Celebration Media,Materials and Ideas

​May 8, 2018 is an opportunity for CACFP education and information awareness, it is CACFP_Child and Adult Care Food Program’s 50 Birthday. This is a time to applaud the people, the administrators and participants in the CACFP. To take time to raise awareness of how the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Child and Adult Care Food Program works to combat hunger and bring healthy foods and habits to the table for children and adults in care during the day, afterschool programs, homeless shelters and summer feeding programs across the country. Give everyone plenty of time to enjoy the celebration and promoting CACFP and start the celebration now.
​CACFP_Child and Adult Care Food Program’s 50th Birthday History
In 1968, CACFP began as a small 3-year pilot program called the Special Food Service Program for Children.  Public Law 90-302.  It arose as part of an effort to create an affordable food program for low-income working mothers. Initially, the program provided grants to states to serve meals when schools were not in session. Table 2-2 shows the chronological development and legislative milestones of CACFP. Of special note are (1) the expansion of eligibility, in 1976, to family child care homes that either meet state licensing requirements or obtain approval from a state or local agency; (2) the provision of financial incentives through P.L. 95-627, in 1978, to expand participation; (3) the change from pilot program status to the permanent Child Care Food Program, also in 1978; and (4) authorization for the adult care component following the enactment of the Older Americans Act of 1987, which resulted in the renaming of the program to the Child and Adult Care Food Program.  7CFR Part 226

