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Resource | Research and Data Child Nutrition Program Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic - July 2021 through September 2022

This data collection fulfills states' reporting requirements and describes trends in program participation during the COVID-19 pandemic from July 2021 through September 2022. It is part of an ongoing study series examining child nutrition program operations, repurposed to collect waiver usage and trends in program participation and operations during the pandemic.

03/18/2025
Resource | Research and Data Characteristics of Adult Day Care Centers that Participate in CACFP

Adult day care centers have been eligible to participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) since 1987. The objective of this study is to better understand key characteristics of adult day care centers participating in CACFP.

12/03/2024
Data
Child Nutrition Dashboard

The goal of the dashboard is to provide national and state level visualization of meals served, participation, and funding data for the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program. The dashboard can be used by federal, state, and local organizations to assess trends in child nutrition program activity.

02/14/2024
Resource | Research and Data Child Nutrition Tables
11/09/2023
Resource | Research and Data | General/Other CACFP Sponsor and Provider Characteristics Study

The CACFP Sponsor and Provider Characteristics Study is focused on the child care component of the CACFP, which provides federal funds for meals and snacks served to children in public or private child care centers, Head Start programs, outside-school-hours care centers, afterschool care programs, emergency shelters, and day care homes. The study also covered centers that participate in the At-Risk Afterschool (At-Risk) component, which provides meals to children and youth through age 18.

08/28/2018
Resource | Research and Data | Payment Accuracy and Program Integrity CACFP Assessment of Sponsor Tiering Determinations - 2014

The 2014 Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP): Assessment of Sponsor Tiering Determinations examines the accuracy of the classification of family day care homes (FDCHs) participating in the CACFP. In response to the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (IPERA) of 2010, the assessment provides estimates of the number of FDCHs in 2014 that were misclassified by sponsoring agencies into the wrong tier, and the resulting erroneous payments for meals and snacks reimbursed at the wrong rate.

10/14/2015
Resource | Research and Data | Nutrition Education Formative Research on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Electronic Media Use in CACFP

This report includes findings from formative research undertaken to help USDA assist child care providers in following the nutrition, physical activity, and electronic media use recommendations outlined in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

03/09/2015
Resource | Research and Data | Payment Accuracy and Program Integrity CACFP Assessment of Sponsor Tiering Determinations – 2013

This 2013 assessment of the family daycare homes (FDCHs) component of CACFP provides a national estimate of the share of the roughly 123,000 participating FDCHs that are approved for an incorrect level of per meal reimbursement, or reimbursement "tier" for their circumstances.

09/15/2014
Resource | Research and Data | Payment Accuracy and Program Integrity CACFP Assessment of Sponsor Tiering Determinations 2012

The Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 requires all federal agencies to calculate the amount of erroneous payments in federal programs and to periodically conduct detailed assessments of vulnerable program components. This 2012 assessment of the family daycare homes component of CACFP provides a national estimate of the share of the roughly 125,000 participating FDCHs that are approved for an incorrect level of per meal reimbursement, or reimbursement "tier" for their circumstances. 

08/28/2013
Resource | Research Reports CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals Best Practices, 2011

This report identifies practices pilot state agencies and household; program operators used to implement and administer the at-risk afterschool meals component of CACFP, challenges they encountered, and solutions they developed.

06/05/2013
Page updated: November 15, 2024