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Child
and Adult Care Food Program
Helping Assure Quality Food for
Children in Day Care
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Child Care Connections
is a sponsor for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). CACFP began in
1968 as an extension of the National School Lunch Program to address the
nutritional needs of children in child care homes and centers.
Ever since, CACFP has
reimbursed millions of licensed child care providers and centers across the
country for part of the costs to encourage day care providers to serve
nutritious meals and snacks to children in their care.
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Participating homes
sponsored by Child Care Connections receive nutrition education materials
and suggestions to assist them in planning and preparing meals and snacks.
Monitoring by our staff helps assure quality food service for
children. |
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So, if you’re considering day care for your child,
consider a quality provider enrolled in the food program. Involvement in
this program:
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Creates
accountability for caregivers and opens their homes to food service
inspection. |
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Helps offset costs
so caregivers are better able to serve high quality, nutritious meals and
snacks. |
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Provides strong
support and nutrition education for caregivers. |
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Provides nutrition
education for children, enabling them to develop an active interest in
making healthy food choices now and throughout life. |
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Helps prevent
undernutrition, which can have significant negative effects on the
cognitive development of children and their later productivity as adults. |
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Did you know…
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Calcium
is a mineral the body uses in forming bones and teeth and plays a role
in helping the heart beat. So,
for “kids” of all ages, what foods are calcium rich?
Milk (Healthiest choices are fat-free, ½% or 1%
for those over 2 yrs. Old.) Cheese and cottage cheese, yogurt,
calcium-fortified orange juice, waffles & cereals, dry beans, figs,
almonds, cornbread, bok choy,
tofu, kale, salmon with bones, and broccoli!1 |
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Pop and milk don’t mix! The
mineral phosphorus in pop pulls out calcium from bones when a lot of pop
is consumed.1 |
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Adequate amounts of calcium for children can reduce the risk of lead
poisoning because dietary calcium intake decreases the intestinal
absorption of lead. A recent
study involving over 300 urban children at risk of lead poisoning found
that those with the lowest calcium intakes were at increased risk of
environmental lead poisoning.2 |
1
Michigan State University Extension
NEWS, Spring, 2000.
2
NUTRITION REPORTS,
United Dairy Industry of Michigan, No. 2, 1999 |
For more information
about the Child
and Adult Care Food
Program, please
contact us at (800)
968-4228 or (231)
941-7767.
CACFP…helping home
child
care providers and child
care
centers serve
nutritious meals
and snacks to
children.
Back to News/Helpful Ideas
or contact us at:
720 S. Elmwood Ave., Suite 4 *
Traverse City, MI 49684 *
(231) 941-7767 * (800) 968-4228
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