Reminder: CACFP Center Contract Renewal (All but FDCH)
Participating agencies were notified September 25, 2025, that the FFY 2026 CACFP contract opened for renewal. In order to continue participation in the CACFP during FFY 2025 (October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026) you must complete and submit the contract using the Online Services website. Information to complete the CACFP contract can be found on our Contract webpage.
Contract submission was due Friday, October 10. The agency will not be able to submit an October 2026 claim if your contract is not approved. Upon approval, the DPI will send an email approving the contract to the Authorized Representative and second contact listed in the contract. Contact your assigned consultant with questions.
Cancelling CACFP Participation: If your agency does not wish to continue with participation in the CACFP, you must contact your assigned consultant as soon as possible so that you will no longer receive reminder emails and phone calls regarding your agency’s annual update.
Eligibility Requirements: For-Profit Centers
A for-profit center must meet the following eligibility requirements to participate in the CACFP. A privately owned for-profit child care center may only participate in the CACFP if at least 25 percent of the children in care (enrollment or licensed capacity, whichever is less) are eligible for free or reduced-price meals or receive benefits from Title XX of the Social Security Act, and the center receives compensation from funds granted to the States under Title XX.
Each for-profit center must meet the 25 percent requirement every month in order to be eligible to claim meals. However, there is no requirement that an appropriately enrolled Program participant be in attendance, or participate in a meal, at any time during the claim month.
If you are unsure if your center qualifies for the CACFP for a given month contact your assigned consultant for guidance.
Find My CACFP Consultant (ALL)
The CACFP agency assignments have been updated. Check out the Find My CACFP Consultant webpage, as your assigned consultant may have changed. Your consultant is a valuable resource. Contact us when you have questions about the CACFP.
CACFP Site Review Form for Sponsoring Organization Site Reviews Has Been Revised (SO)
The Site Review Form, which must be completed by sponsoring organization monitors when conducting site reviews, has been revised (revision date 9/2025). Starting immediately, use the revised form and discard blank copies of all older versions of the form.
There are three versions of the Site Review Form: (1) Child Care / Outside of School Hours / Emergency Shelters, (2) At-Risk, and (3) Adult Day Care. These are posted on their respective Guidance Memorandum (GM) webpage under GM 5 under the Monitoring tab. Use the correct Site Review Form for the type of site being monitored.
Breakfast Cereal and Yogurt Added Sugar Limits (ALL)
Effective October 1, 2025, sugar limits for breakfast cereals and yogurt are based on added sugars rather than total sugars. Cereal must contain no more than 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce. Yogurt must contain no more than 12 grams of added sugars per 6 ounces. Use the following resources to determine if cereal and yogurt meet added sugar limits:
The CACFP Reference Guide, which included tables for cereal and yogurt total sugar limits, has been discontinued. Please discard all copies.
FFY 2026 CACFP Review Process (ALL)
The Bureau of Community Nutrition will be finalizing the list of agencies that will be receiving a review in FFY 2026. Please check out the CACFP Review webpage to learn more about the process. The Authorized Representative and/or a member of your staff must be available for the duration of the review to answer questions about the Program during the operation hours indicated in the agency’s CACFP contract.
Independent Centers Only: Annual CACFP Financial Report Due November 1, 2025 (Agencies with only 1 site on the CACFP)
All independent agencies (one site on the CACFP) that participated on the CACFP anytime between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, should start gathering financial records to complete the CACFP Annual Financial Report. This report is due November 1, 2025. Complete this report AFTER the September 2025 claim has been submitted. Failure to submit this report may result in an interruption of your CACFP participation. Contact Cari Muggenburg at cari.muggenburg@dpi.wi.gov with any questions.
October 2025 Farm to Early Care and Education Month (ALL)
The WI DPI Bureau of Community Nutrition proudly joins the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) in celebrating Farm to ECE and Education Month! Lets celebrate the importance of Farm to ECE by participating in learning activities, starting your own garden, or visiting a local farm. Farm to ECE promotes healthy eating habits that lasts a lifetime. Let's grow healthy futures together, one seed at a time! Wisconsin Farm to School and Early Care and Education Month Governors Proclamation
CACFP Data Sharing with the USDA for National Area Eligibility Analysis (AR and FDCH)
The United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has requested information from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) regarding at-risk afterschool program operators and family day care home sponsors and providers for the one-month period of March 2025.
Specifically, FNS requested the following information:
- names and addresses of these facility types,
- area eligibility determinations, and
- monthly meal counts for March 2025.
This information is being sought under a federal law requiring FNS to collect and analyze information to determine improper payments in certain federal programs (Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019). In its request, FNS stated that it will use the data to analyze erroneous payments in the area eligibility determination processes for CACFP. FNS last reported on this information in 2014, which can be accessed here: CACFP Assessment of Sponsor Tiering Determinations - 2014.
DPI will provide the requested information to FNS pursuant to federal regulations and requirements including Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR), Section 226.7(c). This regulation requires state agencies to make program records available to FNS upon request. Information for all other CACFP operator types was not requested or provided.
As a reminder, at-risk afterschool operators and family day care home sponsors must ensure the accuracy of their area eligibility determinations. To be determined area eligible to operate an at-risk site, or for a day care home to receive the Tier I reimbursement rate, the facility must be located within the attendance area of a school in which at least 50 percent of the children are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. Alternatively, day care homes may use census data subject to the requirements of 7 CFR 226.15(f). Determinations are valid for five years from the original determination date.
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