The USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides reimbursement funds to early childhood programs in Minnesota and Iowa serving healthy meals. Partners in Quality Care works with early childhood programs to help them sign up for the CACFP, making participation in the program easy!

Our team members take on the administrative and financial tasks of the CACFP, which includes providing forms, processing paperwork, training staff, and coordinating with state and federal agencies on your behalf.

Do You Qualify?

Your early childhood program can participate in the CACFP if you are a:

• Nonprofit licensed child care center
• For-profit licensed child care center, and if 25% of the families at your center meet income guidelines

The Benefits of CACFP

• Financial Reimbursement: Programs on the CACFP receive funds for up to 2 meals and 1 snack, or 1 meal and 2 snacks per enrolled child each day.
• Nutrition: As a licensed child care center, you are already required to provide meals and snacks that meet ⅓ of the Recommended Dietary Allowance. The CACFP meal pattern requirements are designed to satisfy this requirement. By working with Partners In Quality Care you will have access to our registered dietitian at no cost to your program. And participating in the CACFP means that your program can afford to provide healthy meals and snacks!

How Much Work is the CACFP?

Being a part of the CACFP adds just a few extra steps for most licensed early childhood programs. If you are already providing meals to the children in your care, you are already doing most of what you need to do to receive CACFP funds.