Child and Adult Care Food Program Promotes Health and Wellbeing of All New Yorkers
Department of Health Receives More Than $248 Million to Support Healthy Meal Assistance Program
ALBANY, N.Y. (March 18, 2021) - The New York State Department of Health today announced that it received more than $248 million in federal funds to support the State's robust Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The Child and Adult Care Food Program is a nutrition education and meal reimbursement program helping providers serve nutritious and safely prepared meals and snacks to children and adults in day care settings.
"The Department's Child and Adult Care Food Program is an important resource for New Yorkers, helping families across the state obtain free, healthy meals and is consistent with our Health Across All Policies initiative,"said New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker." The federal funding announced today supports and enhances our effort to continue this invaluable program for people throughout the state who depend on these services."
Currently, more than 1,390 sponsoring organizations representing 13,500 licensed or registered center-based or family day care sites participate in CACFP statewide. On average, day care providers serve approximately 542,500 meals to children and adults at CACFP-participating facilities in New York State each day. In 2019, New York received more than $248 million in federal USDA funds for this program.
Participating programs include:
- Childcare centers, including Head Start centers and outside school hours programs serving children up to 12 years of age;
- Community-based adult day care centers that are approved by federal, state or local authorities to provide day care services to adults with disabilities;
- After-school programs providing educational or enrichment programming for children up to 19 years of age;
- Homeless shelters providing meals to children living with a parent or guardian; and
- Family day care programs including licensed, registered and legally exempt home-based caregivers serving children up to 12 years of age.
The level of support for free or reduced-price meals is based on household income as follows:
INCOME ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR CENTER-BASED CARE
(Effective July 1, 2020 until June 30, 2021)
| HOUSEHOLD SIZE | FREE MEALS | REDUCED-PRICE MEALS |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YEAR | MONTH | WEEK | YEAR | MONTH | WEEK | ||
| 1 | 16,588 | 1,383 | 319 | 23,606 | 1,968 | 454 | |
| 2 | 22,412 | 1,868 | 431 | 31,894 | 2,658 | 614 | |
| 3 | 28,236 | 2,353 | 543 | 40,182 | 3,349 | 773 | |
| 4 | 34,060 | 2,839 | 655 | 48,470 | 4,040 | 933 | |
| 5 | 39,884 | 3,324 | 767 | 56,758 | 4,730 | 1,092 | |
| 6 | 45,708 | 3,809 | 879 | 65,046 | 5,421 | 1,251 | |
| 7 | 51,532 | 4,295 | 991 | 73,334 | 6,112 | 1,411 | |
| 8 | 57,356 | 4,780 | 1,103 | 81,622 | 6,802 | 1,570 | |
| FOR EACH ADDITIONAL FAMILY MEMBER |
+5,824 | +486 | +112 | +8,288 | +691 | +160 | |
A list of the participating programs may be obtained at https://health.data.ny.gov/Health/Child-and-Adult-Care-Food-Program-Participation/dmn7-mpa8 or by calling the New York State Health Department (NYSDOH) at (800) 942-3858.
CACFP is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and continues New York's commitment to promote the health and well-being of its residents. All children and adults who attend programs that participate in CACFP receive the same meals at no separate charge. There is no physical segregation of, or other discriminatory action against, any child or adult attending a CACFP-participating program because of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, 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: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of 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 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.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
