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Untapped Potential: License-Exempt Home-Based Child care Providers

November 29, 2023

A study was published in October 2023 by the Urban Institute to identify major gaps in the CACFP’s coverage and ability to reach children. The study specifically focused on CACFP eligibility for small home-based child care providers who are legally exempt from their state’s child care licensing requirements.

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SFSP Boot Camp is Here!

November 27, 2023

Join us for a day of learning on vital topics tailored to the unique needs of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

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Afterschool Supper Participation Decreased from 2021 to 2022

November 27, 2023

A report by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) found that while participation in afterschool supper remained steady throughout the pandemic, there has been a 23% decrease in participation between October 2021 and October 2022.

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Meal Pattern Minute: Offering Water

November 25, 2023

Does water have to be offered to children in the CACFP, or just made available?

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Crediting Traditional Indigenous Foods in the CACFP

November 21, 2023

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has included traditional foods in the FBG. Not only does this list make program participation easier for indigenous groups, but it is also a great resource for any programs that serve indigenous groups.

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Hmong Reflections on the CACFP 

November 20, 2023

This article by the Hmong American Farmers Association presents highlights of Hmong in-home early care providers’ feedback on the benefits of enrollment, recommendations on how CACFP could work best for them and suggestions for improvement to the program.

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SFSP Boot Camp is Here!

November 27, 2023

Join us for a day of learning on vital topics tailored to the unique needs of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

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Free Webinar Take Action: The Importance of Advocacy in the CACFP

November 16, 2023

Join us to learn how to advocate for the CACFP and explore tools and resources to effectively communicate the importance of your work. Gain insights on raising awareness and highlighting the invaluable role of the CACFP within communities.

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Scholarships Available for #NCNC24!

November 13, 2023

We are thrilled to offer 7 scholarships for the 2024 National Child Nutrition Conference in-person in Orlando, Florida. We will also be awarding 8 additional scholarships to attend the conference virtually.

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#NCNC24 Registration Now Open!

November 1, 2023

Registration is now open for the 2024 National Child Nutrition Conference. This year we’re hosting our premier event in Orlando, Florida, and we can’t wait to see you there.

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November Virtual Events

October 30, 2023

Check out these virtual events coming up at NCA!

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Webinar: Phrases that Help and Hinder

October 19, 2023

On November 1st, join NCA’s Nutrition Education Specialist, Isabel Ramos-Lebron as she joins experts from the National Pork Board to present this webinar that will help create healthy habits.

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Senate Partner Bill: Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act

November 14, 2023

The Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act was introduced in the Senate by Senator Casey to permanently:
• Increase reimbursement rates by 10 cent for each meal and snack
• Eliminate the tiering of family day care homes
• Allow family day care home providers to claim their own children’s meals for reimbursement
• Shift the calculation of family child care homes’ reimbursement from “food at home” to “food away from home” to align with centers

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Off-Site Monitoring Waiver: Oregon Case Study

November 9, 2023

USDA has the authority to waive on-site monitoring requirements for the CACFP. State Agencies can submit a 12(l) waiver application to USDA in order to allow for off-site monitoring flexibilities in their state. Oregon was the first state to submit an application and the first state to be approved! Read about their approved waiver.

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The CACFP Strengthens the Child Care Infrastructure

November 8, 2023

The CACFP serves millions of children and adults in care and supports thousands of child and adult care providers nationwide. The support from the CACFP helps struggling providers to keep costs low and increase the competitiveness of their small businesses.

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Crediting Traditional Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs

November 1, 2023

This memorandum provides guidance to Indigenous communities on incorporating traditional Indigenous foods that meet CNP meal pattern requirements and includes an updated and expanded list of traditional Indigenous foods that credit the same as similar foods currently listed in the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG).

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Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act of 2023 

October 26, 2023

On October 26, 2023 the Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act was re-introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Congressman Marc Molinaro (R-NY). This legislation would allow providers who are open for more than 8 hours to be reimbursed for an additional meal.

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Modernizing the CACFP to Expand Access with Off-Site Monitoring

October 16, 2023

To ensure the integrity of the CACFP, participating programs must be monitored. Historically, monitoring visits have been conducted on-site, with monitors traveling to each child care program to observe meal service and review records. This process results in increased time and costs for monitoring organizations. Learn how off-site monitoring could benefit and modernize the CACFP.

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Five brightly colored cereal boxes show food labels

Resource: Reading food labels for CACFP approved childcare menus

June 7, 2022

Free printable resource to help you understand nutrition labels for childcare menu planning and an easy incorporation of CACFP approved foods.

