Children and adults enrolled in day care facilities may be eligible for free meals through the Child and Adult Care Food Program, according to New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Joe Atchison.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program is a federally funded program that reimburses sponsoring agencies that provide healthy meals and snacks at no charge to children and adults enrolled in licensed or approved day care facilities or family day care homes.

Meals are available at no separate charge to all enrolled participants in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and are served without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program meal reimbursement funding is provided from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and paid to Sponsoring Organizations through an agreement with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (state agency), based on monthly claims submitted.

Sponsoring Organizations are eligible public, private nonprofit, and for-profit organizations providing licensed or registered for non-residential day care services.

Such organizations include adult care, childcare, Family Day Care Home Sponsors, afterschool programs, schools, foodbanks, and city government organizations including organizations providing day care services for children with disabilities and/or special health care needs.

For-profit centers may qualify if they receive compensation under Title XX/XIX of the Social Security Act for at least 25% of the total participants who are receiving non-residential care, or 25% of their child participants qualify for free or reduced-price meal benefits.

Facilities and organizations nterested in applying to CACFP can complete the NJDA CACFP Outreach and Eligibility Tool.

Following are the Income Eligibility Guidelines used in determining eligibility for free- and reduced-price meals for the period from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024: