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Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
2025 - 03
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Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Division of Finance and Support Services
Child Nutrition Programs
P.O. Box 110500
Juneau, AK 99811 |
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USDA Policy, Information, and Implementation Memos |
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Sponsoring organizations and institutions are required by regulation to keep Bulletins, Instructions, and USDA Policy Memorandums for reference and to apply immediately the appropriate instruction to agency programs. The latest policy memos are found on the USDA FNS policy page. Call Child Nutrition Programs if you need further clarification.
CACFP 05-2025: Grain Requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Questions and Answers
This memorandum explains the grain requirements for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and includes questions and answers. This memorandum supersedes CACFP 09-2018, Grain Requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program; Questions and Answers,published April 4, 2018.
This memo provides updated guidance on the provisions of the 2024 final rule that apply to the grains requirements in the CACFP. It includes adding a definition for whole grain-rich into CACFP regulations, changing product-based limits for breakfast cereals and yogurts from total sugars to added sugars, and updating guidance on substituting vegetables to meet the grains requirements for eligible Program operators. In addition, this memorandum specifically:
- Provides updated guidance on added sugars;
- Provides updated guidance on substituting vegetables for grains in eligible settings;
- Adds two Q&As related to substituting vegetables for grains and using non-grain pasta products, respectively;
- Adopts standardized terminology such as “institutions and facilities;” and
- Reorganizes information throughout the memorandum for clarity.
CACFP 06-2025: Feeding Infants and Meal Pattern Requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program; Questions and Answers
This memorandum provides recommendations on infant feeding and infant meal pattern requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and guidance from the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Dietary Guidelines). It supersedes CACFP 11-2023, Feeding Infants and Meal Pattern Requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Questions and Answers (Revised September 2023). In addition, this memorandum specifically:
- Updates guidance regarding who may write medical statements to request modifications on behalf of infants with disabilities in the CACFP;
- Describes the option to substitute vegetables for grains in eligible areas;
- Updates product-based sugar limits for breakfast cereals and yogurt from total sugars to added sugars;
- Includes updated information on tofu crediting;
- Includes one new question regarding tempeh crediting;
- Adopts standardized terminology such as “institutions and facilities;” and
- Reorganizes information throughout the memorandum for clarity.
 FNS seeks public comments on Request for Information: Child Nutrition Programs Tribal Pilot Projects, published December 23, 2024, at Federal Register: Request for Information: Child Nutrition Programs Tribal Pilot Projects. The comment period will be open for 91 days.
The public is invited to submit comments to www.regulations.gov through March 24, 2025.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, (P.L. 118-42) provided $2 million for pilot projects that will allow Tribes to administer Child Nutrition Programs, assuming the roles and responsibilities typically held by State agencies. The Act authorized a maximum of 10 pilot projects, to operate for up to two years, in Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools, schools on or near Indian reservations, or in early child care and education facilities. Grantees may receive $10,000-$100,000 per school year.
Grantees may be:
- Indian Tribes;
- Tribal organizations approved by an Indian Tribe;
- Tribal educational agencies;
- A Consortium of Indian Tribes; or
- Partnerships between an Indian Tribe and either a:
- State educational agency;
- Local educational agency;
- Tribal educational agency; or
- The Bureau of Indian Education.
Comments may be submitted by either of the following methods:
- Online via the Federal eRulemaking Portal (preferred method): Go to www.regulations.gov/docket/FNS-2024-0039 and follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
- Mail: Send comments to School Meals Policy Division, Child Nutrition Programs, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314.
For more information on submitting comments, please see Tips for Submitting Effective Comments here: Tips-For-Submitting-Effective-Comments.pdf. (Please note this is a Federal Register resource and not an FNS resource.) Should you have any questions, feel free to contact Kristie.Hubbard@usda.gov.
Please keep your eye out for the upcoming Request for Information: Grain-Based Desserts and High-Protein Yogurt Crediting in Child Nutrition Programs, which is scheduled to be published on Dec 26. This aims to obtain input to help inform future policymaking, guidance, and technical assistance related to grain-based desserts and high-protein yogurt crediting in Child Nutrition Programs (CNP).
More information about the request for information can be found on the FNS website: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/fr-122624.
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Additional Topics
2024 Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) Amount for Evaluating Household Income
After reviewing applicable regulations, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) has determined that the value of the 2024 Alaska PFD for income evaluations is $1,404.00. Please ensure your application system uses this amount as the Alaska PFD effective 1 January 2025.
Do not use the full amount of $1,702.00, as this includes a $298.17 energy relief payment, which is excluded from income calculations.
Why is the energy relief payment excluded for the purpose of calculating income?
The $298.17 energy relief payment is considered a lump sum payment because it is not a
standard component of the PFD. This classification aligns with prior guidance from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).
Federal statutes and regulations do not explicitly address lump sum payments. Instead, we rely upon precedent set by current and previous guidance from FNS policymakers. Page 33 of the Eligibility Manual for School Meals identifies lump sum payments as excludable payment when determining income. Furthermore FNS gave specific guidance on the 2022 energy relief payment also supports this interpretation.
