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Child and Adult Care Food Program
Food, Body, and Mind Awards
Washington Child Nutrition Providers Honored with “Extra Mile Award”
OSPI would like to thank the child nutrition heroes who persisted against many challenges during the pandemic. You have been the rock in every community you serve and we celebrate your heroism during this past year. Congratulations!
Contact Information
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides federal funds to nonresidential child care and adult care facilities to serve nutritious meals and snacks. 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.
If you would like additional information about operating Child Nutrition Programs during unanticipated closures, please visit COVID-19 Nutrition & Meals Guidance web page.
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 page.
Centers Administering the CACFP
- New Sponsors - Start here to become a sponsor of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)!
- Program Application, Materials, and Requirements
- Communications and Updates from CNS
- Claims and Reimbursement Rates
Program Operations
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Food Service Management Companies (FSMC)- An FSMC is an organization other than a public or private nonprofit school with which an institution may contract for preparing and/or delivering meals, with or without milk for use in the Program.
- 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.
- Study Month and Eligibility- Study Months are a snapshot of the income eligibility at your center and sets the reimbursement rate for the fiscal year.
- Training- Required and optional CACFP trainings. All sponsors must meet minimal training requirements.
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?
Go to the CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals webpage to learn more.
School District offering Afterschool Programs?
Go to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) At-Risk Afterschool Meals webpage to learn more.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.