Part 5: What is the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Where Do I Go to Enroll?

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What is the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)?

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded program that is administered by the states to ensure that eligible children have access to healthy, nutritious food. CACFP serves At Risk After School Programs, Adult Day Centers, Child Care Centers, Family Day Care Homes and Emergency Shelters. The Child and Adult Care Food Program has served 4.2 million children and 130,000 adults nationwide.

The Child Care Centers’ section of CACFP provides funding for public and private nonprofit child care centers, Head Starts, and outside school hours care centers. For-profit centers must prove that 25% of those in their care are from low-income families. Up to 2 meals and 1 snack per child per day are reimbursable through CACFP.

• To enroll in the CACFP program, locate and contact one of the sponsoring agencies that is near you geographically on the Family Child Care Association of Maine’s web page.