Child and Adult Care Food Program

You can provide high quality snacks and meals to the children in your care and be reimbursed for your costs.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is part of the National School Lunch Act, administered through the US Department of Agriculture.  CACFP guidelines ensure that food served to children in child care provides for optimum growth and development of children.  Child care providers are reimbursed monthly for meals that meet the USDA standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can participate?

CACFP is open to registered child care homes, licensed child care homes, and legally exempt child care providers.

What meals can be claimed?

Providers may claim up to two meals and one snack per child per day.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks are eligible for reimbursement.

What is required to participate in the program?

  • You must be licensed or registered

  • Meals and snacks must meet USDA guidelines

  • Maintain daily counts of menus, attendance and meals.  You can  record this information on-line.

  • Menu information must be submitted by the 5th of each month

  • You must attend two hours of nutrition training a year.

 

What are the meal guidelines?

Breakfast: Milk, one serving of fruit or vegetable, grain or bread

Lunch or Dinner:  Milk, two servings of fruits and/or vegetables, meat or meat alternative, grain or bread

Snacks: choose two of the four meal components:  milk, fruit or vegetable, meat or meat alternative, grain or bread

Sample Menu:

Breakfast: 1% milk, banana, whole wheat toast

Lunch or Dinner: 1% milk, carrots, apple, chicken, rice

Snack: cheese stick, fruit cup

Who is eligible for CACFP meals?

Children 12 and under may participate.  Infants, both those on formula and those who are breastfed, are eligible to participate.

Can I claim meals for my own children?

Under certain guidelines, you may claim meals and snacks served to your own children when in child care.   Windham Child Care Association staff will help determine if you are eligible to claim your own children

How do I get reimbursed?

Menu information is submitted to the WCCA office by the 5th of each month.  Once the information has been processed, reimbursement checks are mailed directly to you.

What does a program visit look like?

Your program will be visited three times a year to review your paperwork, answer your questions, bring nutrition education materials, recipes and other resources for you.

What does WCCA do for you?

  • We help you get started
  • We provide you with in-home training, focusing on your particular situation
  • We show you how to complete the required paperwork and help you get started on line
  • We provide several workshops each year, topics ranging from taxes to snacks, from menu planning to food allergies

How do I get more information or enroll?

Contact Grace Esdon (802) 254-5332 ext 315