What Is the Healthier CACFP Award?
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) recognizes childcare centers, afterschool programs, and other eligible sites that go above and beyond the basic nutrition standards. The Healthier CACFP Award celebrates programs that demonstrate sustained commitment to serving nutritious meals, engaging families, and fostering lifelong healthyeating habits.
The Award Resource Book is a comprehensive guide designed to help providers understand the awards purpose, plan their application, and implement best practices that align with CACFPs nutrition guidelines.
Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for the Healthier CACFP Award, a program must:
- Be a current CACFP participant in good standing.
- Serve children or adults for at least 12 consecutive months before the application deadline.
- Demonstrate a documented plan to improve nutrition quality beyond the minimum CACFP standards.
- Provide evidence of staff training on nutrition, food safety, and childfriendly cooking techniques.
Both singlesite and multisite programs are eligible, but each site must meet the criteria individually.
Award Criteria & Scoring
The Resource Book breaks the evaluation into four weighted categories:
- Nutrition Excellence (30%) Quality of menus, use of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lowsodium options.
- Family & Community Engagement (25%) Strategies for involving parents, providing nutrition education, and community partnerships.
- Staff Development (20%) Frequency and depth of training, certification, and professional growth opportunities.
- Program Sustainability (25%) Longterm plans, data tracking, and use of award funds for lasting impact.
Each category includes specific benchmarks. For example, under Nutrition Excellence, a program earns points for:
- Offering at least one fruit or vegetable at every meal.
- Replacing refined grains with wholegrain equivalents in at least 75% of grain servings.
- Limiting sugary drinks to special occasions only.
What's Inside the Resource Book?
The Resource Book is organized into easytonavigate sections:
- Program SelfAssessment Tool A printable checklist to gauge current practices.
- Sample Menus & Recipes Kidfriendly, CACFPapproved dishes that meet award criteria.
- Family Outreach Templates Newsletters, consent forms, and weekly nutrition tip sheets.
- Training Modules Slide decks and video links for staff on topics such as Reading Nutrition Labels and Safe Food Handling.
- Data Collection Worksheets Simple spreadsheets for tracking servings, waste, and parent feedback.
- Grant & Funding Guidance How to leverage the award money and apply for additional nutritionrelated grants.
Practical Steps to Prepare Your Application
Below is a sixmonth roadmap that many successful applicants follow:
- Month1 Baseline Review
Complete the selfassessment, collect current menus, and identify gaps. - Month2 Goal Setting
Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timebound) nutrition goals aligned with the award criteria. - Month3 Staff Training
Schedule at least two training sessions using the books modules; document attendance. - Month4 Family Engagement
Distribute the outreach templates, host a Nutrition Night, and collect parent surveys. - Month5 Menu Revision
Integrate wholegrain and fruit/vegetable additions; pilot test at least two new meals. - Month6 Documentation & Submission
Complete the application form, attach evidence (menus, photos, training records), and submit before the deadline.
Regular checkins with your CACFP sponsor can help keep the process on track and ensure compliance with federal regulations.
Get Your Copy Today
The Healthier CACFP Award Resource Book is available as a free PDF download from the USDAs official CACFP website. It is also offered in an interactive online format with searchable sections and printable worksheets.
Download the Resource Book
