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Certification Requirements

CACFP Child Nutrition Professional (CCNP)

CACFP Operator or Administrator

Education

(16) Hours in Specialty 1

(16) Hours in Specialty 1, 2, or 3

 

Experience

(3) Years

 

OR

Education

Associate's Degree or higher*

(16) Hours in Specialty 1

 

Experience

(1) Year

 

OR

Education

Associate's Degree or higher*

(12) Hours in Specialty 1

(4) Hours in Specialties 2 or 3

 

Experience

(1) Year

CACFP Management Professional (CMP)

CACFP Operator with at least 3 years of agency administration

Education

(4) Hours in Specialties 1 or 2

(4) Hours in Specialties 5 or 6

(8) Hours in Specialties 4 or 7

 

Experience

(8) Years

 

OR

Education

Associate's Degree or higher*

(4) Hours in Specialties 1 or 2

(4) Hours in Specialties 5 or 6

(8) Hours in Specialties 4 or 7

 

Experience

(5) Years

OR

Education

(12) Hours in Specialties 1 or 2

(12) Hours in Specialties 5 or 6

(12) Hours in Specialties 4 or 7

(24) Hours in Specialties 1-7

 

Experience

(5) Years

Associate's degree or higher in the following fields are accepted: business; nutrition; public health; education; and community, family and personal services. Other degrees may be considered, but not guaranteed approval, if the relationship between CACFP and the work performed can be explained. If your degree is not accepted, you are responsible for the year’s experience and the additional CEU credits needed to qualify. If you do not meet those standards, your application will not be approved.

Want to learn more about our Specialties? Click on each to learn more. 

Specific Degree Fields Accepted for Application

Business 

  • Business Administration & Management, General 
  • Office Supervision & Management 
  • Operations Management & Supervision 
  • Purchasing/Procurement/Contracts Management 
  • Finance, General 
  • Banking & Financial Support Services 
  • Secretarial Studies & Office Administration 

 

Nutrition 

  • Nutrition Science
  • Applied Nutrition
  • Clinical Nutrition
  • Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Dietary Management
  • Dietetic Technology
  • Culinary Arts

 

Public Health

Education 

  • Counseling & Student Services 
  • Early Childhood Education 
  • Elementary Education 
  • Junior High/Middle School Education 
  • Secondary Education 
  • Teacher Assisting/Aide Education 
  • Health Education 

 

Community, Family, and Personal Services 

  • Family & Consumer Sciences, General 
  • Adult Development & Aging/Gerontology 
  • Child Care Services Management 
  • Child Development 
  • Food & Nutrition 
  • Social Work 

Other degrees may be considered, but not guaranteed approval, if the relationship between CACFP and the work performed can be explained. If your degree is not accepted, you are responsible for the year’s experience and the additional CEU credits needed to qualify. If you do not meet those standards, your application will not be approved.

Continuing Education Units

The CEU worksheet is required for application and it also helps you determine if you are ready to apply. Fill in the courses you would like to use to meet the requirements for your certification. Please make sure to total the hours on the CEU Worksheet and indicate which training fulfills each of the specific requirements for the CCNP and/or CMP. If your totals do not match the requirements listed, you're not quite ready to apply. But not to worry! Check out our Learning Center to earn CEUs.

CEU trainings should be from within the last 5 years and should be CACFP specific and relevant to CACFP. Trainings on topics such as sanitation unless CACFP specific, first aid, CPR, and child abuse will not be accepted for the CCNP and CMP.

Earning Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

The purpose of CEUs is to provide job-related professional development and growth experiences. Annual training (earning CEUs) is a requirement to earn and maintain your CACFP Certification. All training should be within the last 5 years. Candidates can earn continuing education credits in any of the following ways:

  • Webinars & Online Training Participation
  • Workshops/Trainings/Conference Attendance
  • Secondary Learning Coursework

Calculating Hours

Click Here for Calculating CEUs Worksheet

CEUs should be recorded in one-hour increments and completed within the last 5 years. They must be equal to a minimum of one hour in length. Trainings that are thirty minutes in length are accepted but must be added accordingly to equal one hour.

If using your degree to qualify for the certification, the classes you took to satisfy the degree cannot be converted to CEUs. 

Examples: 
Two thirty-minute trainings = 1 CEU 
Three-hour training = 3 CEUs
1.5-hour training = 1 CEU

Requirements can also be met by taking relevant college courses.
1 Credit Hour College Course = 16 CEU Hours
2 Credit Hour College Course = 32 CEU Hours
3 Credit Hour College Course = 48 CEU Hours

CEU Specialties

Education credits should be self-declared in one of these following categories:

Specialty 1. Nutrition
Nutrition is the study of nutrients in food, how the body uses them, and the relationship between diet, health, and disease. The CACFP strives to teach lifelong healthy habits, decreasing obesity and increasing physical activity.

e.g., Understanding Whole Grains, CACFP Best Practices, Infant, Child & Adult Nutrition, Child Obesity Prevention, Physical Activities for Children, Eating Behaviors, Dietary Guidelines, Special Diets, Food Allergies, CACFP Substitutions, Picky Eaters, Breast Feeding, CACFP Meal Patterns, Creditable Foods, CN & Manufacturer Labeling

Specialty 2. Program Operations
CACFP Operations consist of the tasks that are performed to support the requirements of the CACFP program. For example, a provider may take training on how to keep records that are required to participate in the CACFP. Trainings to learn how to properly plan a menu to meet CACFP requirements or how to review and process claims are other examples.

e.g.,  Record-Keeping, Menu Planning, Meal Patterns, Claims Processing, Meal Service, Program Monitoring, Food Handling

Specialty 3. Training & Technology
Training and Technology CEU credits consist of train-the-trainer workshops you may attend designed to give you the tools to teach others. It can also include workshops to learn CACFP software for uses such as record keeping, menu planning, or determining how to ensure you are meeting food crediting minimums. For example, training on the use of the USDA Food Buying Guide can be applied here.

e.g.,  Training Strategies, CACFP Software, Train-the-Trainer

Specialty 4. Program Administration
CACFP Administration consists of the activities that are related to operating a CACFP sponsoring organization or state agency with regards to the food program specifically. For example, a director or manager may take trainings on ways to develop corrective action plans or how to enroll a new site. Classes like these which address how to administer the food program, are counted in this specialty.

e.g.,  Serious Deficiency, CACFP Management Plans, Program Integrity, Enrollment, Eligibility Determinations, NDL, Program Eligibility, Program Appeals, Program Eligibility, Foodservice Vendor Management

Specialty 5. Financial Management
Financial management may be defined as planning, organizing, directing and controlling the financial activities of an organization.

e.g., Budgeting, Claims, Cost-Allocation, Financial Management, Accounting, OMB Super Circular, Procurement, Administrative Payment Systems, Program Review and Audit Requirements

Specialty 6. Management
Management is the act of overseeing or supervising a team or organization. The CEU’s in this category do not have to be CACFP specific and can include trainings like leadership, how to engage teams, developing a succession plan, and working with a board of directors.

e.g., Staffing, Marketing, Communications, Governing Bodies

Specialty 7. Civil Rights & Policy
CACFP Civil Rights training is required annually with the purpose of informing compliance and enforcement against any type of discrimination in all FNS nutrition programs and activities. Policy training consists of CACFP regulations, USDA guidance, and Congressional action while advocacy sessions include topics of public support or recommendations for the CACFP.

e.g., Civil Rights, CACFP Advocacy, CACFP Regulations, Child Nutrition Reauthorization, IOM

Note: Make sure to label each of your documents with its corresponding Specialty.