National CACFP Week is March 12-18, 2023
What is National CACFP Week?
CACFP Week is a national education and information campaign sponsored annually the third week of March by the National CACFP Sponsors Association. The campaign is designed to raise awareness of how the USDA's Child and Adult Care Food Program works to combat hunger. The CACFP brings healthy foods to tables across the country for children in child care centers, homes, and afterschool programs as well as adults in day care.
You can participate by helping spread the word about the CACFP! Visit our Campaign page to download resources for spreading awareness in your classrooms, your community, and at the state level. We also invite you to be active on social media - participate in our Social Media Challenge for a chance to win $100 and have your #CACFPCreditable snacks featured on our website or tell us how you're participating in CACFP Week by submitting your story to CACFP Week in Action. Finally, we're hosting a webinar for each weekday of CACFP Week centered around the topics of Community, Awareness, Children, Food Program and Participation.
New This Year!
We're always providing new resources for NCA members to download, and CACFP Week is no different! This year, our members can download a nutrition education series called "What Do Components Do for the Body?" and we've also partnered with our friends at Sesame Street in Communities for a new page on 14 Ways to Try Broccoli.
We've also got an exclusive sample menu, which is available to anybody that registers for CACFP Week on our Event Calendar! Let us know you're participating, and try out some of the menu ideas that are inspired by real CACFP providers.
Don't Miss Our Webinars
Food Program Fun: CACFP Week At-a-Glance
CACFP Week Webinar Series
Community
- Monday, March 13
- Building Healthy Bodies with the Foods We Serve
- The CACFP community works to ensure that all children have access to healthy foods. Those foods play a major role in providing the nutrients kids need as they grow and into adulthood. Learn what fruits, vegetables, grains, meats/meat alternates and fluid milk do for the body.
Advocacy
- Tuesday, March 14
- GOOD NEWS! Sharing Your CACFP Story
- Together we can raise awareness of how the CACFP works to combat hunger. Hear stories about what the CACFP community is doing to share its message and learn how to use social media strategies, local and state proclamations, local news stories and more to help raise awareness about the CACFP.
Children
- Wednesday, March 15
- Healthy & Strong with Sesame Street
- Children receive nutritious meals through CACFP. Get to know Wes & Elijah as they have a healthy snack and take their usual afternoon walk. Learn about new resources featuring furry friends from your favorite Street to support healthy habits for everyone in the neighborhood.
Food Program
- Thursday, March 16
- Explore New Foods with a Taste Testing Adventure
- The CACFP helps children learn healthy eating habits. Learn how you can introduce new foods through various taste testing strategies. Discover tips for getting kids to try new foods while they are on their taste testing adventure!
Participate
- Friday, March 17
- Tools & Resources for CACFP Success
- Hundreds of thousands of people participate in the CACFP. We have resources to help! From provider toolkits to online training, activity sheets, nutrition education and more, learn how to use these to promote nutrition and physical activities in your CACFP operations.