Suzanne Secor Parker
515-281-3744
Child and Adult Care Food Program
Contact(s)
Robin Holz
515-281-3484
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded program that provides meal reimbursement to child care centers, adult day care centers, emergency shelters, before and afterschool programs, and child development homes. The objectives of CACFP are to:
- Provide a subsidy to eligible child and adult care institutions for serving nutritious meals
- Serve nutritious meals and snacks to children and adults in care
- Foster lifelong healthy eating and physical activity habits
The program serves:
- Children age 0-12 years in child care centers and family day care homes
- Children through age 18 in At Risk afterschool programs and emergency shelters
- Children of migrant workers, through age 15
- Functionally impaired disabled persons receiving care in a center or home where most children are 18 years old and younger, an in emergency shelters serving children
- Adults age 60 or older or impaired adults of any age in non-residential day care settings
CACFP COVID-19 Waivers and Flexibilities - Includes waivers and flexibilities for Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) operators and provides helpful resources to assure nutritious and safe meals are served in childcare organizations participating in CACFP during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CACFP Ambassador Stipends
To increase CACFP participation, a childcare center or home provider currently participating in CACFP can apply to receive an Ambassador Stipend ($300 for centers or $150 for home providers) by mentoring a center or home provider who does not participate in CACFP and assisting them with applying to participate in the food program. Application due date is June 30, 2021.
Ambassador Application for Centers
Ambassador Application for Home Providers
CACFP Peer to Peer Mentoring Flyer - provides information for centers and home providers about what is expected of a CACFP Ambassador.
What CACFP Can Do for Me? Promotional Flyer
For childcare centers and homes to highlight the benefits of participating in CACFP: Available in English and Spanish.
Become a CACFP Provider Postcard Template
Postcards to share with other child care providers in your community.
To increase CACFP participation, a childcare center or home provider currently participating in CACFP can apply to receive an Ambassador Stipend ($300 for centers or $150 for home providers) by mentoring a center or home provider who does not participate in CACFP and assisting them with applying to participate in the food program. Application due date is June 30, 2021.
Ambassador Application for Centers
Ambassador Application for Home Providers
CACFP Peer to Peer Mentoring Flyer - provides information for centers and home providers about what is expected of a CACFP Ambassador.
What CACFP Can Do for Me? Promotional Flyer
For childcare centers and homes to highlight the benefits of participating in CACFP: Available in English and Spanish.
Become a CACFP Provider Postcard Template
Postcards to share with other child care providers in your community.
The funds provided for this Program are from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Program is administered in Iowa through the Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services in the Department of Education. See the links below for additional information, including eligibility requirements:
Stay connected! Iowa CACFP is on Facebook! Use #IowaCACFP in social media posts.
CACFP Participation in Iowa Story Map - Provides information about CACFP participation, food access, and family poverty to help users understand disparities and opportunities. Scroll through the story map to see child care programs, both participating and not participating in CACFP, by type of program in the context of food deserts and families who are likely eligible for CACFP. Scroll down to the last map, to turn layers on and off and zoom-in to communities to better understand the needs of children and families in those areas.
This story map was developed in partnership with Nemours, Child Care Aware® of America, and the Iowa Departments of Public Health and Education to better understand and promote CACFP participation in child care programs across the state.
Resources for CACFP Participants
Online Training Opportunities
- Steps to CACFP Success Online Workshop
- Feeding Infants (10 lessons)
- CACFP Wellness Modules: Farm to CACFP, Meaningful Mealtimes, Trying New Foods, Opportunities for Active Play, Nutrition Education, Smarter Mealtime Scorecard, CACFP Meal Pattern Best Practices, Healthy Food Purchasing, and Updated Healthy Menu Makeover.
