Fact Sheets and Reports to help you tell the CACFP Story

As we gear up to share the CACFP story with our congressional leaders heading into the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, we thought we'd share some fact sheets and reports to help you do that. 

A Little Background
Every 5 years congress takes a look at child nutrition programs and determines how they can be better.  With the help of advocates like the Forum, FRAC, the CACFP Roundtable and your individual voices - they do things like end block claiming in 2010.  This year, it's looking really positive that through the CNR, the CACFP community could get a big win such as allowing an additional meal.  The Senate Bill has been introduced which is Access to Healthy Food for Young Children Act.  This has in it the extra meal, reducing paperwork and increasing access to the program through different eligibility changes.  Tell your members of congress that they should support this bill.  All you have to do is fill out this quick form.   There is an expectation to have a bill from the house that is similarly good for the food program.  Filling out this form is one way to get your congressional leaders attention.  Another is to tell your CACFP Story.

Tell the CACFP Story
Another way to get your congressional members attention is to have a meeting with their office - or several - and share with them your experiences.  We know that can be kind of scary sometimes so here are some resources that my help you tell the CACFP story with facts and numbers pulled from other reports and fact sheets.  Here are some to get you started:

• CACFP Fact Sheet: A Fact Sheet that you could just leave behind (or email if a zoom call) at congressperson's office.  This one is generic to the whole program.
• CACFP State Specific Fact Sheet:  This one you can fill in all of your state's statistics!  This helps your congressperson understand the impact in their own state - which is very important. You can find the stats here.
• CACFP During COVID-19: A Key Support for Families Despite Losses Due to the Pandemic: It's hard to talk about anything these days without framing the issue around the pandemic.  This report does that for you.  Use this then add your personal story to it.
• Easing Barriers to Child Care Food Subsidies for Home-Based Child Care Providers Offers Policymakers an Overlooked Opportunity:  This is blog report and related report that connects the importance of the food program and participation in the food program to the benefits for children and home-based child care providers.  It tells of barriers and makes recommendations for policy makers.  Read through it and pull out the parts you think are important to share.
• Promising Practices for Home Based Child Care: Knowledge is king, right?  This report focuses on home-based child care as well and highlights the ways in which CACFP can support caregivers in the home setting, specifically in Louisiana.  See how other states are doing the program and consider if/how/what you would like to recommend to your policymakers.
• Pictures:  Don't forget pictures.  Show people how your food program - which ever part of it you play - makes a difference for children, for your staff, for families, for adults for those in emergency shelters.  Remember the CACFP Birthday?  Those pictures of our CACFP community in action made an impact with Congress, partners and community at large.

These are just a few examples of how you can use these reports.  You can also use them and these strategies to advocate for policy change at the state level.

More to Come
We will be providing further resources for you to tell your CACFP Story for CNR and the future!  Stay Tuned.