We are closely monitoring the potential government shutdown on October 1 and its impact on the CACFP. As your trusted partner, we’ll keep you informed with timely updates.
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September 29, 2025 USDA announced that the CACFP and SFSP Area Eligibility Mapper has been updated for fiscal year 2026. Why It Matters Census data and school data are the two primary sources that may be used to determine whether a site is area eligible in CACFP and SFSP. Area eligibility is used to determine…
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What is Offer Versus Serve?
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The National CACFP Association (NCA), a leading national organization supporting the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) community since 1986, released its FY25 Year in Review, highlighting its ongoing impact in advocacy, education and community-building.
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Maria Rincon is the Nutrition Manager for the Economic Opportunities Advancement Corporation (EOAC). Hear how she and her team ensure nutritious meals to over 500 infants and children through their Head Start centers.
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USDA announced $72.9 million in grant funding to states through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The purpose of the SCBGP is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture).
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We are closely monitoring the potential government shutdown on October 1 and its impact on the CACFP. As your trusted partner, we’ll keep you informed with timely updates.
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Beginning October 1, 2025, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) will implement new regulations requiring limits on added sugars in breakfast cereals and yogurts served in child and adult care settings.
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This October marks the inaugural Farm to CACFP Week, hosted by the National CACFP Association to celebrate the benefits of connecting child and adult care programs with local foods.
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The National CACFP Association (NCA) will host National Farm to CACFP Week from October 12–18, 2025, an annual education campaign focused on connecting child and adult care providers with local foods.
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The 2025 CACFP Virtual Summit Scholarship winners have been announced! View the list of all 95 winners.
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Farm to CACFP connects providers to local food producers with the objectives of serving locally-grown foods and providing nutrition education. Check out these upcoming events at NCA!
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Today, 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).
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CACFP 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.
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During 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).
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Advocacy 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!).
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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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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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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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What is Offer Versus Serve?
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What does the term “ounce equivalents” mean?
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Are FDA Exempt Infant Formulas creditable in the CACFP?
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These regulations will go into effect in the CACFP, starting October 1, 2025.
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Can juice from a farm stand be served in the CACFP?
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At what age can infants eat eggs?
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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!
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
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.
Read More
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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A recent study by our partners at Child Care Aware® of America reveals that parents across the nation are struggling to find affordable, high-quality child care. The survey shows that parents are piecing together multiple care arrangements and facing challenges balancing work and caregiving.
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The CDC’s 2025 Early Childhood Nutrition Report gives us a big-picture look at how young children in the U.S. are eating and growing. It focuses on kids from birth to age 5 and shares important facts about breastfeeding, starting solid foods, eating healthy and how states support good nutrition.
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The “Characteristics of Emergency Shelters Participating in the CACFP” study by USDA seeks to better understand the characteristics of CACFP emergency shelters, who they serve, how CACFP fits into their operations, and their challenges with CACFP. The study was conducted in 2023 and collected data from 242 emergency shelters that participate in CACFP in Fiscal Year 2023.
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A survey was administered in the spring of 2023 of licensed California family child care homes (FCCH) to assess the perceived impacts of the increased reimbursement during the Covid-19 pandemic on CACFP participation and anticipated challenges with reinstated tiered rates.
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The USDA recently released a study on the “Characteristics of Adult Day Care Centers that Participate in the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program” which seeks to better understand key characteristics of adult day care centers participating in CACFP.
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Maria Rincon is the Nutrition Manager for the Economic Opportunities Advancement Corporation (EOAC). Hear how she and her team ensure nutritious meals to over 500 infants and children through their Head Start centers.
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Vegas Adult Day Care is an outstanding CACFP operator that is committed to the overall health and wellbeing of the 40 older adults they serve each day. The founder of Vegas Adult Day Care, Myong Kim, began her experience with adult care as the caregiver for her own parents. After moving to Las Vegas, she was drawn to serve the senior population where she saw a need for adult care services. Check out their story!
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Acelero Learning Monmouth Middlesex (Acelero) operates eight Head Start centers that serve meals to over 800 children through the CACFP. Food Service Coordinator, Stephanie Manchester, and her team work to ensure that they are providing nutritious meals for all of the children across their eight sites.
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Michelle Buchanan serves as the Food Program Director at the Community Action of Southeastern West Virginia, a sponsoring organization of 65 family child care homes. Learn about her journey in the CACFP!
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Denise Andrews is CEO and Director of For the Children, Inc. which is a sponsoring organization of family child care homes in Oklahoma. Learn about her journey in the CACFP!
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Most people think food banks only provide food boxes for those in need. However, food banks do so much more and may also sponsor one or more federal nutrition programs, such as the CACFP. While most CACFP sponsoring organizations are only responsible for the administration and oversight of the program at their sponsored sites, food banks often provide the meals for their sponsored sites as well. The Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) is a great example.
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USDA Request for Comment: Documentation Related to Meal Pattern Final Rule
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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