Overview

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Meals and snacks served to children in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) must comply with the CACFP meal patterns. The CACFP meal patterns for children apply to: 

• children ages 1-12; 
• children through age 18 in at-risk afterschool care centers and emergency shelters; 
• children of any age with disabilities; and 
• children ages 15 and younger of migrant workers. 

For information on the meal patterns for infants (birth through 11 months), visit the CSDE's Feeding Infants in CACFP Child Care Programs webpage.

CACFP Meal Patterns for Children  |   Meal Pattern Guidance  |   CACFP Meal Pattern Updates

CACFP Meal Patterns for Children

• CACFP Meal Patterns for Children
  • Breakfast: CACFP Breakfast Meal Pattern for Children (CSDE)
  • Lunch/Supper: CACFP Lunch/Supper Meal Pattern for Children (CSDE)
  • Snack: CACFP Snack Meal Pattern for Children (CSDE)
• CACFP Meal Pattern Posters (USDA webpage)
• CACFP Meal Pattern Training Slides (USDA webpage)
• CSDE Training: Bite Size: Meeting the CACFP Meal Patterns for Children
• Guide to Meeting the Meal Pattern Requirements for CACFP Child Care Programs (CSDE)
• Grain Ounce Equivalents for the CACFP (CSDE) 
• Noncreditable Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs (CSDE)
• Nutrition Standards for CACFP Meals and Snacks (USDA webpage)
• Resources for the CACFP Meal Patterns (CSDE)
• USDA Memo CACFP 08-2017: Questions and Answers on the Updated Meal Pattern Requirements for the Child and Adult Care Food Program

Meal Pattern Guidance

• Crediting Foods in CACFP Child Care Programs ("How To" section)
• Meal Service in CACFP Child Care Programs ("How To" section)
• Menu Forms for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Documents/Forms" section)
• Menu Planning for CACFP Child Care Programs ("How To" section)
• Production Records for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Documents/Forms" section)
• Sample Menus for CACFP Child Care Programs ("Documents/Forms section)

CACFP Meal Pattern Updates

On April 25, 2024, the USDA published the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (89 FR 31962). This final rule implements gradual updates to the Child Nutrition Programs in several key areas, including the CACFP meal patterns. Some menu planning flexibilities are effective July 1, 2024. Changes to CACFP menus are not required until program year 2025-26 (beginning October 1, 2025). For more information, visit the "CACFP Meal Pattern Updates" section of the CSDE's CACFP webpage.