Facts about CACFP and Emergency Shelters

What is CACFP?

CACFP is the Child and Adult Care Food Program, a federally funded nutrition assistance program that provides healthy meals and snacks to 2.9 million young children in day care settings. The program also serves 86,000 adults who receive care in nonresidential adult day care centers. In 1999, CACFP reached even further by providing snacks to youths participating in afterschool programs, and meals and snacks to children residing in homeless shelters.

Which shelters can participate?

To participate in CACFP, an emergency shelter must provide residential and food services to homeless children and their parents or guardians.  It must be a public or private nonprofit institution. Unlike most other CACFP facilities, a shelter does not have to be licensed to provide day care. However, it must meet any health and safety codes that are required by state or local law.

A homeless shelter or a temporary residential site sponsored by a shelter, or another public or private nonprofit agency, is eligible to participate in CACFP. A shelter may complete an application and sign an agreement with the State administering agency, or it may participate as a facility under an existing CACFP sponsoring organization.

Who is eligible for CACFP meals and snacks?

Each residential child 18 years of age and younger may receive up to three reimbursable meals each day, on weekdays and weekends.  Persons with disabilities, regardless of their age, may also receive CACFP meals and snacks at the emergency shelters where they reside.

Residential children who receive their meals at the shelter are automatically eligible for free meals and snacks. There are no application forms for their parents or guardians to fill out. All reimbursable meals and snacks are served in group settings, at no cost to the child or to the child’s parents or guardians.

How are shelters reimbursed?

Homeless shelters receive payments for serving meals and snacks, which meet Federal nutritional guidelines, to eligible children. The maximum payment rates are based on the numbers of meals and snacks served at the free rate for day care centers. Shelters also receive 20.75 cents in commodities or cash-in-lieu of commodities for each CACFP lunch or supper they serve. The rates, in U.S. dollars, paid to shelters in most States (payments are higher in Alaska and Hawaii) are:

Where can you get more information?

To learn more about CACFP and how you can participate in the program, contact the child nutrition staff at your State agency.

Last modified: 10/20/2008