Food Program
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
is a key source of support for serving nutritious meals and snacks in
child care centers, family child care homes, Head Start, after-school
programs, shelters and adult day care centers. The program provides
reimbursement for food and meal preparation costs, ongoing training in the
nutritional needs of children, and onsite assistance in meeting the
program's strong nutritional requirements. CACFP plays a vital role in
creating and maintaining quality, affordable care for preschool and
school-age children.
Participation
In FY 2003, CACFP served over 2.8 million children daily in child care
centers, family care homes, and after-school programs; served over 80,000
elderly persons in Adult Day Care; and provided approximately 1.7 billion
meals and snacks.
Benefits
CACFP is a well-documented success. Studies have shown that children in
CACFP receive meals that are nutritionally superior to those served to
children in child care settings without CACFP. Children in participating
institutions have higher intakes of key nutrients, fewer servings of fats
and sweets than children in non-participating care. Research cites
participation in CACFP as one of the major factors influencing quality
care, reporting that 87 percent of the family child care homes considered
to be providing quality child care participated in CACFP.
Eligibility
To be eligible for participation in CACFP, a sponsor must be a licensed or
approved child care provider or a public or nonprofit private school which
provides organized child care programs for school children during
off-school hours. Any child up to age 12 or adult attending a
participating adult day care facility is entitled to meals. Programs
eligible for participation include non-residential child or adult care
institutions such as group or family child care, child or adult care
centers, Head Start, recreation centers, settlement houses and after
school programs. For profit child care centers using Title XX funding to
serve 25 percent or more low-income children are also eligible.
Reimbursement
Participating programs are required to provide meals and snacks according
to the nutrition standards set by USDA. The reimbursement rates vary based
on the type of meal (lunches have a higher reimbursement rate than
snacks), and the type of institution. Child and adult care centers and
family child care homes have means-tested reimbursement systems that
provide higher levels of reimbursement for low-income families: centers
have a three-tiered and homes have a two-tiered reimbursement rate
structure. See
USDA Food and Nutrition Service's CACFP Reimbursement Rates. At-risk
after-school programs and homeless, domestic violence and runaway shelters
are assumed to be serving low-income children and are reimbursed at the
highest rate.
Funding
CACFP is an entitlement program. In FY 2003, the total federal cost for
CACFP was $1.7 billion.
Sponsorship
of your operation
If you've ever
attempted to navigate the maze CACFP participation and found you lack
the time, resources or proficiency to attempt it on your own, consider
CACFP sponsorship. Once sponsorship is established, the sponsor
files paperwork for you in exchange for a small percentage of the
reimbursement. You reap the benefits without the administrative
overhead.
DCGPO is signing up Food Program Sponsors to
assist with the tracking and reporting CACFP program participation.
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