Nutrition

Nutrition

 

Since 1977, JCCDC has served as the sponsor for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) under the United States Department of Agriculture for licensed family day care providers. The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded program that provides meal reimbursements to eligible childcare centers and family day care homes for serving nutritious meals and snacks as a part of their program. Participating centers agree to serve meals as outlined in the CACFP meal pattern guidelines and to serve creditable foods. These facilities may provide breakfast, lunch, supper, and snacks (morning, afternoon, and evening). The Alabama State Department of Education, Office of Child Nutrition Programs, contracts with Jefferson County Child Development Council to provide this service as an Administrative Sponsor in Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, and Walker counties. To date, over 350 licensed family day care and group homes have contracted with the JCCDC in this program. The goal of the CACFP is to improve and maintain the health and nutritional status of children in care while promoting the development of good eating habits.

Family day care home participants receive reimbursement according to their licensed capacity, the number and type of meals served, and the number of working days in a month. This assistance allows providers to serve well-balanced meals to children in their care. In addition to the administration of the cash reimbursement to family day care providers who serve meals and snacks that meet USDA requirements, the Child and Adult Care Food Program provides training in child nutrition. A Registered Dietician and the JCCDC nutrition staff prepare monthly menus, visit family day care providers to ensure that USDA requirements are met, conduct mini-workshops on nutrition in family day care/group homes for both the provider and the children, plan and conduct food and nutrition group workshops for participating family providers four times each year, and publish a newsletter, “The Provider’s Pantry.” which gives nutrition information, hints, tips, recipes, and suggestions on child care.

To learn more about USDA go to www.usda.gov/topics/food-and-nutrition.

 

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