National CACFP Forum

08/26/2026

✨BOD Highlight: Gina began her career as a Family Child Care Provider and Pre-Kindergarten Teacher before joining Clarendon Early Education Services, Inc. 17 years ago.

She started with the organization as a Home Monitor and, through dedication and a passion for supporting early childhood nutrition programs, advanced to the role of Billing Specialist, where she continued to assist providers in successfully implementing the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

Today, she serve as the Director of Nutrition, overseeing the administration of CACFP meal reimbursement for more than 900 Family Child Care Providers, ensuring that over 6,000 children across Massachusetts receive nutritious meals each day.
In addition to her role at Clarendon Early Education Services, Inc., she has proudly served on the Board of Directors for the National CACFP Forum for more than four years.

In this capacity, she advocate for policies that strengthen and support Family Child Care Providers nationwide, helping to ensure equitable access to nutrition programs and resources for the children and families they serve.

08/12/2026

📢 Big changes could be coming to CACFP meal patterns, and you have a voice in shaping them.

Join us at the 35th Annual CACFP Conference for a session you won’t want to miss: “The Proposed Nutrition Rule: How to Make Your Voice Heard.” Forum and Roundtable leaders will break down what’s in the proposal, what it means for providers and sponsors, and how to write a public comment that actually gets heard.

The comment period won’t stay open forever — come prepared to make yours count. 🗣️

Register today!

📧 [email protected]
📞 (858) 449-3597

07/29/2026

📅 Save the Date!

Join us for the 35th Annual CACFP Conference!
🗓 October 26–28, 2026
📍 Loews Coronado Bay Resort | Coronado, CA

We're excited to gather with CACFP professionals from across the country for three days of learning, collaboration, and meaningful connections. Whether you're looking to expand your knowledge, discover innovative ideas, or network with colleagues who share your passion, this is an event you won't want to miss.

Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more conference updates. We can't wait to see you in Coronado!

Learn more and register: CACFP Conference website

07/13/2026

𝐁𝐎𝐃 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: ✨ Jodi Kuhn serves as President of the National CACFP Forum Board of Directors and is Director of Regulatory Compliance for KinderCare Learning Companies, where she oversees licensing and CACFP operations for more than 850 centers across 34 states.

With more than 20 years of experience in regulatory compliance, child nutrition, and early childhood education, Jodi is a passionate advocate for strengthening CACFP through collaboration, innovation, and practical policy. She has served on several national leadership initiatives, including the USDA Paperwork Reduction Workgroup and the Institute of Child Nutrition’s CACFP National Advisory Committee.

Jodi is committed to the Forum’s mission to Promote, Perfect, and Protect CACFP, helping ensure children have access to nutritious meals while supporting the providers and organizations that serve them.

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