The National CACFP Sponsors Association makes it a priority to help keep our providers up-to-date with the latest policy, guidelines and best practices. We're happy to offer many of our virtual events on demand, so you can follow a training program that works around your schedule. CEUs marked with a $ are paid resources and pricing can be found on the respective item's expanded information.
Looking for the Child Nutrition Virtual Summit? Click here!
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CACFP University
Learn about meal pattern guidelines and practices.
Looking for new ideas for your CACFP lunch menu? Why not try brunch for lunch?! Hear about endless possibilities when combining breakfast food favorites and lunch classics. Learn how to navigate brunch related food components in the CACFP and get recipe ideas to use in your child care centers, day care homes, and adult day care centers.
Watch On DemandSunny days with a refreshing breeze are a perfect time to take dining outdoors. Learn from our about how to create and safely serve CACFP meals picnic style, with or without a classic checkered blanket. Get new ideas on how to use portable foods for picnicking that meet the CACFP meal pattern.
Watch On DemandGet ideas on how to care for children while keeping social distancing in mind including the importance of hand-washing, ways to engage in physical activity while six-feet apart, and craft ideas that are for solo imagineers.
Watch On DemandOver 1,200 survey respondents confirmed what many of us already knew: COVID-19 has impacted CACFP operators and child care businesses with severe financial challenges. CACFP operators are in overwhelming need of direct and significant financial aid outside of current program funding. Child care and the CACFP community are on the brink of collapse and facing imminent threat of shutting down without it. Learn more about the impact COVID has had on the CACFP Community.
Watch On DemandLearn how to identify, purchase, and serve farmers’ market finds so that the children and adults you serve can enjoy fresh flavors of the season.
Watch On DemandPower of the Food Program
Learn how the CACFP contributes to nutrition security and why you should participate. Get practical training on serving healthy meals. Discover ideas and resources you can use in your program immediately.
Centers, family child care homes, and afterschool care play a critical role in serving nutritious foods to those they serve. The CACFP guides you on how to provide healthy meals using five food components which make up the meal service requirements: grains, fruits, vegetables, meats/meat alternates and milk. Learn when these are required and how they fit into the CACFP meal pattern.
Watch On DemandAre you convinced and ready to join the CACFP, but not sure where to get started? Learn how to successfully launch the program at your center, home or afterschool site. Find out how to work with a sponsor who will provide you training, technical assistance, monitoring, and administrative support or how to work with a state agency directly. Start getting financial reimbursement for meals you are already serving.
Watch On DemandServing those in our care safely is our top priority! Learn about the nine major food allergens and how to recognize what food products contain these. Get a better understanding of how to read the food label to identify and avoid food allergens.
Watch On DemandReimbursement rates for CACFP participants are dependent upon a variety of factors, such as whether you operate a family home child care, center, or afterschool program. Learn how to determine what the amount of reimbursement would be based on your enrollment, meal service, and rates of reimbursement. Discover how to qualify and how to receive financial reimbursement once you join the CACFP.
Watch On DemandBeing healthy is not only based on the foods we serve but also how we stay moving throughout the day. Learn why keeping children active should be an important part in everyday activities and how essential physical activity is to child development. Get ideas on how to incorporate new, fun, physical activity games into your program.
Watch On Demand2022 National Child Nutrition Conference
Originally held April 19-21, 2022 - watch the virtual sessions from the 2022 National Child Nutrition Conference in New Orleans.
You’re new-ish to food programs,working in it daily, and you’ve got the big picture. It’s been one or two years since you’ve started working in CACFP or SFSP, so concepts aren’t new or foreign to you, but you’d love to really explore the important areas with your peers. Attend this structured learning institute to review the meal patterns, discuss basic program administration and get a requirements refresher while also sharing in some table talk.
Watch On DemandLearn tips and best practices on the preparation of an acceptable administrative budget. Topics will include the importance of strategic planning, using historical financial information to develop the budget, determining what expenses are allowable/ unallowable, identifying staffing requirements, how excess administrative funds affect the budget and updating the budget throughout the year.
Watch On DemandJoin the USDA for this interactive session on the new Crediting Handbook for CACFP. We will review the ins and outs of each of the five required meal components, discuss both creditable and non-creditable food items, and engage the audience in hands-on crediting exercises. You won’t want to miss it!
Watch On DemandLearn the differences between various types of mechanical diets and how to prepare these foods to meet CACFP guidelines.
