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Celebrate 2017's National Child and Adult Care Food Program Week, March 12-18

March 9, 2017

LANSING – March 12-18 is 2017’s National Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Week, and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is asking providers, educators, and students statewide to join in celebrating the importance of healthy meals for children and adults in need.

“National Child and Adult Care Food Program Week presents an excellent opportunity to emphasize research outcomes that proper nutrition in children not only contributes to their physical growth, but also their intellectual and emotional development,” State Superintendent Brian Whiston said.

CACFP provides federal funds to non-residential child and adult care facilities to serve nutritious meals and snacks. CACFP plays a vital role in improving the quality of day care by making it affordable for many families. The program’s goal is to improve and maintain the health and nutritional status of participants in care, while promoting the development of good-eating habits.

Eligible day care facilities include:

  • Licensed child-care centers
  • Head Start Programs
  • After-school care programs
  • Emergency shelters providing residential and food services to homeless children
  • Family child-care homes, including relative-care providers
  • Some private, for-profit child care centers
  • Adult Day Service programs

Each year, more than 5,000 family and group day care homes and 557 independent center sponsors participate in the 30-year-old CACFP in Michigan. These facilities serve more than 9.6 million breakfasts, 11.3 million lunches, 16.2 million snacks, and 5.4 million suppers per year to children and adults in day-care centers, afterschool at-risk programs, and family day-care homes.

For more information about CACFP in Michigan, visit the Child and Adult Care Food Program.