Feeding Infants in CACFP Child Care Programs

Meals and snacks served to infants from birth through 11 months of age in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) must comply with the CACFP infant meal pattern. The CACFP infant meal pattern requirements are defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) final rule, Child and Adult Care Food Program: Meal Pattern Revisions Related to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, effective October 1, 2017.

CACFP Infant Meal Pattern (CSDE)
CACFP Trainer's Tools: Feeding Infants English and Spanish (USDA): Trainer’s guide, presentation slides and trainer notes, videos, and digital interactive games
Nutrition Standards for CACFP Meals and Snacks (USDA)
Resources for the CACFP Meal Patterns(CSDE): Refer to the "Infant Meal Pattern" section for resources and websites to assist sponsors with meeting the CACFP infant meal pattern and crediting requirements
Updated Child and Adult Care Meal Patterns: Infant Meals (Spanish) (USDA)
- Patrón de comidas actualizado del programa de comidas para niños y adultos: Comidas para bebés
USDA Guide: Feeding Infants in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (English and Spanish
USDA Memo 01-2023: Creditability of Infant Formulas Imported Through the Food and Drug Administration’s 2022 Infant Enforcement Discretion Policy in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
USDA Memo CACFP 11-2023: Feeding Infants and Meal Pattern Requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food Program; Questions and Answers (Revised September 2023)
USDA Memo SP 01-2019 and CACFP 01-2019: Updated CACFP Meal Patterns and Updated NSLP and SBP Infant and Preschool Meal Patterns