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The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is responsible for more than you may think! It provides jobs and opportunities and, of course, promotes healthy eating.
The CACFP has so many benefits for children, child care providers, families, the list goes on and on. “Through CACFP, more than 4.2 million children and 130,000 adults receive nutritious meals and snacks each day as part of the day care they receive,” states the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
A brief history
The CACFP went through many significant changes and revision from the version we know today. The CACFP was established in 1968 by Congress under the National School Lunch Act. At this time, the food program was only available to child care centers in low-income areas and was known as the Child Care Food Program.
Almost 10 years later, the food program expanded to family child care homes that met State licensing requirements and were supervised by a sponsoring organization. The nonprofit sponsoring organizations were in charge of keeping the child care homes in compliance with Federal and State regulations as set by the Child Care Food Program.
In 1987, Congress revised the Child Care Food Program to include a new adult age bracket and later changed the name to what we know today – the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
In 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was signed into law, which revised and structured the CACFP even more. This act identified the CACFP as an important food program that promotes healthy development in young children.
April 2016, the USDA made the first changes to the CACFP Meal Pattern, which went into effect October 2017.
How you can get involved
If you are a child care provider at a center or a home, start with finding a food program sponsor in your state. A sponsor will be able to guide, monitor, and educate you while on the food program and is required for all child care homes. To find a sponsor in your state, click here.
Related: The CACFP Provides Value to Your Child Care Business
If you are interested in becoming a CACFP sponsor, contact your state’s CACFP contact. Each state has its own application and training process. You can find your contact here.
Already a Food Program sponsor? Fantastic! If you are looking for an easier, more streamlined way to process your claims, Minute Menu Systems is the solution for you. Minute Menu is the number one CACFP management software program for food program sponsors. We improve the quality of child nutrition by ensuring all CACFP participants have the best software available. Click here to get started.
Related: See how Minute Menu Systems touched the lives of one million children in a single month!
We encourage you to share the videos below on social media, with your coworkers, with your providers, etc. These videos reflect the importance of the CACFP and child care in America. Be a voice for the CACFP!
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