What is the CACFP?
Family Child Care Homes
The Child and Adult Care Food Program is federally funded and provides reimbursement for meals and snacks served to small groups of children receiving nonresidential child care in private homes that are licensed, registered, or approved to provide family child care.
CACFP targets higher levels of reimbursement to low-income areas, and to child care providers and children most in need. The reimbursements make the cost of child care more affordable for many lower income families.
Health and safety standards, training, and monitoring make CACFP an important component of quality child care, especially in family child care homes.
Why CACFP Is Important
USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program plays a vital role in improving the quality of child care and making it more affordable for many low-income families. Each day, 3.2 million children receive nutritious meals and snacks through CACFP. The program also provides meals and snacks to 112,000 adults who receive care in nonresidential adult day care centers. CACFP reaches even further to provide meals to children residing in emergency shelters, and snacks and suppers to youths participating in eligible after school care programs.