Why is the PFD included in income calculations?
Page 24 of the Eligibility Manual for School Meals states that income is, “is any money (before deductions), received on a recurring basis, including earnings, pensions, and child or spousal support, unless an income source is specifically excluded by law for the CNPs. (See: Income Exclusions.)”
Since the PFD is a recurring annual payment, it qualifies as income. Other forms of dividend
income are also included unless specifically excluded, reinforcing the PFD's inclusion.
Please see the attached memo for reference.
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Holidays & End-of-Year Staff Outages
Along with the holidays come staff outages. This is a friendly reminder that claims must be in Pending Approval by the 60-day deadline; if they are in Pending Submission or Error status, they unfortunately can't be paid.To avoid missing out on your claim reimbursements, we encourage you to get your October and November claims in as soon as possible. This allows us ample time to review them and make corrections before the deadline.
We look forward to working with you this coming year.
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Webinars & Conferences
Registration Now Open for the 2025 National Child Nutrition Conference
The 39th National Child Nutrition Conference, provided by the National CACFP Association (NCA), is now open for registration.
The National Child Nutrition Conference is an annual event that brings together professionals from child care centers, home providers, sponsoring organizations, school districts, afterschool programs, Head Start programs, Food Banks, tribal nations and State Agencies.
The 2025 National Child Nutrition Conference will be held April 14-18, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. Scholarships are available at https://www.cacfp.org/conference/scholarships/. Each scholarship will include conference registration, four (4) nights’ lodging at the conference hotel, and up to $450 toward transportation costs. Applications close on January 10, 2025 at 11:59 pm Eastern. For questions, please email conference@cacfp.org
This information is shared on behalf of the NCA. DEED is neither endorsing or is responsible for third party content.
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On-Demand CACFP Halftime Webinar: Choose Breakfast Cereals That Are Lower in Added Sugars in the CACFP
USDA’s Team Nutrition is pleased to release an On-Demand CACFP Halftime: Thirty on Thursdays Webinar titled, “Choose Breakfast Cereals That Are Lower in Added Sugars in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).”
This On-Demand Webinar highlights the new added sugars limit for breakfast cereals and how to identify products that meet this limit. The training is available in English and Spanish and includes a “Frequently Asked Questions” section to address common questions and concerns related to serving breakfast cereals that meet the added sugars limit in the CACFP.
Visit this webpage titled “Choose Breakfast Cereals That Are Lower in Added Sugars in the CACFP” to get the training worksheet, training slides, and recorded video. Also, check out the “Calculating the Added Sugars Limit for Breakfast Cereals in the CACFP” training worksheet.
The National CACFP Sponsors Association (NCA) is also offering the opportunity to submit and track this training for continuing education credits. Additional information on this opportunity is available from NCA at: www.cacfp.org/thirty-on-thursdays/.
For more information, please visit the CACFP Halftime: Thirty on Thursdays webpage.
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Recipes & Resources
2025 STEAM Recipe Book
The National CACFP Association (NCA) has developed STEAM-inspired recipes to make mealtime educational.
With 24 new recipes among the 2025 Nutrition Calendar and its activity pages, it can be hard to keep all those recipes in one place. NCA has done the job for you! Get all 24 recipes, serving sizes and crediting information in a recipe book, as well a handout on this year's theme of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics).
2025 Recipe Book
What is STEAM?
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January 2025 Monthly Activities
The National CACFP Association (NCA) provides a monthly activity page.
In the activity page, NCA continues their building theme. Assist your little engineers as needed as they work together to assemble a bridge and then have fun playing Construction Simon Says. After they have worked up an appetite, use the recipe Apple Sail Boats to build edible boats.
January Calendar Activity Page
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50th Anniversary of WIC
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of WIC! Check back all year long for newly added WIC 50th content and celebrate with us by sharing our featured resources, including new social media posts, a new page with 50 Fun Facts About WIC, and more!
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Addressing Food Insecurity in School-Based Health Centers: Practical Tips and Resources for Effective Interventions
This resource is intended to support school-based health center (SBHC) staff in their efforts to identify and address hunger by connecting youth and families with federal nutrition programs and local food resources. No Kid Hungry has partnered with the School-Based Health Alliance to pilot and uplift promising models that SBHCs can adopt. This tip sheet provides a starting point for SBHCs interested in beginning or expanding these efforts. You can find more information about this initiative and a companion toolkit here.
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Team Nutrition Resources
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Contact Us
Child and Adult Care Food Program
School Meals
Summer Meals
Food Distribution Program
Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program
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Farm to School
The Emergency Food Assistance Program
Child Nutrition Grants
Child Nutrition Financial Management
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This newsletter contains hyperlinks to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the reader’s convenience. DEED does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Furthermore, the inclusion of links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered, on these sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement (English)
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
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mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
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fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
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email: program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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