Meal Pattern Implementation
- Infants, Children, Adults
- Best Practices (English, Spanish)
- Iowa Center Handy Guide to Creditable Food
- Iowa Home Provider Handy Guide to Creditable Foods
- CACFP Menu with Best Practices
- CACFP Best Practices Checklist
- Cooking Up Healthy Habits: Guide to CACFP Meals: Includes the current meal pattern requirements and best practices for CACFP participants. Includes 4 two-week cycle menus, recipes and shopping lists. Developed by Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
- Grocery List - template to use when shopping for food items on the weekly menu.
Infant Feeding
- Nemours Responsive Feeding Module - an online course for early care and education (ECE) providers about responsive feeding best practices and on how to implement these best practices.
- Feeding Infants in the Child and Adult Care Food Program - covers topics such as handling and storing breastmilk and formula, readiness, hunger and fullness cues, solid foods, and parent communication.
- Breastfed Babies Welcome Here - contains communication tools CACFP operators can use to let mothers and families know that breastfed babies are welcome.
Healthier Childcare Environment Resources:
- Healthy Habits Start Early - Iowa Team Nutrition Project
- Healthy Habits Start Early Report - Completed by the University of Iowa on the success of 27 daycare centers and 31 home providers with implementing the following tools to improve their childcare wellness environments:
- Go NAP SACC - an online tool that can assess childcare wellness environment practices, set action plans and access to online resources and trainings. If you do not have an account you will need to register for an account and contact Erin Olson at erin.olson@idph.iowa.gov to obtain the registration code.
- Healthy Habits Start Early Tool-kit - Guide for implementing Healthy Habits Start Early, a garden-based nutrition program for child care centers and home childcare providers, that supports and improves healthy eating practices. It includes menu ideas, Iowa gardening tips, parent engagement tools, progress tracking tools, and advice for safely adapting meal service.
- Healthy Habits Start Early Report - Completed by the University of Iowa on the success of 27 daycare centers and 31 home providers with implementing the following tools to improve their childcare wellness environments:
- Iowa Smarter Mealtime Scorecard - an assessment tool to help improve menu planning, parent communication and involvement, mealtime experience, mealtime environment, and provider involvement.
- Grow It, Try It, Like It! - free garden-based nutrition education curriculum for CACFP.
- Family Newsletter - when families and child care providers share consistent nutrition messages with children, they are more likely to develop healthy eating habits. Share these 12 Grow It, Try It!, Like It! newsletters with families to reinforce exploring new foods at home: Cantaloupe, Crookneck Squash, Growing Great Food Tasters, Grow It, Try It, Like It, Handwashing, Mystery Box, Peaches, Picky Eater, Polite Food Taster, Spinach, Strawberries, and Sweet Potatoes.
- CACFP Menu Templates - can be customized with center or home weekly menus. MyPlate Theme, Spring Theme, Summer Theme, Fall Theme, and Winter Theme
- Healthier CACFP Award - recognizes childcare programs (centers and family day care homes) for making outstanding efforts in the areas of menus, physical activity, professional development, nutrition and wellness environment and infant care. Three award levels are offered: Honors, High Honors and Highest Honors.
- Healthier CACFP Award Resource Book - Contact Patti Delger at patti.delger@iowa.gov.
- Healthier CACFP Award Webinar
Physical Activity:
- Move, Play, Have Fun! - Cross each activity off as your child care center or home day completes them.
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Get Moving Today! Activity Calendar - One-year calendar of daily physical activities for childcare centers, home day cares or families.
Public Notice: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Waiver Requests
The Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services submitted a waiver request to USDA Food and Nutrition Service for a child care center that lost required Program records following a water main break. For more information contact Robin Holz, Lead CACFP Consultant - Centers, Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services at robin.holz@iowa.gov.
Submitted and Not Currently Approved Waiver Requests
The Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services submitted a waiver request to USDA Food and Nutrition Service for a streamlined application and recordkeeping for child care centers approved by DHS to provide care for essential workers. For more information contact Robin Holz, Lead CACFP Consultant - Centers, Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services at robin.holz@iowa.gov.
Iowa Waiver Request - CACFP Streamlined Application COVID-19