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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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.
Read More
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…
Read More
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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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced over $61 million in funding to over 290 Head Start programs to support nutrition services. Recipients will implement their nutrition initiatives over the next year, but this investment will have a long-term impact on Head Start families.
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On September 9, 2025, the White House released the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy Report which outlines actions of the executive branch to address the childhood chronic disease crisis.
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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
In 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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In April 2023, the Indiana University CACFP Project Team published a study on the barriers, facilitators, and potential strategies to address center-based participation in the CACFP. One of the key barriers to participation shared by study participants included the cumbersome CACFP paperwork. Facilitators to participation included supports provided by stakeholders and sponsors.
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In February 2023, the CDC released state-level data on fruit, vegetable, and sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) intake among young children. The data was collected through a 2021 national survey in which respondents were asked three questions about children aged 1–5 years regarding the frequency of consuming fruits, vegetables, and sugar-sweetened beverages during the preceding week. The report found that many young children between ages 1 and 5 years old are not eating fruits and vegetables each day and are regularly drinking SSBs.
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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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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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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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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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NCA Response – USDA Reorganization Plan
In July, USDA announced a Department Reorganization Plan which includes the consolidation of the FNS Regional Offices from seven to five hubs over the next two years. NCA has submitted comments to USDA on the reduction in force at the national office, as well as the relocation and reduction in the number of FNS regions.
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