Join the Movement: Be a part of the CACFP Kid Ambassador Campaign

Join the National CACFP Forum and the CACFP Roundtable for the CACFP Kid Ambassador Campaign.  Together, we can lift up the voice of CACFP children.  They can share with Congress and the community at large what CACFP means to them!  

What is it? 
An advocacy campaign to show congress the impact the CACFP has on children in child care and out of school.
Why participate? We need to take a complicated program and make it real for our congressional leaders as they consider making changes to improve and invest in CACFP.
What to do?  

• Step One: Record a child or children in the child care or out of school setting sharing something about CACFP that they like.  For example, a favorite meal, a new fruit or vegetable they learned about, how they helped cook a meal, one of their “jobs” in meal prep or clean up, or that they really look forward to that snack after school.
• Step Two: Be sure you have a parent release form on file**
• Step Three: Submit your video to [email protected] or see here for other ways to share to us or directly to your Congress Members.

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What’s at stake?  Allowing an additional meal to be claimed, reducing paperwork, increasing access to the program by changing eligibility requirements and so much more.
Why Now?  It’s Child Nutrition Reauthorization time.  This is the time congress looks at the legislation that establishes the rules for CACFP.  Helping Congress hear directly from the children eating and learning because of CACFP makes it more than just a complicated program but one that directly benefits the health and well being of children.
Spread the Word!  Use these materials to share with the rest of the CACFP community.  Let’s see how many CACFP Kid Ambassadors we can find.  Use This Link!

Examples of What Could be Talked about and Shared.  It’s up to you and the children how you want to do this.  They could just stand there and say in a few seconds what their favorite thing about CACFP is or they could show us a meal or a process that has to do with meals and nutrition education in CACFP.

• Favorite meal
• Learned about a new food
• Taught my parents about [insert food]
• Taste tests
• Gardening 
• Food preparation
• Jobs during meal time and clean up
• Reading/Learning about food and meals
• Fun - cute ways of serving food (like the a peanut butter sandwich that looks like a bear or fruit that looks like a person or a flower)
• Themed food like during Dr. Seuss week or the holidays
• Team Nutrition Materials: make today a “Try Day” or reading “Two Bite Club”

Let’s Do It Again!  The CACFP Community has come together to do this before with the CACFP 50th Birthday Card and Reception, CACFP Quilt Project, Paper Plate Campaign, CACFP Take Action Challenge
**By submitting a video you are indicating that you have on record a parent release form to use the video, images and likeness of the child(ren) and/or other individuals in the video(s).  Example release form.