How does soy yogurt fit into the CACFP meal pattern?
Read MoreOne year ago today, on September 28, 2022, President Biden hosted the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over a half century. At the conference, the administration called on stakeholders to make commitments towards ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases. NCA answered this call for action, writing a letter committing to raising awareness of the CACFP.
Read MoreA 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.
Read MoreCan pumpkin pie fit into the meal pattern? You might be surprised to learn the answer!
Read MoreBeth Martino, CEO of Three Square Food Bank in Nevada, explained her organizations experience with unnecessary regulatory barriers hindering children’s ability to access child nutrition programs.
Read MoreThe United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released their eleventh CACFP guidance memo for 2023. The memorandum provides updated guidance on feeding infants and the infant meal pattern requirements and replaces a previous memo from 2018 (CACFP 02-2018). The memo incorporates updated breastmilk storage recommendations, infant formula food safety considerations, and information on crediting grains in ounce equivalents.
Read MoreDo you work at a State agency in a position supporting the CACFP? Join NCA’s State Agency Collaboration meeting to earn about the newest NCA resources, hear about what’s happening in CACFP policy, get advocacy updates, and provide feedback about how we can support you.
Read MoreLooking for food program training? Delve into a comprehensive range of vital topics tailored to the unique needs of Head Start programs.
Read MoreCheck out these virtual events coming up at NCA!
Read MoreCheck out these virtual events happening in July at NCA!
Read MoreLooking for food program training? Join us each day for workshops on nutrition, program administration, operations, management, and more.
Read MoreJoin us as a presenter at the National Child Nutrition Conference in San Diego! We’re now accepting presentation proposals.
Read MoreOne year ago today, on September 28, 2022, President Biden hosted the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over a half century. At the conference, the administration called on stakeholders to make commitments towards ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases. NCA answered this call for action, writing a letter committing to raising awareness of the CACFP.
Read MoreThe United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released their eleventh CACFP guidance memo for 2023. The memorandum provides updated guidance on feeding infants and the infant meal pattern requirements and replaces a previous memo from 2018 (CACFP 02-2018). The memo incorporates updated breastmilk storage recommendations, infant formula food safety considerations, and information on crediting grains in ounce equivalents.
Read MoreToday, September 19, the Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Greg Landsmen and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici 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
The USDA released a final rule on child nutrition program integrity to ensure that child nutrition programs are properly operated and managed. This rule is one of many steps that USDA is taking to ensure that federal child nutrition programs can serve the millions of children who depend on them to reach their full potential.
Read MoreUSDA released a memo (SEBT 03-2023) to provide information to assist states in preparing to implement summer EBT in 2024. The memo explains how to identify, certify, and verify eligible children.
Read MoreThe USDA has released the Reimbursement Rates for 2023-2024. Rates are effective from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
Read MoreThe 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 MoreThe 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 MoreServing 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 MoreNCA 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 MoreCDC 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.
Read MoreHow does soy yogurt fit into the CACFP meal pattern?
Read MoreCan pumpkin pie fit into the meal pattern? You might be surprised to learn the answer!
Read MoreHow do chestnuts fit into the CACFP meal pattern?
Read MoreWhat do you need to know about sugar limits in yogurt?
Read MoreWhat documentation is needed to serve deli meats in the CACFP?
Read MoreIs full-strength juice creditable in the Infant Meal Pattern?
Read MoreEvery movement from bringing food to mouth, opening mouth, biting, moving tongue to chew food and then swallowing are all learned skills. Use this baby development resource to see how infant eating skills build over time.
Read MoreDownload this members-only resource on making homemade baby puree. You’ll discover tips and tricks, safety information and two recipes.
Read MoreDownload this free set of CACFP flashcards to introduce novel fruits and vegetables in your program.
Read MoreThis meal planning and food-buying guide from the USDA can help you take extra precautions and stay prepared for a pandemic.
Read MoreDownload and print this free full color infographic from the USDA on yogurt. It includes five fantastic yogurt recipes.
Read MoreDownload and print this free full color infographic from the USDA on turkey. It includes five fantastic turkey recipes.
Read MoreA 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.
Read MoreFRAC 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.
Read MoreA 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.
Read MoreParticipate by July 14 in a nationwide survey of CACFP Sponsors and Providers being conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Read MoreIn May 2023, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published a report focused on Child Nutrition Program (CNP) operations during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, March through September 2020, including information on the nationwide waivers that FNS approved for use during that period.
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