Food Program

What is the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program?

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) program. It provides reimbursement for nutritious meals and helps to develop positive eating habits in young children enrolled in registered and licensed child care settings across the nation. In Montana, the CACFP is administered by the Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Child Care Connections (CCC) is a non-profit child care resource and referral agency that sponsors the CACFP for family and group child care homes operating in Gallatin, Park and Meagher counties. The program is available to all children from birth through twelve years of age.

To participate in the program, providers must serve meals that meet CACFP meal pattern requirements. Providers allow representatives from CCC in their program at least three times annually for monitoring visits, maintain required paperwork and attend 4 hours of CACFP training each year.

Civil Rights & Non-Discrimination Links

To learn more about civil rights & non-discrimination and how they apply to the Child and Adult Care Food Program please click on the following links:

USDA Food & Nutrition Service Civil Rights Mission & Vision Statements

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

Civil Rights Documents:
USDA-FNA Civil Rights pages link
"And Justice for All"
Federal Relay Service Poster
Civil Rights - Complaint Filing
FNS-113 Reference Document for USDA-FNS

Benefits of the CACFP

Benefits To The Child

Food habits are caught rather than taught. The CACFP offers lifetime benefits. The preschool years are when eating patterns and habits are being established that may determine the quality of diet throughout life. Children who are in the care of providers who participate on the CACFP are given the opportunity to receive nutrition education by providers who understand their role in shaping attitudes toward the acceptance of nutritious foods. Providers create an atmosphere that instills a positive, curious attitude about food that starts in the child’s earliest years.

Benefits For The Parents

Parents are assured that their children will be served high quality meals. The benefit is that children are less likely to experience fatigue and illness resulting in less time a parent must be absent from work. The child is also more likely to be healthy, happy and develop at a normal physical, emotional and intellectual pace.

Benefits For The Child Care Provider

Providers receive valuable nutrition education that guides them in offering nutritious foods to feed children in amounts appropriate for their age groups. They receive guidance through nutrition education and personal visits from CACFP staff in understanding how to encourage positive eating habits. They help children make healthy food choices that will last a lifetime.

Benefits For The Community

Because of the CACFP, federal tax monies are returned to the provider's state and invested in the health of the community's children. The added revenue is a means of helping to keep child care costs down for employees in the community. Since only regulated providers are eligible to participate in the program, this provides an incentive for unlicensed providers to comply with local child care ordinances.

What CCC Has To Offer CACFP Participants:

• Reimbursement for meals/snacks
• Three on-site monitoring visits per year that include free health materials and fun on-site activities with children
• Annual nutrition, health and safety education workshops at no charge
• Annual menu evaluations
• Monthly CACFP newsletters and nutrition education mailings
• Nutrition education units and materials lent to participants for use in their programs at no cost
• On line submission of CACFP records
• Provider Calendar and Record Keeping Tool provided annually at no cost.

This project is funded in part under a contract with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The statements herein do not necessarily reflect the option of the Department.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability or political beliefs. Persons with disability who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA"s TARGET Center at (202)720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write the USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202)720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity employer.