(TRENTON) – New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) Secretary Ed Wengryn is excited to announce the Department’s continued partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). This program provides reimbursement for well-balanced, nutritious meals served to individuals enrolled in adult and child day care centers, family day care homes (FDCH), after school programs, emergency shelters, and head start programs. CACFP federal funding is provided from the USDA and paid to Program Operators through an agreement with the NJDA, based on monthly claims submitted.

Example of locations that have used CACFP to run successful feeding programs include Wishing Well Adult Day Health Care Center and Rainbow Children’s Medical Day Care each in Mercer County, Programs for Parents in Essex County, Circle of Friends in Union County, Acelero Learning Monmouth/Middlesex Inc., and Ocean Inc. Child Development Center in Ocean County.

The CACFP is available to public, private nonprofit, and for-profit organizations providing licensed or registered for non-residential day care services. Such organizations include adult care, childcare, FDCH 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 percent of the total participants who are receiving non-residential care, or 25 percent of their participants qualify for free or reduced-price meal benefits.

The seven steps to CACFP Application Approval are:

1. Outreach Survey – are you eligible to participate?
2. Pre-Registration – are your business requirements in order?
3. Training – complete all required online CACFP training sessions
4. Gain Agreement Number – access to online Application
5. Complete Online Application Required Records
6. Pre-Approval Visit – observation of CACFP operation
7. Final Approval – when steps 1 – 6 are completed and approved

If you are interested in applying contact NJDA CACFP NJCACFPCommunication@ag.nj.gov  or call (609)-984-1250.

You can begin by completing the NJDA CACFP Outreach and Eligibility Tool.

Following are the Reimbursement Rates for the period from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025:

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audio, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to the USDA and provide in the letter all the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to the USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov

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