This resolution designates the third week of March as "National CACFP Week" to recognize the program's vital role in providing nutritious meals to children and adults while advocating for its continued strengthening and expansion.
Suzanne Bonamici
Representative
OR-1
This resolution designates the third week of March as "National CACFP Week" to celebrate the Child and Adult Care Food Program’s vital role in providing nutritious meals to millions of children and adults. It highlights the program's positive impact on health and development while urging legislative improvements to strengthen its reach and reduce administrative burdens. Ultimately, the bill recognizes CACFP as an essential support system for working families, childcare providers, and the broader care economy.
New Resolution Proposes National CACFP Week and Major Boosts to Childcare Meal Programs
This resolution officially recognizes the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) by designating the third week of March as 'National CACFP Week.' Beyond the ceremonial title, the bill outlines a roadmap for expanding a program that already serves 1.7 billion meals annually to over 4.5 million children and 120,000 adults. It specifically aims to modernize how we feed people in Head Start, military childcare, and adult daycare centers by acknowledging that nutrition is the backbone of the 'care economy.'
More Food on the Table
The resolution pushes for a significant shift in daily logistics for childcare providers by urging reimbursement for an additional meal or snack for children who spend a full day in care. Currently, many providers are limited in what they can claim, even if a child is there from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. By increasing these reimbursements, the bill aims to ensure that a long day at daycare doesn't end on an empty stomach, directly benefiting the 4.5 million kids currently in the system.
Cutting Red Tape for Providers
For the small business owners running family daycare homes or for-profit centers, this bill suggests several practical upgrades. It proposes lowering the 'area eligibility' threshold from 50 percent to 40 percent, which would allow more providers in lower-income neighborhoods to qualify for higher reimbursement rates. It also calls for factoring in food inflation more fairly and reducing the mountain of paperwork that often discourages small providers from participating in the program at all.
Strengthening the Care Economy
By streamlining annual eligibility for for-profit centers and acknowledging the rising costs of groceries, the resolution treats childcare as a vital economic infrastructure. For a working parent, this means more stable childcare options and better nutrition for their kids without necessarily seeing a spike in tuition. For the providers—ranging from military facilities to emergency shelters—it’s about getting the financial support needed to meet high nutritional standards while keeping the lights on in an increasingly expensive economy.