More on CACFP History can be located in the CACFP History Timeline document 
Key Messages
Economic Value:
CACFP helps keep families working; CACFP funding supports the local economy, by purchasing required healthy foods at grocery stores and farmers’ markets. CACFP funding is a significant resource for supporting child care providers, afterschool programs, homeless shelters and adult care centers. CACFP supports jobs in child care; the small and large child care business owner’s success in CACFP and child care contributes to all levels of the economic impact of the local and national community.
​
Children Benefit with CACFP
  • proper nutrition ensures appropriate development in a child and
  • reduces physical and educational problems later in life and
  • determines the quality of one's diet throughout life.
Parents Benefit with CACFP
  • assured that their children will be served high quality meals,
  • children are less likely to experience fatigue and illness, and less time a parent must be absent from work,
  • their child is more likely to be healthy, happy and develop at a normal physical, emotional and intellectual pace because of nutritional value received,
  • save money.
Community Benefits with CACFP
  • federal tax monies are returned to the provider's state and invested in the health of the community's children,
  • added revenue is a means of helping to keep child care costs down for citizens
  • since only regulated providers are eligible to participate in the program, it provides an incentive for unlicensed providers to comply with the communities local child care ordinances.
Child Care Providers Benefit with CACFP
  • providers receive valuable nutrition education; learn the proper foods to feed children in amounts appropriate for these youngsters,
  • receive personal visits from CACFP and learn how to encourage positive eating habits that will benefit a child throughout life,
  • providers help children make healthy food choices for their meals and snacks that will last a lifetime.
CACFP Sponsors  and Providers  Birthday Celebration  & Awareness Ideas
  • All: Request a Site Visit: Whether you are having or making a visit to an elected official or the press, have your awareness fact sheet available. Leave an "Awareness Leave Behind Sheet"
  • All: Create a CACFP Birthday Celebration Cookbook for Providers/Parents using USDA Mixing Bowl or some of your favorites 
  • Sponsor Staff: Create a "nutrition question of the day" contest sent by email or posted on a display. Draw the name of a daily prize winner from those who provided the correct answer. Suggested prizes: pens, pencils, magnets, buttons or cooking items. Award a grand prize at the end of the month drawn from all correct submissions.
  •  Sponsor Staff: Vote for your favorite fruits and vegetables: Offer a selection of fruits and vegetables cut into bite-size pieces. Ask participants to vote for their favorite vegetable and fruit. Post a tally board to record votes. 
  • All: Try some handouts for providers, parents and staff "20 Ways to Enjoy More Fruits and Vegetables when celebrating a special occassion." Nutrition Education Cards; Fruit and Vegetable Fact Sheets  Screen Time Games for Children, Eat More Fruits and Vegetables 
  • All: Start a CACFP Birthday Vegetable garden by planting seeds indoors or in the ground. Start Here 
  • All: Organize and sponsor a "Healthy CACFP Birthday Snack Challenge" for providers, afterschool programs, parents. Get everyone to send or bring in pictures and vote. 
  • All: Host a "MyPlate Champion" event in your child care, in your office. 
  • All: Develop a project that involves kids drawing and creating a birthday celebration meal based on MyPlate, using the Choose MyPlate Coloring Page. 
  • All: Contest to highlight ethnic and cultural food celebration traditions. Offer a special CACFP Creditable menu items from international cuisines (Asian, Mediterranean, Mexican, etc.) or regional foods of the United States. Take a picture and post it and have a pot luck. 
  • Sponsors: Organize a "healthy birthday cake/muffin/snack recipe" contest among the organization. Have the judges be Child Care Providers or Parents. Then have a pot luck lunch/dinner/snack. 
  • All: Conduct a formal taste testing of new healthier celebration snack versions of recipes that are creditable. 
  • All: Organize a CACFP Child Care Birthday Celebration for a training that promotes healthy eating resources and physical activity. 
  • All:Take a picture holding up a #CACFP50Birthday picture and post it or send it to someone to post. 
  • Sponsor: Organize a Run/Walk with staff and family “CACFP Run/Walk” providers can do the same. With a healthy birthday snack at the end! 
  • Sponsor: Give Providers handouts for the parents about CACFP and/or child nutrition tips. Example 
  • All: Handout Try Day Stickers or even pdfs and make Friday CACFP Birthday TryDay
  • Sponsor: Child and Adult Care Food Program’s 50 Birthday  Proclamation
    • How to Request a Proclamation from the Governor or Mayor
  • All: Work with a local grocery store to promote and celebrate CACFP’s birthday.All: Host a "MyPlate Champion" event in your child care, in your office. Coupons, Taste test. Conduct supermarket tours to provide label reading opportunities and information about healthy food choices. Offer a special tour for kids focused on selecting healthy snacks. Provide a handout.
  •  All: Organize a supervised scavenger hunt for food items needed to make a healthy celebration recipe.​​​​
  • All: Develop a project that involves kids drawing and creating a birthday celebration meal based on MyPlate
  • All: Contest to highlight ethnic and cultural food celebration traditions. Offer a special CACFP Creditable menu items from international cuisines (Asian, Mediterranean, Mexican, etc.) or regional foods of the United States. Take a picture and post it and have a pot luck. 
  • All: Conduct a Birthday taste testing of new healthier celebration snack versions of recipes that are creditable. 
  • All: Organize a CACFP Child Care Birthday Celebration for a training that promotes healthy eating resources and physical activity. 
  • All: Create a CACFP Birthday Celebration Cookbook for Providers/Parents using USDA Mixing Bowl or some of your favorites 
  • ​All: Start a CACFP Birthday Vegetable garden by planting seeds indoors or in the ground. Start Here 
  • All: Organize and sponsor a "Healthy CACFP Birthday Snack Challenge" for providers, afterschool programs, parents. Get everyone to send or bring in pictures and vote. 
  • All: Take a picture holding up a #CACFP50Birthday picture and post it or send it to someone to post like the Forum. 
  • All: Handout Try Day Stickers or even pdfs and make it a  CACFP Birthday TryDay 
  • All: Work with a local grocery store to promote and celebrate CACFP’s birthday. Coupons, Taste test. Conduct supermarket tours to provide label reading opportunities and information about healthy food choices. Offer a special tour for kids focused on selecting healthy snacks. Provide a handout.
  • All: Organize a supervised scavenger hunt for food items needed to make a healthy celebration recipe.
  • Sponsor Staff: Create a "nutrition question of the day" contest sent by email or posted on a display. Draw the name of a daily prize winner from those who provided the correct answer. Suggested prizes: pens, pencils, magnets, buttons or cooking items. Award a grand prize at the end of the month drawn from all correct submissions.
CACFP Resources
Child and Adult Care Food Program Resources 
Get information on reading food labels, healthy snacks for kids and more. Share in the celebration of the CACFP_Child and Adult Care Food Program’s  50th Birthday with your staff, providers, family, community and schools by downloading any of these free handouts and tip sheets.
USDA FNS CACFP
FRAC
CACFP State - Facts Fill-in Sheet
CACFP Partners, Colleagues and Industry Partners
 CACFP Promotional Flyer Order Here
Healthy Celebration Snacks and craft/activities here
MyPlate Nutrition Tip Sheets
Using the Updated Meal Patterns to Lower Costs
Kid Friendly Foods Tip Sheet
Behavioral Milestones
20 Ways to Enjoy More Fruits and Vegetables
(English | Spanish)
Smart Snacking Tips for Kids
(English | Spanish)
Eating Right on a Budget
(English | Spanish)
Eating Right Tips for Older Adults
(English | Spanish)
Eat Right with MyPlate
(English)
Eating Right with Less Added Sugars
(English)
Healthy Eating on the Run
(English | Spanish)
Healthy Eating Tips for Vegetarians
(English | Spanish)
Shop Smart — Get the Facts on Food Labels
(English)
17 Healthy Tips for 2017
(English)

More Resources Reviewed January 2018

Child Care Providers

Handout to Take on Visits before 50th Birthday ​for Home or Center based
​Child Care Provider (download)
Click the picture or .pdf for a sample and guidance to get a proclamation from your mayor and/or governor.

Birthday Celebration Kit

This kit contains materials to promote and celebrate CACFP's birthday and create awareness in your community.  Celebration/Awareness KIT
Fill In State information and take on visits_ Use as an awareness leave behind.

CACFP Sponsor Flyer

Celebration ideas for All
(download)
Picture
Leave Behind Message
Crafting your CACFP Message and Leave Behind document. Use this document or one like it to leave with your elected official after a site visit.