Child and Adult Care Food Program: USDA Meal Reimbursements for Care Providers
The USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program reimburses eligible child care, afterschool, emergency shelter, day care home, and adult day care operators for qualifying meals and snacks served to enrolled participants.
Child and Adult Care Food Program: USDA Meal Reimbursements for Care Providers
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal meal-reimbursement program administered by state agencies with oversight from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). It helps eligible care providers recover part of the cost of serving meals and snacks that meet CACFP nutrition and recordkeeping rules. This is not a one-time award with a national application deadline. A provider normally applies through the state or sponsoring organization responsible for its type of facility, then claims reimbursement for eligible meals served after approval.
The official USDA operator guidance says that child care centers, adult care centers, afterschool care operators, and emergency shelters may participate through a sponsoring organization or apply directly to the state agency as an independent center. USDA also lists day care homes as a CACFP facility type. Because states run the participation process, the practical application window, forms, training, and review schedule vary by location. The deadline for this listing is therefore rolling: contact the responsible state agency or sponsor before serving meals you expect to claim, and ask whether it is currently accepting new agreements.
Current status and what the date means
CACFP itself is ongoing, but the reimbursement table most recently published by USDA at the time of this review covers July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. USDA says rates are adjusted annually each July. The FNS reimbursement-rate page lists that 2025-2026 notice as the latest published CACFP schedule available there and does not provide a newer confirmed rate table. That means the figures below are useful for planning and for understanding the program, but an applicant should ask the state agency which rates and supplemental amounts apply to claims made under a new agreement. Do not treat the old schedule as a guaranteed current payment.
The expired rate period does not mean that CACFP has ended or that providers must wait for a new national competition. Participation is handled through state agencies and sponsors, and the official program-operator page directs interested centers to contact their state agency. A state may have its own onboarding calendar, capacity limits, sponsor requirements, or documentation rules. Those local rules control the timing of an individual application.
What CACFP pays for
CACFP reimburses approved participants for eligible breakfasts, lunches or suppers, and snacks served to enrolled participants. Payment depends on the facility type, meal type, participant eligibility category, day care home tier, and geographic area. The reimbursement is tied to documented meals served; it is not a general operating grant and it is not paid merely because a provider has an approved license.
For reference, USDA’s published 2025-2026 national average rates for centers in the contiguous states were:
| Meal | Free rate | Reduced-price rate | Paid rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | $2.46 | $2.16 | $0.40 |
| Lunch or supper | $4.60 | $4.20 | $0.44 |
| Snack | $1.26 | $0.63 | $0.11 |
The same notice gives higher center rates for Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. It also states that the published rates do not include the value of USDA Foods or cash in lieu of USDA Foods, which may provide additional assistance for lunch or supper under the program. The applicable state and facility agreement determine how claims are calculated and paid.
Day care homes use a different food-service payment schedule based on Tier I or Tier II status. In the contiguous states, the published 2025-2026 rates were $1.70 for a Tier I breakfast, $3.22 for a Tier I lunch or supper, and $0.96 for a Tier I snack. Tier II rates were $0.61, $1.94, and $0.26 respectively. A sponsoring organization may also receive administrative reimbursement for sponsored homes. A home provider should not select a tier based on guesswork; the sponsor evaluates the home under the applicable CACFP rules and explains what records are needed.
Who may qualify
CACFP eligibility is facility-specific. The following descriptions are a starting point, not a substitute for a state determination.
Child care centers
Licensed or otherwise approved child care centers serving children in care may be eligible. USDA identifies public and private nonprofit child care centers, outside-school-hours care centers, Head Start programs, and other institutions approved to provide day care services as potential participants. Some for-profit centers can qualify under additional federal and state conditions, including requirements related to the children enrolled and their eligibility for subsidized or free and reduced-price meals. A for-profit operator should ask the state agency which threshold and evidence apply before preparing its application.
The center must be able to serve meals that satisfy the CACFP meal pattern for the ages in care. It must also be able to document attendance, enrollment, meal counts, menus, food purchases, and participant eligibility information as required by the state. A commercial kitchen is not the only possible setup, but the facility must demonstrate that meals can be prepared, stored, and served safely.
Family day care homes
Family day care homes generally participate through a sponsoring organization rather than filing claims independently with USDA. The home must hold the license or approval required by its state or tribal authority and must follow the sponsor’s training, menu, attendance, meal-count, and monitoring procedures. The sponsor handles much of the administrative process, but the provider remains responsible for serving the approved meals and keeping accurate daily records.
Adult day care centers
Adult day care centers may qualify when they provide structured, comprehensive, nonresidential services to adults who are age 60 or older or functionally impaired. The USDA adult-care guidance describes functionally impaired adults as adults whose physical or mental impairment substantially limits independence and the ability to carry out activities of daily living. A person who only drops in for a meal without being enrolled for care is not automatically an eligible participant. Centers should ask the state agency about enrollment, plans of care, licensing, and documentation requirements for functionally impaired participants.