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an open notebook and pen sit amongst meal components

CACFP Resource: Family style dining

June 2, 2022

Family style dining encourages learning and development. Here’s a resource to implement this practice at your CACFP site.

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How to Celebrate Memorial Day at Your CACFP Site

May 27, 2022

From poignant to playful, CACFP sites have many options for Memorial Day to meet the tastes of adult and child participants alike.

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an open notebook and pen sit amongst meal components

CACFP Resource: Best Practices for Menu Planning

May 17, 2022

Menu planning is more than logistics. Check out this resource from the USDA on the artful side of a balanced menu.

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New Spanish Language Resources from USDA

April 23, 2022

As part of National Nutrition Month® has released many professional and consumer resources for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 in Spanish.

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Why do we need iron? NCA Member Resource

February 7, 2022

Download this members-only info sheet on iron, or join NCA today to gain access to incredible resources like this!

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Meal Pattern Minute: Offering Water

November 25, 2023

Does water have to be offered to children in the CACFP, or just made available?

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Meal Pattern Minute: Mixing Cereals

November 17, 2023

Can you mix a high-sugar cereal with a low-sugar cereal, and have the average meet the CACFP sugar limits?

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Meal Pattern Minute: Age for Choking Risk

November 3, 2023

At what age are children at a higher risk for choking?

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Meal Pattern Minute: Granola Bars

October 28, 2023

Are granola bars creditable in the CACFP?

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Meal Pattern Minute: Sugar Limits in Breakfast Cereal

October 20, 2023

What are the sugar limits for breakfast cereals in the CACFP?

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Meal Pattern Minute: Honey Graham Crackers

October 13, 2023

It is recommended to not serve honey to infants under 1 year old – does that also apply to honey graham crackers?

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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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Untapped Potential: License-Exempt Home-Based Child care Providers

November 29, 2023

A study was published in October 2023 by the Urban Institute to identify major gaps in the CACFP’s coverage and ability to reach children. The study specifically focused on CACFP eligibility for small home-based child care providers who are legally exempt from their state’s child care licensing requirements.

Read More

Afterschool Supper Participation Decreased from 2021 to 2022

November 27, 2023

A report by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) found that while participation in afterschool supper remained steady throughout the pandemic, there has been a 23% decrease in participation between October 2021 and October 2022.

Read More

CACFP Underutilized and Unequally Accessed

November 15, 2023

A study was published in September of 2023 to assess the extent and reasons for the operation of the CACFP’s among licensed child care centers in order to identify opportunities for expanding CACFP nutrition support. The study found that the CACFP is underutilized and that there is unequal access in certain states and regions.

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CACFP Associated with Food Security for Young Children

September 25, 2023

A study was published in June of 2023 that found that children with child care-provided meals had lower odds of food insecurity, having poor health, or being admitted to the hospital compared to children with parent-provided meals.

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FRAC Research Funding Opportunity

August 17, 2023

FRAC has announced a Request for Proposal (RFP) for subgrants for its Equitable Access in Child Nutrition Programs project, supported by funding through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS). Submit your CACFP proposal by October 3, 2023, at 11:59pm ET.

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Child Care Supports Academic Achievement and Physical Health

August 10, 2023

A study published in March of 2023, examines the impact of child care on the dietary quality of young children, as well as portrays the need for a more inclusive definition of ‘child care.’ Access to high-quality care supports the academic and social development of your children and is important for all families to reduce socioeconomic disparities.

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Hmong Reflections on the CACFP 

November 20, 2023

This article by the Hmong American Farmers Association presents highlights of Hmong in-home early care providers’ feedback on the benefits of enrollment, recommendations on how CACFP could work best for them and suggestions for improvement to the program.

Read More

Congressman Landsman Visits Ohio Child Care

October 9, 2023

Last week Congressman Greg Landsman visited Loving Kindness Education and Learning Center in his home district to announce the introduction of the Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act. The act would support child care providers who administer the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) across the nation by increasing their reimbursements for serving nutritious meals to those in their care.

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CACFP participant child hands making heart symbol

CACFP Inspire: Kidz Korner in Payson, Arizona

November 21, 2022

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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Headshot of Shedron Davis over a beige background

CACFP Inspire: Shedron Davis of Alpha & Omega Nutrition Program, Inc in Memphis

October 25, 2022

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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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: Andrea Rivera of Christian Military Academy, Puerto Rico

October 13, 2022

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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