Food Reimbursement

In addition to offering guidance on healthy meals for young children, family child care homes may apply to receive meal and snack reimbursements for the food they serve through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). This is a federally funded program that provides reimbursement for nutritious meals and snacks served to children in Child Care Center businesses. In California, CACFP is administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).

Benefits of CACFP for Child Care Center Providers

• Financial Support: Child Care Center providers receive monthly reimbursements for serving eligible meals and snacks.
• Healthy Nutrition: Ensures that children receive balanced, nutritious meals that meet USDA standards.
• Guidance & Training: Providers receive nutritional education and support on meal planning, healthy eating habits & food safety.

Child Care Center businesses in Orange County can connect with one of the local CACFP sponsoring organizations to apply for participation.  Sponsors offer more than reimbursements, they also provide nutrition education, in-home training, and ongoing technical assistance. Reaching out to a local sponsor is an excellent first step for providers interested in strengthening their meal program while offsetting food costs.

Eligibility Requirements for Child Care Center Participation

To participate in CACFP, a Child Care Center must:

• Be licensed or legally exempt from licensing
• Care for at least one enrolled child who is not the provider’s own.
• Serve meals and snacks that meet USDA meal pattern requirements.
• Apply Work with a CACFP sponsoring organization (Child Care Center Sponsors assist providers with enrollment, training, and reimbursement claims).

CHILD CARE CENTERS Food Buying Calculator

The Food Buying Calculator is a helpful tool for family child care business owners to plan and buy the right amount of food for the children they serve. The calculator uses serving sizes based on age and meal type to make meal planning easier, reduce food waste, and ensure children get healthy, well-portioned meals. This tool also helps providers stay on track with CACFP guidelines and manage food costs more effectively.

Sample Food Buying Calculator by Age

Age Group	Meal Type	Component	Serving Size per Child	# of Children	Total Amount Needed
1–2 yrs.	Breakfast	Milk	½ cup
		Fruit/Vegetable	¼ cup
		Grain	½ serving
3–5 yrs.	Lunch	Milk	¾ cup
		Meat/Meat Alternate	1½ oz
		Vegetable #1	¼ cup
		Vegetable #2	¼ cup
		Grain	½ serving
6–12 yrs.	Snack	Fruit/Vegetable	¾ cup
		Grain or Protein	1 oz

Meal Reimbursement Rates & Tiers

CACFP reimburses providers based on a tiered system:

• Tier I (Higher Reimbursement):
  • Located in a low-income area or
  • Provider meets income eligibility (based on household size and income).
• Tier II (Lower Reimbursement):
  • Providers who do not qualify for Tier I.

Tier I providers receive a higher per-meal reimbursement compared to Tier II. Providers in Tier II can ask parents to complete income forms to qualify for higher reimbursement rates for some children.

Updated reimbursement rates can be found on the CDSS CACFP website.

Meal Pattern Requirements: Child Care Centers providers must serve meals that follow USDA meal pattern guidelines. Here is a Sample Approved Preschool Meal Plan for a Child Care Center. This is full-day menu designed to align with CACFP component requirements for preschoolers in a licensed child care center setting. Portions should meet the minimum serving sizes required by CACFP for ages 3–5.

Breakfast

Components: Grains, Fruit/Vegetable, Milk

• Whole grain oatmeal (meets whole grain-rich requirement)
• Sliced bananas
• Unflavored low-fat (1%) milk

✔ Includes: 1 grain + 1 fruit + 1 milk
✔ Oatmeal must be whole grain-rich
✔ Milk must be unflavored low-fat for ages 2+

Morning Snack

Components: Choose 2 of 5 components (no juice)

• Carrot sticks
• Hummus (creditable as meat alternate)

✔ Includes: 1 vegetable + 1 meat alternate

Lunch

Components: Milk, Meat/Meat Alternate, Grain, 2 Fruits/Vegetables

• Grilled chicken breast
• Brown rice (whole grain-rich)
• Steamed broccoli
• Steamed carrots
• Orange slices
• Unflavored low-fat (1%) milk

✔ Includes:

• 1 meat/meat alternate
• 1 grain (whole grain-rich)
• 2 vegetables (broccoli + carrots)
• 1 fruit (or may count orange instead of one vegetable)
• 1 milk

Note: CACFP requires two different vegetables and/or fruits at lunch. This menu exceeds minimum variety standards.

Afternoon Snack

Components: Choose 2 of 5 components

• Whole grain crackers
• Low-fat cheese

✔ Includes: 1 grain + 1 meat alternate

Dinner (If Applicable – For Programs Serving Supper)

Components: Same pattern as Lunch

• Turkey meatballs with marinara sauce
• Whole wheat pasta (whole grain-rich)
• Mixed salad (romaine, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers)
• Apple slices
• Water (freely available throughout the day)

✔ Includes:

• 1 meat/meat alternate
• 1 grain (whole grain-rich)
• 1 vegetable (salad)
• 1 fruit (apple slices)
• Milk must also be offered if this is claimed as a CACFP supper meal

Important CACFP Compliance Notes for Child Care Centers

• At least one grain per day must be whole grain-rich.
• Milk must be unflavored low-fat (1%) or fat-free for children ages 2 and older.
• Juice is limited to once per day and must be 100% juice (not included here).
• Water must be available throughout the day.
• Portion sizes must meet CACFP minimum serving requirements for each
• All items must be properly documented and creditable under CACFP guidelines.