Food Menu (CACFP)

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides cost reimbursement for nutritious meals and snacks children who are enrolled at Child Care Centers. Eligibility is based on poverty status of the area or on the income of the enrolled children. Studies show that children in CACFP receive meals that are nutritionally superior to those served children in child care settings without CACFP. The CACFP serves over 1.9 billion meals and snacks to over 3.4 million children daily in child care centers and after school programs.

There is an important connection between nutrition and children’s health. As the Child Development Staff work with your children, they encourage and support positive feelings about food and eating. Helping children learn to enjoy and value healthful foods is a part of our daily curriculum.

The Child Development Center provides a daily nutritious breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack.
Breakfast is served at 8:30 am, Lunch is served between 11:00 am – 11:30 am, and Snack time is served between 1:30 - 2:30 pm, depending on your child’s classroom schedule. An evening snack is served at 5:45 pm for children who attend at this time. The evening snack is reimbursed through our food program and like the other meals, but will still consist of nutritious snack items.
Menus are posted in each classroom and in the kitchen.

The Center prohibits bringing food and not prepared under the Child Care Food Program into the Child Development Center AND prohibits Center staff from offering non-CACFP meals/foods unless:

The family has opted out of the CACFP for religious or personal reasons. This requires the appropriate form to be completed, please inquire with Nutrition Services personnel or the Director. An “opt out” includes the entire meal service; parents are not able to opt out for specific meals or menu items.
The child requires a SPECIAL DIET or food alternatives as a result of a diagnosed medical condition (including food allergies) or disability. The parent must also notify the classroom teacher before starting the child in the program so special arrangements can be made to accommodate the child’s needs.
All Potlucks, social gatherings, events where food is provided (prepared at home) will NOT be served to children by Center Staff. Staff may ONLY serve children food provided by the Center! Parents are free to allow their child/ren to eat non-CACFP meals while at the Center ONLY if the parent is present and directly serving the non-CACFP food.

All children must have a food program application on file. Meal menus are posted in your child’s classroom and the kitchen area. The evening snacks will be very similar to the afternoon snacks. At no time will we allow a child to “go hungry” while in our care.