• SNAP/Food Stamps
  • Disaster SNAP/Food Stamps
  • SNAP/Food Stamp Eligibility
  • Participation: Gaps in Coverage and Counter-cyclical Impact
  • SNAP/Food Stamp Historic Trends: 1998-2010
  • Homeless Persons' Rights under the SNAP/Food Stamp Program
• School Breakfast Program
  • Expanding School Breakfast Participation
  • School Breakfast Outreach
  • School Breakfast State/Local Data Report Toolkit
  • School Meal Eligibility
  • School Meal Nutrition Standards
  • Local School Wellness Policies
• National School Lunch Program
• Afterschool Nutrition Programs
  • FRAC's Afterschool Meals Guide
  • Reimbursement Rates
  • Model Programs
  • Outreach Materials
  • Standards of Excellence - Afterschool Programs
  • Model Advocacy Efforts - Afterschool
  • Snack and Meal FAQ
  • NSLP Afterschool Snacks
  • Model Afterschool Snacks and Suppers
• Summer Nutrition Programs
  • Summer Nutrition Programs Implementation Calendars and Guide
  • Summer Reimbursement Rates
  • Summer FAQ
  • Nutrition Guidelines
  • Model Summer Programs
  • Model Advocacy Efforts - Summer Programs
  • Summer Nutrition Toolkit
  • State Summer Outreach Materials Clearinghouse
  • Standards of Excellence - Summer Programs
• Child and Adult Care Food Program
  • CACFP Eligibility & Reimbursement
  • Child Care Food Program Wellness Tool Kit
• WIC (Women, Infants and Children)
  • New Food Package Toolkit
  • Making WIC Work in Multicultural Communities
• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
  • FFVP Outreach
  • FFVP Planning Tool
• Other Programs

Child Care Food Program Wellness Tool Kit

CACFP Nutrition Best Practices (pdf)

Fact Sheet – Improving Nutrition and Promoting Wellness in Child Care with CACFP: Bread and Bread Alternates (pdf)

• State CACFP Nutrition and Wellness Initiatives
• Local CACFP Nutrition and Wellness Initiatives
• Farm to Child Card Initiatives
• Child Care Wellness Policies
• Self Assessment Tools
• Nutrition and Physical Activity Resources

The Child Care Wellness Tool Kit: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is for advocates, state child care subsidy, CACFP and licensing agencies, state and local health promotion and obesity prevention initiatives, child care providers, policy makers and other key stakeholders. This tool kit can be used to support nutrition and wellness requirements in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The tool kit focuses on innovative and effective CACFP best practices and strategies for implementing good nutrition and physical activity policies and standards at the state and local level. This is the first phase of the tool kit, which includes

• Model wellness policies reflecting important best practices including:- Nutrition standards for assuring only healthy meals and snacks fully consistent with current nutritional science and the U.S. Dietary Guidelines are served.
  - A recommended minimum for the amount of daily physical activity, recommended types of activities, and limitations on the amount of time spent watching TV or videos.
  - Plans for nutrition and physical activity education for children, teachers and parents.

• Best practice models that provide the steps to success for developing and implementing effective new nutrition and wellness policies on the state or local level. (e.g., recommendations for stakeholders to include in the process and for factors to consider before creating the wellness policy.)

• Tools for assessing the current nutrition and physical activity environment in child care settings including a sample self-assessment and a complicated evaluation tool.

• Nutrition and physical activity resources for child care providers including materials to share with parents such as newsletters or fact sheets.

Documents are pdf unless otherwise noted.

State CACFP Nutrition and Wellness Initiatives

California

• California Promoting Better Nutrition through Child Care and Development Block Grant “Quality” Funds
• California’s Child Care Strategic Assessment Recommendations from the Advisory Group
• Keeping Children Healthy & Active in the Child Care Environment
• California Child Care Nutrition Education

Colorado

• Child Care Champions of Colorado
• Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition Program’s Early Childhood Task Force (Web page)
• Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition Program Grants
• Colorado Early Childhood Strategies and Action Steps in the Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition State Plan

Connecticut

• Connecticut CACFP Nutrition and Physical Activity Project
• Action Guide for Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies (Web page)
• Summary of Connecticut’s Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Assessment Survey

Delaware

• First Years in the First State: Improving Nutrition & Physical Activity Quality in Delaware Child Care
• New Food Policy Changes Memo
• Best Practices for Healthy Eating: A Guide to Help Children Grow Up Healthy – which is being used to implement the Delaware CACFP food policy changes. (Web page)

District of Columbia

D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) State Agency Memos:

• Creditable Food Item – Sugary Cereals
• Use of Two-Percent (2%) Milk in All CACFP Facilities

OSSE Nutrition Standards for CACFP Flyers:

• Choose Low Sugar Cereals
• Milk
• Healthy Cooking
• Limit Fried and Pre-Fried Meats and Vegetables
• Together, we can PREVENT overweight & obesity

OSSE Parent Postcards

• Cereal
• Limit Fried Foods
• Milk

Florida

• Florida Child Care Food Program Promotes Improved Nutrition with Education and Higher Standards
• Childhood Obesity Prevention Report Timeline
• Additional State Meal Pattern Requirements for Children
• CCFP nutrition requirements
• CCFP education initiatives

