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If you provide care for children or adults, you may qualify for the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

The CACFP provides a financial reimbursement to care providers so they can serve healthy meals and snacks to the children or adults in their care. Through the program, more than 4.2 million children and 130,000 adults receive nutritious food every day as part of the care they receive.

So how do you know if you qualify for this food program? We will break down some of the requirements below. If you are interested in getting started in the program to receive funds for healthy meals and snacks that will help kids flourish and help make sure adults eat right, then contact Partners in Quality Care today. Our team can help you navigate the administrative and financial requirements of the CACFP.

Partners in Quality Care is the largest sponsor of unaffiliated child care centers and adult day care centers in Minnesota, and we’d love to sponsor your organization, too. Contact us today for more information.

Child Care Centers and Preschools

If you are a child care provider in Minnesota, you may qualify to receive money for healthy meals and snacks for the children who come to your center.

All public or private nonprofit licensed child care centers (Rule 3) qualify. For-profit licensed child care centers (Rule 3) in which 25 percent of the families at the center are considered low-income are eligible for the child care food program.

Families do not have to receive other types of assistance in order to be considered low income.

After School Programs

Community-based programs that offer activities for at-risk children and youth ages 18 and younger after the typical school day ends can get reimbursement for meals and snacks through the CACFP too, so long as the program is offered in an area where at least 50 percent of the children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. To find out if your program is area eligible, please contact Partners in Quality Care.

Adult Day Cares

If you provide adult day care services for adults who are functionally impaired or aged 60 and older, you may qualify for the CACFP. The program is open to nonprofit licensed adult day care centers and for-profit licensed adult day care centers in which 25 percent of the adults are from low-income households.

How Does the Program Work?  

The CACFP reimburses qualifying programs for the cost of healthy meals and snacks as long as the meals meet the nutritional value requirements established by the USDA.

The reimbursement program can be a little confusing to navigate, but that’s why Partners in Quality Care is here. We have been a leading CACFP sponsor and advocate for providers for many years, so we have the expertise to help fill out the correct forms, process the paperwork, provide CACFP training, and coordinate with federal and state officials on your behalf.

If you think you qualify for the Child and Adult Care Food Program,  and your center could benefit from funding for healthy meals and snacks, contact us today at 651-925-9344.