National CACFP Forum

06/12/2026

We’re excited to highlight one of our National CACFP Forum board members, Jodi Kuhn, who will be presenting a free webinar with the Institute of Child Nutrition on June 16.

CACFP: Nurturing Healthy Habits – Promoting Positive Eating Behaviors in Children will explore practical strategies for supporting healthy relationships with food and creating positive mealtime experiences for children.

As President of the National CACFP Forum and Director of Regulatory Compliance at KinderCare Learning Companies, Jodi is passionate about helping providers create environments that nourish both children and lifelong healthy habits.

June 16, 2026
3:00 PM ET
Learn more and register: https://ilearn.theicn.org/learn/courses/791/cacfp-nurturing-healthy-habits-promoting-positive-eating-behaviors-in-children-june-16th-2026-3pm-est

Thank you to the Institute of Child Nutrition for continuing to provide high-quality training opportunities for the child nutrition community.

06/03/2026

𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

Today, we're highlighting our Board Vice President, a member of the National CACFP Forum Board of Directors whose dedication and experience help strengthen the CACFP community nationwide. Get to know them and the unique perspective they bring to our work.

Meet Margaret! Margaret McDonald is the CEO of Clarendon Early Education Services, Inc., a Sponsor of the USDA Child & Adult Care Food Program and a leading non-profit Family Child Care Agency serving Family Child Care Educators in Massachusetts. Margaret serves on the Board of Directors of the National CACFP Forum and on the Board of the Massachusetts Association of Child Care Agencies (MADCA). She has tirelessly advocated for policy reform to better reflect the financial and logistical challenges facing low-income parents. She has been instrumental in effecting many policy changes that have directly impacted parents’ eligibility for access to affordable early care and education and for policy change that provides continuity of crucial supports for families seeking to improve nutritional, educational and economic outcomes for their children.

Margaret is a CAYL Institute Fellow and a graduate of Boston University’s Institute for Nonprofit Management & Leadership. She holds an AS in Early Childhood Education and a BA in Social Science.

06/01/2026

Strong child nutrition programs depend on both accountability and support.

CACFP already includes multiple layers of oversight, including monitoring visits, claim reviews, audits, financial reviews, corrective action processes, and state and federal oversight. These systems help protect program integrity while ensuring eligible children and adults continue to receive nutritious meals.

As policymakers consider ways to strengthen programs, it's important to remember that administrative errors, training needs, and intentional fraud are not the same thing. Effective solutions should protect taxpayer resources while supporting the providers and sponsors working every day to serve their communities.

05/26/2026

Big updates are on the horizon for child nutrition and now is the time to be ready.

A new nutrition rule is expected as early as this summer. While the exact timing is uncertain, one thing is clear: your voice will matter.
When the rule is released, providers and sponsors will have the opportunity to submit public comments to USDA. Sharing what works, what doesn’t, and how these changes could impact your program.
That’s where the CACFP Forum comes in. We'll break down the new rule in clear, practical terms, highlight key changes, and provide model comments to guide you.
But the most important piece? Your real experiences.
Policymakers need to hear directly from YOU! What these changes mean in your day-to-day work and for the children and families you serve.

💬 Stay informed. Be prepared. Make your voice count.

05/16/2026

Recent policy discussions in WIC are a reminder that child nutrition programs are deeply connected — and the challenges facing one program often signal what may be ahead for others, including CACFP.
Key themes emerging right now:
• Pressure on funding and benefit levels despite national conversations about improving nutrition
• Concerns about maintaining flexibility and modernization efforts that help programs better serve families
• USDA restructuring that could impact institutional knowledge, state support, and program consistency
• Ongoing tension between nutrition goals, operational realities, and cost coverage
For CACFP providers, sponsors, and advocates, these conversations matter. Policies must work in real child care settings, support access to healthy foods, and remain operationally achievable for the providers serving children every day.
The National CACFP Forum will continue monitoring these developments and advocating for practical, sustainable policy solutions that strengthen child nutrition programs — not create additional barriers to participation.

Published April 10, 2025 On Friday, April 3,  President Trump released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2027. Despite the administration professing a commitment to making America healthy, this budget proposal would cut critical nutrition service for moms, babies, and children, dramatically slas...

05/15/2026

USDA has released a final rule expanding milk options in Child Nutrition Programs, including CACFP. Under the new rule, providers may now offer whole and 2% milk to participants age 2 and older, alongside existing low-fat and fat-free options.

The rule also:
🥛 Extends flexibility across CACFP, school meals, and other Child Nutrition Programs
🥛 Gives providers more local choice based on participant needs and preferences
🥛 Acknowledges the role of full-fat dairy in the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Importantly, this flexibility is optional — providers can decide what works best for their program, families, and operations.

This is also an example of why advocacy matters. Earlier this year, Forum board members met with lawmakers during Hill visits in Washington, DC to discuss extending the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act concepts beyond schools and into child care settings, including CACFP. We’re encouraged to see continued recognition that child care programs need practical, flexible policies that work in real-world operations.

The Forum will continue monitoring implementation details across states and advocating for policies that support providers while protecting access to nutritious meals for children and adults served through CACFP.

It's official: whole milk is BACK in schools 🥛

Today, USDA issued the final rule implementing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. Schools and child nutrition providers can now once again offer whole and reduced-fat (2%) milk options to help our children grow, learn, and thrive.

🔗 https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/05/08/usda-implements-president-trumps-whole-milk-healthy-kids-act

05/04/2026

Coming out of the AHPC Conference with a clear message:

Awareness matters as much as policy.

AHPC and Capital Hill conversations highlighted that CACFP advocacy is most effective when it’s:

- Story‑driven and grounded in real child care settings
- Consistent across states and partners
- Focused on showing impact—not just explaining regulations

At the same time, USDA’s recent announcement regarding organizational changes reinforces the importance of transparency and clear communication for programs like CACFP. The Forum will continue working to understand these changes and to push for clarity so stakeholders know what they mean in practice.

Strong nutrition policy has to work in real programs, with the flexibility needed to support access and participation. That theme came through loud and clear.

04/27/2026

A highlight from Day 2 at the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference was celebrating Ellen Teller and her 40 years of leadership in child nutrition advocacy.

She hasn’t just been part of the conversation—she’s helped shape it, always focused on driving real, practical solutions.

The Forum is grateful for her guidance and expertise—we congratulate her on 40 incredible years… and she’s not done yet!

04/26/2026

Many of our Forum Board members are in DC, kicking off the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference today.

Excited to be part of this conversation alongside so many dedicated advocates working to strengthen programs that support children and families every day.

There’s real momentum right now around improving access to nutrition, and I’m looking forward to the discussions ahead—and the opportunity to turn ideas into meaningful action.

04/16/2026

Several board members spent the week at the National Child Nutrition Conference, listening to providers, advocates, and policymakers discuss the future of child nutrition. One thing is clear—there is real momentum right now.

There’s a lot of conversation about improving nutrition in child care and school settings—and that’s a good thing. As we push forward, it’s important to ground that conversation in reality.

Child nutrition programs like CACFP are already serving millions of children balanced, regulated, and nutritious meals every single day. Research consistently shows that children eat better on the days they are in care.

So yes—let’s continue to improve.And let’s also recognize and build on what is already working.

The path forward should strengthen these programs with the time, resources, and support needed to succeed—because improving nutrition and protecting access must go hand in hand.