Yogurt – does it credit as a meat/meat alternate or a fluid milk?
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In December 2022, the Indiana University CACFP Project Team released a report describing the child nutrition and care provision experiences among early care and education (ECE) stakeholders, sponsors, and center directors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted in four states and a variety of ECE stakeholders participated. The study identifies six common experiences among ECE stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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National CACFP Week is March 12-18,2023. What can you do to celebrate?
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The CACFP plays a vital role in nutrition equity for children and adults in centers and day care homes by providing access to healthful meals. Sponsors and providers are critical for the continued success of this program. The required annual training in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a critical component in…
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In December 2022, the Indiana University CACFP Project Team released a report describing the facilitators and barriers to CACFP participation by family child care homes (FCCHs). The report concludes with suggestions for potential strategies to promote participation in the CACFP by FCCHs. The study was conducted in two states, Arizona and New York, that have varying levels of CACFP participation. The study outlines the facilitators and barriers to FCCHs’ enrollment in CACFP and recommends a few strategies to increase participation.
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National CACFP Week is March 12-18,2023. What can you do to celebrate?
Read More
The CACFP plays a vital role in nutrition equity for children and adults in centers and day care homes by providing access to healthful meals. Sponsors and providers are critical for the continued success of this program. The required annual training in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a critical component in…
Read More
We are starting 2023 off right with some brand new, CACFP-approved recipes. Join us on Zoom for this fun, free webinar!
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We want you to be empowered to turn any healthy recipe into a creditable one. Join us on Thursday, December 15, 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm Eastern for How to Credit Recipes in the CACFP.
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On Wednesday, November 16 at 2:00 PM EST, the National CACFP Sponsors Association will host Antonio Freitas, MS of Sesame Street in Communities for a free webinar on Racial Justice Resources.
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Interested in learning more about how to earn your CACFP Management Professional or the CACFP Child Nutrition Professional designation? Join us for an overview of the program, learn what the qualifications are, and hear how it has impacted CACFP professionals who value these credentials.
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The ongoing infant formula shortage due to supply chain issues, which worsened due to a major formula recall in February 2022, has left many CACFP operators concerned about access to formula and their options for safely feeding infants in their care. Food and Nutrition Service has developed the following Questions and Answers to support CACFP operators and their families during the infant formula shortage.
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TAKE ACTION NOW to support increased reimbursement for CACFP and the extension of the area eligibility waiver for family childcare homes. Call your Senators TODAY, then call your House Member and urge them to “Vote Yes” on the Keep Kids Fed Act, which will provide much-needed relief to providers and families across the country
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This memorandum provides clarification on questions
related to the collection of race or ethnicity data now that
visual identification of race and ethnicity is no longer an
allowable practice in the Summer Food Service Program
(SFSP) and Child and Adult Care Food Program
(CACFP).
FNS is offering a suite of operational flexibilities that will be available to child nutrition programs for summer 2022 and school year 2022-23.
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This memo provides guidance to State agencies as they transition from COVID-19 nationwide waivers related to establishment of area eligibility in the child nutrition programs, including CACFP, for summer 2022 and school year 2022-2023. Child Adult Care Food Program operators must use data from October 2019, unless the National School Lunch State agency elects a month other than October to establish area eligibility.
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Effective May 5th, 2022, USDA released updated Nondiscrimination Statement Guidance. As a result of recent Supreme Court decision, State agencies and program operators must use the new updated nondiscrimination statement and new “And Justice for All” poster.
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Snacks can be a great way to give CACFP participants the nutrients and energy they need between meals. Use this resource to learn more.
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NCA Members can download these meal component activity pages. Each activity page includes crafts, games, recipes and more! Theres a page for each meal component in the CACFP.
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Managing sugar at breakfast time for children is a tall order. If you find that you need a helping hand putting together a low-sugar, creditable breakfast, check out these resources.
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These five CACFP weekly menu templates were designed by us, the National CACFP Sponsors Association, so you can trust that they’re not only tried and true, but also up to speed on the current demands of the CACFP. Use these free fillable menus, and your weekly meal planning will become a breeze. Each one is organized by age, meal, and meal component.
