CACFP Meal Service Training Grants

Resource type

Grants

CACFP image

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides aid to child and adult care institutions and family or group day care homes for the provision of nutritious foods that contribute to the wellness, growth, and development of children, and the health and wellness of older adults and chronically impaired disabled persons. Through CACFP, more than 4.2 million children and 130,000 adults receive nutritious meals and snacks each day.

To assist states and CACFP operators with implementation of the updated CACFP meal patterns, Congress appropriated funds for the provision of noncompetitive grants for states to provide hands-on training and technical assistance. These meal service training grants will assist state agencies in providing job skills training for CACFP operators on ways to plan and prepare and serve nutritious foods.

Training delivered under the grants will strengthen CACFP operators’ career skills and abilities to:

Plan menus to incorporate cultural and regional preferences and introduce program participants to a variety of foods.
Serve all required food components in the appropriate serving sizes at each meal and snack.
Demonstrate the ability to modify recipes to provide the appropriate amounts of food under the CACFP meal pattern.
Collaborate with families to meet the needs of all participants with food challenges, food allergies, and/or special nutrition needs through CACFP meal/snack service.
Procure and maintain adequate amounts of supplies to properly prepare, serve, and store food.

State agencies participating in the FY18 CACFP Meal Service Training Grant program represent all seven FNS regions. A total of 38 states and territories will receive funds for a two-year grant cycle beginning on September 30, 2018.

2018 CACFP Meal Service Training Grants