Posts Tagged ‘Early Care and Education’
Fun and Play Tips
Brain building can happen anytime and anywhere, including during Mealtime. Mealtime is a perfect opportunity to engage children in simple brain building activities like discovering textures, practicing fine motor skills, and creating memories. Our partners at Vroom have dozens of tips and ideas to help you make mealtime more fun and playful.
Read MoreState Policies Shaping the Future of CACFP
States are uniquely positioned to step up where CACFP federal funding falls short and address the needs of their communities. Multiple states have already taken up this mantle and pushed forward policies to better support providers and sponsors of the CACFP in successfully operating the program.
Read MoreSponsor Spotlight: Adela Trujillo with CAASNM
Adela Trujillo is the CACFP Director for Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico (CAASNM), a CACFP sponsor of over 460 family child care homes, 80 child care centers and 2 At-Risk afterschool sites that serve nutritious meals to 11,000 children. Learn more about Adela!
Read MoreUniversal Meals Legislation Re-Introduced
The Universal School Meals Program Act has been reintroduced in Congress, which includes significant provisions to update the CACFP and SFSP.
Read MoreSponsor Spotlight: Kelly Rodriguez with 4-C Community Coordinated Child Care
Kelly Rodriguez is the CACFP Director at 4-C Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C). 4-C works as a child care hub for providers and families in Northwest Illinois. 4-C also serves as a CACFP sponsoring organization, serving 108 family child care home providers and reaching 1070 children across 15 counties.
Read MoreFinal Rule: Expanding Fluid Milk Options in CNPs
USDA released a final rule that allows whole and reduced-fat (2%) milk to be offered to participants ages two and up in the CACFP, National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and Special Milk Program (SMP).
Read MoreEgg Allergy Awareness
Food Allergy Awareness Week (May 10–16) is a great time to review how your program keeps children safe from food allergies. One of the most common allergies in young children is eggs. In this Mealtime Memo, our partners at ICN crack open the basics of egg allergy safety.
Read MoreMental Health Resources
Our partners at Sesame Street in Communities have expanded their suite of emotional well-being resources designed to help young children and the caring adults in their lives navigate everyday challenges and build resilience and social problem-solving skills. The new videos and digital content offer practical tools that meet families where they are and support communication between parents and providers.
Read MoreSponsor Spotlight: Heide Martin and Sharla Olson with SENDCAA
Heide Martin and Sharla Olson are Nutrition Coordinators for the Southeast North Dakota Community Action Agency (SENDCAA). SENDCAA began sponsoring the CACFP in 1981 through a start-up grant from the USDA. Forty-five years later, SENDCAA continues to operate as a CACFP sponsor and serves 150 family child care homes that provide nutritious meals to about 1500 children.
Read MoreCulinary Math
Whether you’re making a snack for six children or lunch for sixty, good culinary math skills are essential and make cooking easier, more accurate, and less stressful. This Mealtime Memo from our partners at ICN explains how to convert recipes and adjust ingredient amounts to keep your food consistent and accurate every time.
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