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August 23, 2022 The CACFP is a cornerstone to operations at many child care centers, adult day cares and day care homes. However, many people have never even heard of this crucial program! This blog is for those people. Send this quick guide to parents of children under your care, new employees who are onboarding…
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With so much on the back-to-school agenda, who has time to hunt down worksheets and resources? We’ve got you covered with seven resources for back to school plus a whole year of free motivational posters to keep your space fresh and fun.
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Snacks can be a great way to give CACFP participants the nutrients and energy they need between meals. Use this resource to learn more.
Read More
NCA Members can download these meal component activity pages. Each activity page includes crafts, games, recipes and more! Theres a page for each meal component in the CACFP.
Read More
Managing sugar at breakfast time for children is a tall order. If you find that you need a helping hand putting together a low-sugar, creditable breakfast, check out these resources.
Read More
These five CACFP weekly menu templates were designed by us, the National CACFP Sponsors Association, so you can trust that they’re not only tried and true, but also up to speed on the current demands of the CACFP. Use these free fillable menus, and your weekly meal planning will become a breeze. Each one is organized by age, meal, and meal component.
Read More
August 23, 2022 The CACFP is a cornerstone to operations at many child care centers, adult day cares and day care homes. However, many people have never even heard of this crucial program! This blog is for those people. Send this quick guide to parents of children under your care, new employees who are onboarding…
Read More
With so much on the back-to-school agenda, who has time to hunt down worksheets and resources? We’ve got you covered with seven resources for back to school plus a whole year of free motivational posters to keep your space fresh and fun.
Read More
In December 2022, the Indiana University CACFP Project Team released a report describing the child nutrition and care provision experiences among early care and education (ECE) stakeholders, sponsors, and center directors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted in four states and a variety of ECE stakeholders participated. The study identifies six common experiences among ECE stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read More
In December 2022, the Indiana University CACFP Project Team released a report describing the facilitators and barriers to CACFP participation by family child care homes (FCCHs). The report concludes with suggestions for potential strategies to promote participation in the CACFP by FCCHs. The study was conducted in two states, Arizona and New York, that have varying levels of CACFP participation. The study outlines the facilitators and barriers to FCCHs’ enrollment in CACFP and recommends a few strategies to increase participation.
Read More
In October 2021 the USDA released a report on the Study of Nutrition and Activity in Child Care Settings (SNACS), which is the first nationally representative, comprehensive assessment of the CACFP.
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December 2, 2022 Providing Meals in Early Childhood Settings report Hunger Free Vermont conducted a statewide survey of early childhood programs in late 2021, seeking to understand what barriers early childhood providers face when it comes to providing food to program participants. The Providing Meals in Early Childhood Settings report identified the most common barriers…
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The 2022 FACTS Report suggests problems in food advertising to children, and the newly issued National Strategy on Hunger may offer a solution.
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This is a broad overview of the newly published findings of the 2021 study conducted by the National Farm to School Network and Michigan State University’s Center for Regional Food Systems. Read the complete report for an in-depth look at their findings.
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Eleven years ago, Lidia Madrid opened Kidz Korner in Payson, Arizona to see her children and other local children grow up and learn safely in a town where there were limited child care options.
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Shedron Davis is the Founder and Executive Director of Alpha & Omega, and her mission is to empower children to succeed through a healthy lifestyle.
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Jessica Coleman is the children’s day care supervisor and CACFP manager at Generations, an intergenerational daycare in Virginia.
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With experience and credentials like hers, it’s no surprise that the Food and Nutrition Services office selected Andrea Rivera to create a new community food service program at the start of the pandemic.
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Kyle Jackson is an area director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County, and a true leader in executing at-risk after school meal operation
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People Attentive to Children Hawaii, PATCH, has a straightforward mission: to support and improve the quality and availability of care for the young people of Hawaii. In fact, this mission is stated so plainly that it could be misunderstood as easy when it is simply direct.
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Proposed Rule: Revisions to Meal Patterns to be Consistent with the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The USDA recently, February 7, 2023, released a document with proposed revisions to Child Nutrition Programs’ meal patterns in order to be consistent with the 2020 dietary guidelines for Americans. Key proposed changes that affect CACFP include:
1. New “added sugar” standards for breakfast cereals and yogurts
Read More2. Flavored milk restrictions, dependent on age-group
3. Vegetables can be substituted for grains in programs that primarily serve American Indian or Alaska Native children
4. Nuts and seeds may credit for the full meat/meat alternate component
5. Terminology Changes