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
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.
Read More
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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Senta Hester is Executive Director of Our Daily Bread CACFP, a CACFP sponsoring organization in Tennessee and Kentucky. Our Daily Breads sponsored sites serve nutritious meals to 23,500 children and adults across the two states. Learn more about their work!
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Sponsor of At-Risk Afterschool, Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes March 23, 2026 Sloane Pittman is CEO of Child Nutrition Program (CNP), a CACFP sponsoring organization in North Carolina. Sloane is the third generation of her family to lead CNP. Sloane’s grandmother was an active advocate for women throughout the ’50s and the…
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Sponsor of Family Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers March 16, 2026 Lisa Lyons is the CACFP Director for The Planning Council, a human services organization that provides various services for children and families. Some of their programs include assistance at homeless shelters, respite for families with a special needs child and sponsorship of…
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Lutheran Services Florida sponsors 24 affiliated Head Start and Early Head Start sites, 396 family day care homes and four emergency shelters. Collectively, these programs serve nutritious meals and snacks to over 6,000 children in their care. Read more about the work of this NCA member.
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NWAFCCA sponsors 47 family child care homes that serve nutritious meals and snacks to over 600 children in Northwest Arkansas. Learn more about the great work of this NCA member!
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Provider’s Network, Inc. sponsors 230 homes across Nebraska, ensuring over 1,900 children receive nutritious meals and snacks each day. Learn more about the work this NCA member is doing!
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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.
Read More