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Home » Policy & Funding » Child Nutrition » Child and Adult Care Food Program

Child and Adult Care Food Program

Contact Information

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

360-725-6200
TTY:
360-664-3631
Staff Contacts

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded child nutrition program that reimburses nonresidential child and adult care facilities for nutritious meals and snacks served to children and adults who are enrolled in care.  The goal is to improve and maintain the health and nutritional status of children and adults in care while promoting the development of good eating habits.

CACFP Eligible programs include:

  • Nonresidential, licensed public or private, nonprofit child care centers or family day care homes.
  • Head Start, Early Childhood Educational Assistance Program (ECEAP), outside-school-hours programs, emergency shelters, and at-risk centers meeting the CACFP requirements are also eligible.
  • Certain adult care centers providing services to persons 60 years or older, or persons 18 years or older that are chronically-impaired or disabled, are also eligible.

Proprietary child care and adult care centers may participate if at least 25% of the participants in care are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Organizations interested in participating in the CACFP can visit the New Sponsors webpage.

Sponsors Administering the CACFP

Program Operations

  • Food Service Management Companies (FSMC)- Sponsors may contract with a Food service management company for preparing and, unless otherwise provided for, delivering meals, with or without milk.
  • Meal Patterns and Menu Planning- Discover the components of the nutritious, well-balanced, and age-appropriate meals served.
  • Purchasing/ Procurement for Federal Programs - Sponsors are reimbursed through OSPI with funds from the USDA. Receiving public funds means sponsors are responsible to follow ethical business and purchasing practices set by USDA regulations.
  • Training- Required and optional CACFP trainings. All sponsors must meet training requirements. 

Elevate Your Program

  • Farm to CACFP- Farm to Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) means the inclusion of locally produced food and/or nutrition or agriculture education in the CACFP. Farm to CACFP programming is recommended a best practice in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

Caring For Children At Home

If you provide care for children from your house, you could be eligible to receive reimbursements for meals you serve! Family Day Care Homes (FDCH) is an organized nonresidential child care program for children, generally 12 years of age or younger, operated in a private home, and licensed or approved to provide care. In order to participate in CACFP, FDCHs must enter into an agreement with a sponsoring organization.

For more information, please visit our Family Day Care Home (FDCH) sponsor webpage.

Afterschool Programs

If your organization provides a meal or snack and educational or enrichment activities, afterschool, you could receive reimbursement! The At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program offers funding to afterschool programs that serve a meal or snack and provide educational or enrichment activities to children in low-income areas.

Community Organization offering Afterschool Programs? 
 
School District offering Afterschool Programs?
 

Nondiscrimination Statement 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.