Child & Adult Care Food Program

A nutrition assistance program that reimburses food for licensed caregivers, providing healthy meals to support both children and adults in our community. CACFP is part of the Community Bridges family of programs. (Para Español, desplácese hacia abajo y en el icono de Google seleccione “Spanish.” La información estara traducida a partir de allí.)

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

OUR Services

Reimbursement for Meals:

If you are a provider that cares for six children or adults daily and serves them two meals and one snack each day, you could be reimbursed about $8,000 annually. Call us or visit the federal CACFP site to determine your eligibility.

Workshops:

CACFP provides annual workshops to local providers! Contact us to sign up, learn new and exciting information, and network with other providers.

Nutrition Education:

One of our experienced program consultants will visit your home three times per year to observe meal service and provide up-to-date nutrition, health, and safety education.

Newsletter:

View our newsletters below for program updates, health news, recipes, and healthy activities for you and the children or adults in your daycare. Subscribe to our newsletters by emailing info@cbridges.org.

“At my childcare center, it's very important for me to focus on healthy foods for the kids (and us, too!). Most kids who come to us really love pasta and quesadillas, and we motivate them to try new fruits and vegetables. What we find really works is having them participate in cutting and preparing the food with us. Reimbursements from CACFP make this possible. Without them, we'd have to sacrifice the quality of the food we're able to provide.”

Adriana

CACFP childcare provider

CACFP: Enhancing Health and Well-being

How Does the Program Work?

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a vital initiative offering financial support to eligible care providers for providing nutritious meals to infants, children, and adults in various care settings.

Once approved for CACFP participation, organizations and providers incorporate meals that adhere to the USDA’s nutritional guidelines into their routine caregiving activities. In return, they receive cash reimbursements for qualifying meals.

Child care centers, adult day care centers, afterschool programs, and emergency shelters can engage with CACFP independently, receiving training, support, and reimbursements directly from CDSS (Child and Adult Care Food Program sponsor). Alternatively, they may work under a sponsoring organization, such as Community Bridges’ CACFP program, that offers the same benefits and support.

Day care home providers, however, are exclusively part of the CACFP through a sponsoring organization. These organizations are qualified entities that administer the program on behalf of multiple CACFP participants, such as care centers and day care home providers. They establish an agreement with CDSS, taking responsibility for training, monitoring, and disbursing cash reimbursements to the CACFP participants under their umbrella.

For additional information, visit the California Department of Social Services CACFP website by clicking HERE.

Who Qualifies for the Program?

There are five components to the CACFP: Child Care, Adult Day Care, Emergency Shelter, At-risk Afterschool Meals, and Day Care Homes. Organizations may be able to participate in the CACFP under one of these components if they meet the eligibility requirements:

1. Child Care: Open to licensed and unlicensed child care centers, including Early Head Start, Head Start, infant centers, preschool centers, and outside-school-hours centers.

2. Adult Day Care: Available for nonprofit and specific for-profit adult day care centers, serving functionally impaired adults or those aged 60 or older, such as adult day care centers, support day care centers, and approved Alzheimer centers.

3. Emergency Shelter: For facilities primarily offering temporary shelter to homeless families with children. Children 18 and under residing in these shelters automatically qualify for free meals.

4. At-risk Afterschool Meals: Public or nonprofit afterschool programs in low-income areas, including school food authorities, military organizations, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA sites, and YWCA sites.

5. Day Care Homes: Also known as Family Day Care Homes, these providers operate from their homes, either with a Community Care License through CDSS or the TrustLine program. They must collaborate with a sponsoring organization to participate.

For additional information, visit the California Department of Social Services CACFP website by clicking HERE.

How Do I Sign up?

To access the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), eligible organizations within Child Care, Adult Day Care, Emergency Shelter, At-risk Afterschool Meals, and Day Care Homes must first reach out to Community Bridges’ CACFP program via phone at 831-688-8840 or by email at CACFPinfo@cbridges.org.

To apply for the Child and Adult Care Food Program through Community Bridges, follow these steps:

1. Obtain a copy of your current child care license (or Trustline or Military documentation).

2. Ensure you have children in your care.

3. Attend a monthly orientation session at our Watsonville office and set a sign-up date.

4. Complete our agreement form and site applications, which establish a contractual arrangement with the program.

5. Have parents complete and sign an enrollment form for each child. Submit these forms with your monthly claim or as soon as the enrollment is completed by the parent(s).

At the orientation, provide a copy of your child care license. After attending the orientation, a home visit will be conducted, and you can start keeping records for reimbursement from the day of your home visit.

For additional information about the application process, visit the California Department of Social Services CACFP website by clicking HERE.

Interested care providers can also find more information about the application process at the USDA CACFP website by clicking HERE.

PROVIDER RESOURCES

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions English
Frequently Asked Questions Spanish

CACFP Forms

CACFP Manual (English)
CACFP Manual (Español)
Child Passenger Safety law & program sites
Daily Meals Worksheet
Daily Meals Worksheet Infants
Declining a provider’s formula
Declining a provider’s food
Non-Inclusion on the National Disqualified List
Request for milk substitute
CN Labels

Documentos de CACFP

Declaracion medica para solicitar comidas especiales
Etiqueta nutricional CN

USDA Meal Plan

Child Meal Pattern
Infant Meal Pattern
Identifying Whole Grains
Serving Meat and Meat Alternates at Breakfast
Choosing Breakfast Cereals
Choosing Yogurts
Grain-Based Desserts

Helpful Links

BrightFutures.org helps Child Care Providers promote health, including preventing childhood obesity. The following is a link to a curriculum that will help providers make sure children are getting enough physical activity.

Child Development Resource Center (CDRC) helps providers who are interesting in getting licensed, and also help parents find affordable childcare.

