Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Support

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal program that provides reimbursement for healthful meals and snacks served to children and adults.  Because CACFP participants’ nutritional needs are supported on a daily basis, the program plays a vital role in improving the quality of day care and making it more affordable for families.


Why is CACFP important?

The benefits of CACFP are clear. CACFP provides nutrition and nutrition education to improve health and wellness of more than 3.56 million children receiving child care each day. This Program is a leading source for information about health and wellness so that our Nation’s children get the best start when it comes to healthy eating and physical activity. It inspires innovative State and local improvements to enhance nutrition and promote physical activity of our children. CACFP makes it possible to provide the good nutrition infants and children need in child care homes, centers, and a variety of nontraditional child care settings, including after-school programs for children and youth. CACFP meals are an essential part of the early childhood education and care each child receives. Participating child care homes and centers receive reimbursement for serving meals to children that meet USDA guideline.

 

Child and Adult Care Food Programs Offer Lifetime Benefits

  • Children's  eating patterns and habits are established in the preschool years and may determine the quality of diet throughout life. Children in child care with CACFP providers have the opportunity to enjoy healthy foods.
  • Parents  know that their children will be served healthy meals with CACFP early care professionals and that they are more likely to be healthy, happy and develop at a normal physical, emotional and intellectual pace.
  • Child Care Professionals  receive important nutrition education from CACFP that helps them learn about healthy foods and appropriate amounts to feed children in young age groups. Child care professionals receive help through personal visits from CACFP staff in understanding how to help children make healthy food choices for their meals and snacks. This can help form positive eating habits that will last a lifetime.
  • Community  Federal tax money is invested in the health of children in the community because of CACFP, which helps keep child care costs down. In addition, CACFP providers are monitored, so they also are more likely to follow state child care regulations.

As a CACFP sponsor, the Child Care Council of Suffolk:

 

Conduct trainings, monitor compliance, process claims for reimbursement, and provide other Program assistance to child care homes and centers. While a child care home must participate in CACFP under a sponsoring organization, a center may participate directly with the State agency or elect to participate through a sponsoring organization. Centers may be sponsored by an organization with which they are affiliated, such as a day care chain corporate office, or an unaffiliated, not-for-profit organization with which they have no preexisting relationship.

 

Click Here if you are interested in becoming a CACFP provider. 


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