The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) was established by Congress in 1968 to ensure that children receive nutritious, well-balanced meals while in child care. The program is funded by USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) through the California Department of Education (CDE).

Child Development Associates, Inc. (CDA) Nutrition Program is a Sponsor for the CACFP in San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino Counties and a portion of Los Angeles County. It is our responsibility to provide nutrition education that will help family child care providers to improve the health and eating habits of children. 

Providers are reimbursed by us for the meals they serve to the children in their care. The program also provides nutrition guidance through in-home visits, training and various other resources.

Program Participation
In order to participate in the CACFP providers must:
   • be licensed or trustlined
   • agree to follow the basic Federal and State regulations and requirements.

It is CDA’s responsibility as the Food Program Sponsor to ensure that providers understand and comply with the Food Program requirements.  If you have questions about our program these FAQs might answer your questions.  Click here to get your most frequently asked questions answered or call CDA for more information

How To Sign Up For The Child Care Food Program
The process to join CDA’s Nutrition Program is completed in the provider’s home at a time that is convenient for the provider, with early evening and Saturday morning appointments available if preferred.  Learn more about our activities.

Provider Regulations
When a provider initially joins the program we offer a comprehensive step-by-step Provider Handbook brimming with not only record keeping guidelines, but recipes, sample menus, and child development information. We have designed it with providers in mind to help them understand the requirements of the program, give them nutrition and child development information as well as provide a place to keep their Food Program records. Since CDA’s records are reviewed by State and Federal employees, we are responsible to ensure that providers comply with the regulations.

The regulations require that providers keep paperwork on a daily basis. The Meal Count Record is where the attendance of the children is marked for the meals they received. The Menu Plan is where the meal components served are listed for each meal. Child Enrollment forms are completed by the parents for the children when they first enroll and annually thereafter. Generally it takes a few minutes a day to complete the necessary paperwork.

CDA Nutrition Program forms will be available on this page (scanner forms are not available on-line). These forms are provided as an alternative to calling the office and having them mailed. You can also claim on line through the WebHX system, call us for details.

People Who Care
At CDA all staff members are chosen for their dedication to the growth of young children and their sensitivity to the needs of the child care providers. Each staff member strives to make their interaction with the providers a positive one. Among our staff are former child care providers, Child Development Specialists and our Nutritionist who is not only available to providers but parents as well. All staff members are aware of the importance of providing healthy meals for the children and take pride in helping providers with nutrition questions.

Staying Up To Date
Our Newsletters and Nutrition Nuggets bring providers the latest in nutrition news, recipes, menus and pertinent regulation information. We recognize that working with children is demanding, rewarding and time consuming. It is our job not just to reimburse for the meals served to the children, but also to provide comprehensive resources to support providers in all areas of child care and development.