Watch On DemandCome learn ideas and tools providers can use to implement positive mealtimes. Topics include Smarter Mealtimes, examining picky eater’s behaviors while identifying tips for creating adventurous eaters and engaging child participation in the kitchen. Leave with strategies, recipes and activities that engage children of any age!
Watch On DemandReady to reignite your passion? Become motivated around the fact that you matter, and what you do is important. Learn who you are at your best, and what helps you to operate at optimal potency. Leave understanding what your best ability is, and why it is important to stay encouraged even in the tough times.
Watch On Demand2021 Virtual National Child Nutrition Conference
Originally held April 19-22, 2021 - watch the 2021 Virtual National Child Nutrition Conference on demand.
Get requirement updates related to accommodating participants with disabilities participating in CACFP/SFSP, as required by Federal law, USDA regulations and the Policy Memorandum, Modifications to Accommodate Disabilities in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program to ensure equal access and opportunity.
Watch On DemandGet ready to use ounce equivalents to determine the amount of grains to serve to infants in the CACFP! Learn about the requirement going into effect on October 1, 2021 and tools that make implementation easier. Participants will leave this session knowing how much cereal, crackers, and bread are needed to meet meal pattern requirements for infants.
Watch On DemandShould nutrition be a CQI plan within your Head Start program? Yes! Learn what a CQI plan is and why having a CQI plan goal of decreasing your students BMI is important for your program. Get steps on how to create the right nutrition assessment and how Farm to Early Care implementation can play a vital role in decreasing your students’ BMI.
Watch On DemandLearn about proven strategies that have resulted in significant cost savings for CACFP and SFSP Sponsors including electronic meal counting, leftover policies, frozen meals, shelf-stable back-up meals, different meal packaging, and partnering with food banks for donated foods. These valuable tools and tips can produce savings that translate into better quality food and financial security for programming.
Watch On DemandLearn about the impact of COVID on CACFP providers, sponsors, and state agencies as told through the results of a nationwide survey. Hear about the challenges and training needs for operators, get insights from state directors about challenges of administering CACFP during COVID, and learn about strategies that states and the federal government can take to better support families with young children to avoid food insecurity, including CACFP-specific infrastructure and support.
Watch On DemandSaturday Summit
Watch sessions from past Child Nutrition Saturday Summits on demand.
CACFP home and commercial kitchens operate at their best with well-planned menus. Menus drive budgets, kitchen efficiency, purchasing/grocery shopping, receiving, customer satisfaction, and so much more. Join Chef Brenda to learn how to cr
Watch On DemandLearn fun, developmentally appropriate physical activities to play with infants and toddlers in CACFP child care homes and centers and Early Head Start classrooms. Consider the many benefits of physical activity and how these activities help meet recommended best practices. View demonstrations and videos of these activities so you can apply these ideas in your own trainings.
Watch On DemandLearn about the vital role of nutrition and brain development. Understand specific nutrients essential for brain development and approaches to ensure adequate intake. Examine how hunger impacts physical growth and academic performance as well as the importance of embedding evidenced-based nutrition education as a strategy to improve nutritional status.
Watch On DemandMenus are not “one size fits all”! In this session, we will review feeding skills and milestones, and present strategies for planning menus that meet children’s developmental needs from 0-5 years. Participants will learn tips and tricks that prevent picky eating habits and will review common choking hazards to avoid for young children.
Watch On DemandMenus require planning and forecasting as well as recipe and menu development. Create safe menus while facing pandemic shortages by seeing how popular foods can be versatile and support your program.
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Boot Camp
Learn how to apply CACFP meal pattern substitutions or modifications with real, practical solutions to accommodate the diverse needs of children and adults participating in the CACFP. Gain the knowledge you need to help navigate through the intricacies of policy regulations and proper documentation. Get recipes and resources to provide not only safe meals, but delicious ones as well!
Obtain a broad overview about dietary needs of individuals with swallowing impairment. Receive information on the various types of texture-modified diets to safely feed individuals.
Watch On DemandDiscover the top nine food allergens and learn to recognize what food products contain these. Get a better understanding of how to read the food label to identify and avoid food allergens.
Watch On DemandLearn how to adjust your menu when a participant has a dairy allergy. Receive training on how to identify foods containing dairy, how to modify recipes, and what dairy products can be replaced to meet the fluid milk component.
Watch On DemandLearn the differences between various types of special diets and how to prepare these foods to meet CACFP guidelines.
Watch On DemandYou’ve learned about how to modify meals based on special dietary requests; now see how it’s done! Join us in this half hour cooking session where you will get recipes using these meal modifications.
Watch On Demand