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Never Too Young: Ages and Stages of Racial Understanding

October 21, 2022

This article, originally published by Sesame Street in Communities, reviews racial literacy strategies for each stage of childhood development.

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CACFP Inspire: Jessica Coleman of Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens in Virginia

October 20, 2022

Jessica Coleman is the children’s day care supervisor and CACFP manager at Generations, an intergenerational daycare in Virginia.

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CACFP Inspire: Lorinda Duffy of Red Cliff Band Early Childhood Center

October 19, 2022

Lorinda Duffy, or Lori as her colleagues know her, manages the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and is the head cook at the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Early Childhood Center (ECC).

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10 Child Care Friendly Halloween Ideas for Your CACFP Site

October 18, 2022

It can be a challenge for child care providers to strike a balance between celebrating this holiday and avoiding sugary treats and scary imagery. So, here are ten ideas for a fun Halloween that are more silly than spooky.

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Scholarships Available to Power of the Food Program, Introduction to the CACFP

October 17, 2022

Announcing a powerhouse event to learn how the CACFP contributes to nutrition security and why child care providers should participate.

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NCA Commits to National Strategy to Reduce Hunger

October 14, 2022

The National CACFP Sponsors Association made a stakeholder commitment in support of the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.

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September Virtual Events

August 26, 2024

Check out these virtual events coming up this month at NCA!

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More Virtual Events in August

July 31, 2024

Check out these virtual events coming up this month at NCA!

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NCA Receives Gold Level Partner Recognition from MyPlate

July 30, 2024

NCA achieved recognition as a gold level MyPlate Partner for continued work on developing and promoting resources that promote the unified vision of providing nutrition education.

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Scholarship Recipients Announced for Virtual Summit 2024

July 29, 2024

The 2024 CACFP Virtual Summit Scholarship winners have been announced! View the list of all 85 winners.

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Upcoming Virtual Events in July

July 1, 2024

Check out these virtual events coming up this month at NCA!

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CACFP Virtual Summit Registration is Live!

June 25, 2024

The 2024 CACFP Virtual Summit is back and registration is live! Don’t miss the biggest online training event of the year!

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Advisory on Parent and Caregiver Mental Health and Well-Being 

September 9, 2024

The United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, released an Advisory on the mental health and well-being of parents, stating an urgent need to support parents, caregivers, and families. Surgeon General’s Advisories are public statements that call the American people’s attention to a critical public health issue that require immediate awareness and action.

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USDA Request for Comment: Documentation Related to Meal Pattern Final Rule

August 27, 2024

USDA FNS is seeking input from CACFP and SFSP operators on the documentation requirement for operators serving primarily American Indian or Alaska Native children to show their eligibility for the menu planning option allowing them to serve vegetables to meet the grains requirement.

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Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data Q&A #2

August 26, 2024

FNS issued this memorandum to provide further clarification on earlier published guidance documents regarding the collection of race and ethnicity data. In addition, this guidance includes examples of challenges Program operators may encounter and best practices that may be used to collect race and ethnicity data for the CACFP and SFSP.

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Voters Want Support For Child Care

July 15, 2024

The lack of affordable, quality child care is a major area of concern across all demographics, family structures, and income levels in the United States. In fact, it’s the biggest challenge that parents want their elected officials to know about, as parents need child care to support their children’s physical health, emotional well-being, and development of life-long skills.

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What’s Causing the Inequity in Reimbursement for Centers Vs. Homes 

July 11, 2024

CACFP reimbursement rates were recently released for the 2024-2025 program year. While rates increased for both centers and family child care homes, you may have noticed that centers received a larger reimbursement bump than homes. This is a result of changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which is a measure, estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the average change over time in the prices of goods and services.

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2024-2025 CACFP Reimbursement Rates

July 10, 2024

The USDA has released the Reimbursement Rates for 2024-2025. Rates are effective from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.

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More Native Foods Added to the Food Buying Guide

September 6, 2023

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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We’re Expanding Our Spanish-Language Resources!