Kentucky

• 2013 Department of Education CACFP Training
• Kentucky Department of Education Additional Food Component Recommendations – Revisions to Child Meal Pattern
• Kentucky Department of Education Additional Food Component Recommendations – Revisions to Adult Meal Pattern
• Healthier Kentucky Child Care Challenge – Criteria for Child Cares

Maryland

• Maryland Model Health
• Maryland ABC Child Care Guidelines
• Instructions for Implementing Nutrition Guidelines
• Maryland Nutrition Guidelines Without Infants
• Maryland Nutrition Guidelines With Infants
• Maryland CACFP Nutrition Checklist
• Maryland State Department of Education 2007 Team Nutrition Training Grant – Promising Practices

Missouri

• How to Read a Food Label
• Health Foods for Celebrations
• Nonfood Fundraising Ideas
• Model Policies for Creating a Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in Child Care Settings
• Sample Menu and Recipes
• What’s to Eat this Week Menu Plan
• Nutrition Self Assessment
• Missouri Eat Smart Grant Action Plan
• Missouri Eat Smart Guidelines for Child Care
• Eat Smart Guidelines Overview
• Eat Smart Guidelines – Child Care

New Hampshire

Promoting Nutrition and Physical Activity through Education in New Hampshire CACFP

New York

• Improving CACFP in New York State through Education and Policy Change (FRAC CACFP Best Practice Case Study)
• New York Eat Well Play Hard Child Care Flyer
• New York Eat Well Play Hard Child Care Curriculum (Web page)
• New York Eat Well Play Hard Community Initiatives
• Healthy Infant Meal Pattern (Child Care)
• Healthy Infant Meal Pattern (Home)
• Healthy Child Meal Pattern (Child Care)
• Healthy Child Meal Pattern (Home)
• Healthy Adult Meal Pattern
• NY State Dept. of Health – Child And Adult Care Food Program (Web page)
• Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care (CENTERS / HOMES) (Web pages)

New York City

• Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Regulations At-A-Glance
• Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Law: Amendments to the New York City Health Code

South Dakota

• South Dakota Fit from the Start Initiative
• Fit from the Start Initiative Brochure
• Physical Activities and Healthy Snacks for Younger Children
• Policies and Best Practices for Nutrition and Physical Activity in Early-Childhood Settings

Texas

• “Promoting Healthy Eating & Physical Activity for a Healthier Lifestyle” among Texas Children
• Recommended Modifications to CACFP Meal Patterns

West Virginia

West Virginia Child Care Takes a “Leap of Taste”

Wisconsin

• Wellness in Early Care and Education: Active Early and Healthy Bites (Web page)
• What Works in Early Care and Education (pdf)
• Wisconsin Team Nutrition (Web page)
• What’s Right for Young Children II – Child Care Gardens (pdf)

Local CACFP Nutrition and Wellness Initiatives

CentroNía: A Best Practice in DC

Ohio’s Children’s Hunger Alliance CARES about Nutrition and Physical Activity

Partnership for Children’s Child Care Nutrition Consultation Project in Durham, North Carolina

• The Child Care Nutrition Consultation Project in Durham County, North Carolina
• Durham’s Partnership for Children Child Care Nutrition Consultation Project (Web page)
• Child nutrition project gives caregivers insight into healthy meal planning (Web page)

Creating a Healthy Environment in Sacramento County, CA

Shasta County Healthy Beginnings

Contra Costa Child Care Council Improves Nutrition and Physical Activity in Child Care

• Good Health and Nutrition Resources
• CHOICE: Creating Healthy Opportunities in Child Care Environments

Farm to Child Care Initiatives

• Farm to Preschool (Web page)
• Farm to Child Care
• Farm to Child Care – Oregon Child Development Coalition Ecotrust
• Healthy Meal Preschool Project Los Angeles

Child Care Wellness Policies

Iowa Quality Rating System includes CACFP Participation Criteria

State Efforts to Address Obesity Prevention in Child Care Quality Rating and Improvement Systems

Gold Sneaker Initiative, Tennessee Department of Health (Web page)

Growing Healthy Children – A guide to enhance nutrition and physical activity in New York City group child care centers

Self Assessment Tools

Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Self Assessment Questionnaire

Nutrition and Physical Activity Self Assessment for Child Care

Children’s Food Environment State Indicator Report, 2011

CDC Report: Children’s Food Environment State Indicator Report, 2011 (pdf)

Nutrition and Physical Activity Resources

(Web pages unless otherwise noted.)

USDA-HHS publication, Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program!

Team Nutrition CACFP Wellness Resources Web site

My Plate for Preschoolers

Minute Menu Day Care Software

Color Me Healthy

I am Moving, I am Learning

My Pyramid for Preschoolers

USDA Team Nutrition

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Nutrition Education (SNAP-Ed)

Addressing Childhood Obesity Prevention Through State Child Care Licensing Regulations

Illinois Nutrition Education and Training: Healthy Childcare

Let’s Move Childcare

Spanish

USDA, State and Local Spanish Materials