Healthy Eating on a Budget. Please note that even though sample menus are provided, your meals must meet the USDA requirements set forth for the CACFP. Not all meals provided on this website meet this requirement.

Healthy Kids Healthy Future As a child care and early education provider, you are a powerful force in children’s lives and can help them learn habits that prevent childhood obesity and can keep them healthy for life. Focus on five goals to get your kids off to a healthy start.

Healthy Preschoolers is a nutrition learning center for child care providers.

Kick the Can helps caregivers give the boot to sugary drinks.

KidKare Basics Recorded 20 minute training on the basics of using KidKare to manage your child care business.

KidKare Training Sign up for 20 minute KidKare classes online to join other providers in using the online system.

Read Conmigo where parents can receive free books to read to your child.

Recipes for Healthy Kids provides inspiration to cook up some new ideas and get children excited about making healthy choices. Recipipes were provided by school nutrition professionals, students, parents, chefs, and community members submitted over 340 recipes for Healthy Kids Competition.

Shaping Healthy Impressions through Nutrition and Exercise (SHINE) program is offering four Meal Quality Forums statewide. Each forum will focus on enhancing the nutrition environment of early child care programs through improved food preparation and service using the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Meal Pattern.

Tips to Help Kids Maintain a Healthy Weight What parents can do to help prevent their kids from becoming overweight or obese. Consejos para Ayudar a Los Niños Mantener un Peso Saludable Información que los padres pueden tomar para prevenir que sus hijos tengan sobrepeso o sean obesos.

USDA Meals & Snacks provide the requirements for serving meals and snacks to infants, children, and adults in CACFP. The meal patterns give you guidance on the minimum number of components and amounts of food which must be served as part of a reimbursable breakfast, lunch, supper, or snack.

What’s Cooking is a USDA resource for creating a variety of healthy recipes, building menus, SNAP information, and more.

Information for New Providers

Building for the Future with CACFP

Child Meal Pattern

Cover Sheet to Binder

Sponsor and Home Day Care Provider Agreement

CACFP Provider Manual

Denial of Services Policy

Infant Meal Pattern

Online Orientation

Serious Deficiency for Day Care Homes Process Contract

Site Application

Información para Nuevos Proveedores

Construyendo para el Futuro con CACFP

Patrón de Comidas para Niños

Portada para la Carpeta

Acuerdo Permanente Entre un Patrocinador y Proveedor de Guardería en Casa

Manual para Proveedores

Denegación de Servicios

Patrón de Comidas para Infantes

Orientación en Línea

Resumen del Proceso de Deficiencia Grave para Hogares de Cuidado Infantil Familiar

Aplicación de Sitio

Patrón de Comidas

Patrón de comidas para niños
Patrón de comidas para infantes
Identificar alimentos ricos en grano integral
Servir carne y sustitutos de carne en el desayuno
Servir leche en CACFP
Eligir cereales para el desayuno
Eligir yogures
Postres a base de granos

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or if all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.)

If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.

Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish).

Persons with disabilities, who wish to file a program complaint, please see information above on how to contact us by mail directly or by email. If you require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-6200 (voice and TDD).

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

Declaración de No Discriminación del USDA

El Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (por sus siglas en inglés “USDA”) prohíbe la discriminación contra sus clientes, empleados y solicitantes de empleo por raza, color, origen nacional, edad, discapacidad, sexo, identidad de género, religión, represalias y, según corresponda, convicciones políticas, estado civil, estado familiar o paternal, orientación sexual, o si los ingresos de una persona provienen en su totalidad o en parte de un programa de asistencia pública, o información genética protegida de empleo o de cualquier programa o actividad realizada o financiada por el Departamento. (No todos los criterios prohibidos se aplicarón a todos los programas y/o actividades laborales).

Si desea presentar una queja por discriminación del programa de Derechos Civiles, complete el USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (formulario de quejas por discriminación del programa del USDA), que puede encontrar en internet en http: //www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, o en cualquier oficina del USDA, o llame al (866) 632-9992 para solicitar el formulario. También puede escribir una carta con toda la información solicitada en el formulario. Envíenos su formulario de queja completo o carta por correo postal a U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, por fax al (202) 690-7442 o por correo electrónico a program.intake@usda.gov.

Las personas sordas, con dificultades auditivas, o con discapacidad del habla pueden contactar al USDA por medio del Federal Relay Service (Servicio federal de transmisión) al (800) 877-8339 o (800) 845-6136 (en español).

Las personas con discapacidades que desean presentar una queja hacia un programa específico, por favor de ver la información adjunta de como contactarnos por correo electrónico o directamente por correo. Si usted necesita otras alternativas de comunicación para la información del programa (por ejemplo; el sistema Braille, que las letras sean más grandes, cintas en audio, etc.) Por favor de contactar al USDA’s TARGET Center al siguiente número (202) 720-2600 (de voz y TDD).

El USDA es un proveedor y empleador que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.

CACFP Newsletters

August 2020
CACFP Reminders and Updates
Recordatorios y Actualizaciones de CACFP

December 2019
¡Frelice días Festivos!
Happy Holidays

June 2019
Identifying Grain Ingredients
Identificando ingredientes de grano

April 2019
The Technology Divide
La División de Tecnología

December 2018
Happy Holidays!
¡Felices Fiestas!

October 2018
New Meal Pattern: Ensuring Compliance
Asegurar El Cumplimiento de los Nuevos Requisitos

May 2018
Program Updates/Reminders
Actualizaciones y Recordatorios

January 2018
Be a Flu Fighter
Lucha Contra la Gripe

December 2017
This Holiday Season, Eat Mindful
Sea Consciente de lo que Coma Durante los Días Festivos

November 2017
Tips for More Grateful Kids
Niños más agradecidos