USDA Updates Child and Adult Care Food Program to Kid’s Nutritional Needs

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides 1.9 billion meals and snacks to over 3.3 million children in child care centers, family care homes, and after-school programs.

The CACFP program began in the 1960’s and hasn’t seen significant changes since. Foods served by CACFP providers are generally lower in fiber and higher in saturated fat and added sugars recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans for preschool kids.

In 2015, the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project-a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the The Pew Charitable Trusts-conducted a literature review to assess the potential impact of updates to CACFP nutrition standards in order to develop evidence-based recommendations to improve kid’s health. The conclusion was that updates to the CACFP nutrition standards could positively affect kid’s health.

During March 2016, National Nutrition Month, stakeholders nationwide rallied to raise awareness of the importance of improved CACFP nutrition standards.

In April 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a final rule updating CACFP to align with the Dietary Guildelines for Americans, as required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Updates include:

• Serve more whole grains
• Serve a greater variety of vegetables and fruit
• Reduce the amount of added sugars in meals
• Reduce the amount of solid fats in meals

The purpose is to meet children’s nutritional needs without increasing costs for providers. This could have a drastic impact on Latino kid’s health because they often lack access to nutritious food, thus are at increased risk for obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.

“Children that are cared for by providers participating in the CACFP benefit by being fed nutritious, USDA regulated meals that ensure their proper development,” said Vicki Lipscomb, President, National CACFP Sponsors Association. “These children gain from early nutrition education that helps them establish positive eating habits that will enrich the quality of their diet throughout their life.”

Learn more about CACFP updates here.

Read the Pew Charitable Trusts, Probable Effects of Final Rule to CACFP Nutrition Standards on Children’s Health here.

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