August 2, 2023

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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Program Comparison Chart: CACFP At-Risk Afterschool and SFSP

June 21, 2023

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 Support as Covid-19 Flexibilities Come to an End

June 16, 2023

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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New Feature Available on the Exhibit A Grains Tool

March 22, 2023

The Exhibit A Grains Tool has a new feature that allows users to select their Program and Meal to filter the search results to only creditable grain items for their specific Program.

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New Factsheet for ECE Providers from the CDC

March 16, 2023

CDC 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.

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Meal Pattern Minute: Verifying CN Labels

September 13, 2024

How do you know if a CN Label is still valid?

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Meal Pattern Minute: Preventing Cross-Contact

September 6, 2024

How can cross-contact be prevented when serving participants with allergies?

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Meal Pattern Minute: Cross-Contact

August 23, 2024

What is cross-contact?

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Meal Pattern Minute: Cross-Contamination

August 16, 2024

What is cross-contamination and how can we create safe food preparation environments?

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Meal Pattern Minute: The Danger Zone

August 9, 2024

In terms of food safety, what is the “danger zone?”

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Meal Pattern Minute: Corn Masa

August 2, 2024

Is corn masa creditable in the CACFP?

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More Native Foods Added to the Food Buying Guide

September 6, 2023

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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We’re Expanding Our Spanish-Language Resources!

August 2, 2023

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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Program Comparison Chart: CACFP At-Risk Afterschool and SFSP

June 21, 2023

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 Support as Covid-19 Flexibilities Come to an End

June 16, 2023

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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New Feature Available on the Exhibit A Grains Tool

March 22, 2023

The Exhibit A Grains Tool has a new feature that allows users to select their Program and Meal to filter the search results to only creditable grain items for their specific Program.

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New Factsheet for ECE Providers from the CDC

March 16, 2023

CDC 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.

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Hunger Doesn’t Take A Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report 2024

August 22, 2024

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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ECE Nutrition and Physical Activity Practices Decreased During Pandemic

July 16, 2024

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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CACFP Family Day Care Home Participation Study

July 5, 2024

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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CACFP Participation Among U.S. Childcare Providers

June 26, 2024

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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Healthy Tots Helps Address Food Insecurity in D.C.

April 18, 2024

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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Leveraging CACFP for Farm to ECE

February 5, 2024

When 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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Congressman Molinaro Visits New York Child Care 

September 4, 2024

Congressman Marc Molinaro visited Jessica’s Daycare in his home district (NY-19) to witness child care and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) firsthand.

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Stopping Food Insecurity in its Tracks

August 27, 2024

Hear from three outstanding CACFP sponsoring organizations about the work that they do with CACFP providers to ensure the children and adults in their care receive nutritious meals.

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Sponsor Spotlight: Lana Taylor with Indiana Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs

August 20, 2024

Lana Taylor is the Executive Director of Indiana Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs (BGCIN) that represents all Boys & Girls Club organizations across Indiana. Hear from Lana!

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Sponsor Spotlight: Susan Ison of Helping Hands

August 8, 2024

Susan Ison is the Executive Director of Helping Hands, Inc. which is a sponsoring organization (sponsor) of family child care homes and child care centers across the Wasatch Front of Utah. They sponsor about 200 family child care homes and 12 child care centers, ensuring nutritious meals for around 2,300 children.

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Sponsor Spotlight: Deborah Gillison-Wilson with Georgia Nutritional Services

August 6, 2024

Deborah Gillison-Wilson is the Founder and Executive Director of Georgia Nutritional Services which is a sponsoring organization of CACFP and SFSP across Georgia. They sponsor 165 child care centers, 32 family child care homes, 35 At-Risk Afterschool programs, 2 Adult day care centers, and around 17 SFSP sites. Hear from Deborah!

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The Power of the Food Program: Emergency Shelters

July 25, 2024

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) ensures nutritious meals to over 4.5 million children and adults every day. The CACFP is mainly operated in child care centers, family child care homes, and afterschool care programs, but did you know that emergency shelters can also serve meals through the food program?

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