Afterschool programs and emergency shelters
Eligible at-risk afterschool care programs may receive reimbursement for qualifying snacks and suppers when they meet the program’s area and operating requirements. Emergency shelters serving eligible children may also participate under the CACFP component designed for shelters. These categories have different meal limits and eligibility tests from ordinary child care centers. A school, community organization, or shelter should identify the exact component with the state agency rather than assume that a child-care-center application will fit.
Meal and recordkeeping responsibilities
The meal pattern is central to CACFP. A reimbursable breakfast, lunch or supper, or snack must contain the required components and minimum quantities for the participant age group. Menus should be planned from the current USDA meal-pattern charts and any state instructions. A menu that looks nutritious may still be non-reimbursable if it omits a component, uses a food that does not credit, or serves less than the required quantity.
Operators should build a daily process that connects four records: who was enrolled, who attended, what was served, and how many meals were claimed. Keep the menu that reflects what was actually served, not only a draft menu. Retain attendance and meal counts in the format the state or sponsor requires. Keep enrollment and income-eligibility forms secure because they contain household information. Preserve invoices, receipts, production records, training records, and corrective-action documents when requested.
CACFP reimbursement is based on documentation. Claiming a meal for an absent participant, claiming a meal that did not meet the meal pattern, or submitting unsupported counts can lead to an adjusted or denied claim and may create a repayment obligation. Staff who count meals should understand the difference between attendance and meal participation, and the person submitting the claim should reconcile the numbers before submission. Ask the state agency how long records must be retained and whether an electronic system is approved.
How to apply
Identify the correct state contact. Start at the USDA FNS CACFP page and use the state contacts or state agency link. Tell the agency what kind of facility you operate, where it is located, the ages or adults served, and which meals or snacks you want to provide.
Ask whether to apply directly or through a sponsor. Independent centers may apply directly to the state agency if the state permits it. Family day care homes normally work through a sponsoring organization. Child care centers, adult care centers, afterschool operators, and shelters may have either route depending on their structure and the state’s administration.
Confirm eligibility before completing forms. Ask about licensing, nonprofit or for-profit status, area eligibility, participant eligibility, adult-care plans of care, meal limits, and any state-specific training. This step prevents an operator from submitting the wrong facility application or building a menu for a meal category it cannot claim.
Gather the core documents. Prepare the current license or approval, ownership and organization information, facility address, contact details, a description of the care program, estimated enrollment and attendance, proposed meal service, sample menus, kitchen or food-service information, and a basic recordkeeping plan. The state or sponsor may also request financial information, civil-rights assurances, health or safety documents, staff information, and participant income-eligibility forms.
Complete orientation and the application. Many states and sponsors provide or require orientation before approval. Complete every section, use the current forms supplied by the state or sponsor, and disclose changes to licensing, ownership, location, or program operations. If the agency asks for corrections, respond promptly and keep a copy of the submitted package.
Prepare for review or a site visit. The reviewer may examine the facility’s ability to store, prepare, and serve food safely, along with menus, records, staffing, and procedures for counting meals. Have the proposed meal pattern, attendance system, and recordkeeping workflow ready to demonstrate.
Wait for the agreement before claiming. Do not assume that meals served before approval will be reimbursed. Read the participation agreement for the effective date, approved meal types, claim deadlines, monitoring duties, and payment terms. Ask the state agency how the first claim should be submitted.
Submit accurate monthly claims and maintain compliance. Reconcile attendance, meal counts, menus, and eligibility records before each claim. Complete required training, cooperate with monitoring, correct findings, and report material changes. Keep using the state or sponsor as the first source for current rates, forms, and deadlines.
What to ask before applying
An efficient first call should answer practical questions: Is the state accepting new CACFP participants now? Which facility component applies? Is a sponsor required? Which meals may this facility claim? What licensing and health documents are required? What is the current reimbursement schedule? Which income-eligibility form should families use? How are meals counted when attendance changes during the day? What system is used for monthly claims? When does the agreement become effective?
These questions matter because CACFP is administered locally. USDA supplies the program framework, meal standards, and published reimbursement notices, but the state agency or sponsor explains the operational details for a particular provider. Keep the official FNS CACFP page bookmarked and confirm that any rate or form you use is the version the agency currently accepts.
CACFP can make nutritious meal service more financially manageable for eligible care providers, but the reimbursement comes with real responsibilities. The strongest application is specific about the facility, participant population, meal service, records, and person responsible for claims. Start with the state agency, establish whether direct participation or sponsorship is appropriate, and treat the latest published rates as planning information until the state confirms the schedule that applies to your agreement.