Association (NCA) recently submitted comments on the Administration for Children and Families’ proposed rule, Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs (ACF-2026-0595). While NCA supports the proposed rule’s continued emphasis on nutrition, healthy eating, physical activity, and family engagement, NCA raised significant concerns about provisions that could unintentionally undermine nutrition services for children enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
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