Child and Adult Care Food Program

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides cash reimbursement to help provide nutritious meals and snacks to participants enrolled in nonresidential child care centers, outside school-hours centers, family and group day care homes and residential homeless shelters.  It is federally funded through the United States Department of Agriculture and is administered statewide by the Michigan Department of Education.  Eligible institutions:

• are public or private nonprofit with tax exempt status under the Internal Revenue Service Code of   1986, or
• operate a Federal program requiring nonprofit status to participate in the program, or
• receive Title XX compensation for at least 25% of the enrollment or capacity (whichever is less) during the most recent calendar month, or
• have at least 25% of their enrollment or capacity (whichever is less) eligible for free or reduced price meals under the National School Lunch Program income guidelines.

In addition, participating organizations must:

• make the program available to children regardless of race, sex, color, disability, age or national origin,
• be financially and administratively responsible for the total program,
• conduct a nonprofit food service operation,
• not have been disqualified from participation in any other publicly-funded program for violating that program's requirements and
• not have been convicted (the institution or any of its principals) of any activity in the past seven years
• that indicated a lack of business integrity.

Child care institutions must be licensed by the  Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services  or licensed or approved by Federal or local authorities.  At-risk afterschool and homeless shelters that are exempt from licensing may participate in the CACFP if they meet state and local health and safety standards.  Family and group day care homes must be registered or licensed by the Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services or licensed or approved by Federal or local authorities.  They may participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program under a family day care home sponsor. 

Each institution must apply to the Michigan Department of Education, Office of School Support Services (OSSS) for approval.  The Michigan Department of Education will only approve institutions that are financially viable, administratively capable and have internal controls in place to ensure program accountability.  The Child and Adult Care Food Program approval date is the date a complete and correct application has been received by the CACFP office.  Applicants will be notified via e-mail or by telephone if any additional items are needed to approve the application.  An approval packet will be mailed when the application is approved.  Send those items that need to be mailed to:

Michigan Department of Education

Child and Adult Care Food Program

Office of School Support Services

PO Box 30008

Lansing, Michigan   48909

If you have any questions, please contact the CACFP office at the above address,   via e-mail at MDE-CNAP-CACFP@michigan.gov   or call (517) 373-7391.