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Nutrition Assistance

Mother selecting vegetables with her children at a produce store.

Head Start programs provide nutritious meals to children in their care. The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) aims to improve the quality of these meals and make them more affordable. Under the CACFP nutrition standards, meals and snacks should include a great variety of vegetables and fruits, more whole grains, and less added sugar and saturated fat. The standards also encourage breastfeeding or chestfeeding and better align with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Use these resources to learn more about helping families get high-quality, affordable food and providing meals that meet the CACFP nutrition standards. Find out how CACFP standards help provide the best eating environment for young children, and teach children to make healthy food choices and build social and developmental skills related to eating.

Watch this webinar to discover how state and local Head Start partnerships can promote health and wellness among expectant families, young children and their families, and Head Start staff.

Nutrition and Physical Activity

In this chapter of the Health Manager Orientation Guide, learn about the health manager’s role in helping programs meet the nutritional and physical activity needs of each child.

Positive Food and Eating Environments

This video introduces strategies to create a positive eating environment. Use this information to help staff and families understand that mealtime is not just an eating event. It's a learning opportunity.

CACFP Meal Patterns

In this video, learn about CACFP meal pattern requirements that focus on providing healthy foods. These meal patterns help programs offer children wholesome meals and establish life-long healthy eating habits.

Meal Pattern Accommodations in CACFP

This video clip offers guidance on providing CACFP meal pattern accommodations when requested by parents for children with disabilities, religious reasons, or for the parent's preference.

How CACFP Reimbursements Are Calculated

This video explains how CACFP reimbursements are calculated. Learn about the documentation required to validate a claim for reimbursement and how to meet recordkeeping requirements.

CACFP Meal Services in Head Start Programs

Review these video clips to learn how to implement CACFP, including information about meal patterns, accommodations, how reimbursements are calculated, and creating positive food and eating environments.