Celebrate National Child and Adult Care Food Program Week, March 12-18, 2023

LANSING – The week of March 12-18, 2023 is National Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Week, and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) joins program providers, educators, and students statewide in celebrating the importance of healthy meals for children and adults in need.

Each year, over 5,000 family and group childcare homes, family and group adult care homes, and childcare centers across the state participate in CACFP. These facilities serve more than 6.2 million breakfasts, 7.3 million lunches, 12 million snacks, and 5.4 million suppers per year to children and adults in care.

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 care by making it affordable for many families. The program’s goals are to improve and maintain the health and nutritional status of participants in care and at the same time to promote the development of good eating habits.

Eligible child and adult care facilities include:

• Licensed childcare centers
• Head Start programs
• Great Start to Readiness Programs (GSRP)
• Public and Non-Public Schools
• After-school care programs
• Emergency shelters providing residential and food services to homeless children
• Family childcare homes, including relative-care providers
• Some private, for-profit childcare centers
• Adult day service programs

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