On a Mission to Feed Children and Adults in Care

An important support and significant resource for providers is their CACFP sponsoring organization, which provides training, resources, and technical assistance to help providers successfully operate the CACFP and maintain compliance with program requirements. Hear from three outstanding CACFP sponsoring organizations about the work that they do with CACFP providers to ensure the children and adults in their care receive nutritious meals: The Caring People Alliance (PA), Food For Kids (NV), and Southwest Human Development Services (TX).

 

The Caring People Alliance oversees 22 family child care homes, eight child care centers, and two At-Risk Afterschool sites in and around Philadelphia. Caring People Alliance is committed to ensuring that providers have a great understanding of the CACFP and are able to request extra assistance from them when needed. A main goal of their organization is to ensure that providers in impoverished areas in Philadelphia are able to participate in the CACFP. The staff at Caring People Alliance recognize that children need nutritious food for healthy growth and that families in impoverished areas need assistance through the CACFP in providing those healthy meals. Rache Cross, Senior Director of CACFP at Caring People Alliance, is proud to continue to expand access to healthy meals to those in need, especially as poverty continues to increase in the Philadelphia area.

 

“A lot of parents want their children to receive healthy and nutritious meals, but just are not financially capable. In child care homes or centers where their children are enrolled, the CACFP allows children to be able to get a meal that they very well may not be able to get if they didn’t attend these types of programs,” said Cross.

 

Food For Kids oversees 12 adult care centers, 32 child care centers, and 93 family child care homes across Nevada. The staff at Food For Kids are passionate in their mission to make sure kids and adults across the state are fed nutritious meals. They believe that the CACFP helps providers with their businesses by sharing nutrition education resources and covering part of their food costs, which allows them to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables and enhance their meals. Alix Pasillas, Executive Director of Food For Kids, recognizes how big of an impact the CACFP can have on children and adults who are able to receive nutritious meals that they may not have access to otherwise. Food For Kids is on a mission to offer all providers in Nevada the opportunity to participate in CACFP.

 

“I feel like providers are offering a really great service to the families by being on the food program because families don’t have to worry about meals and it gives them peace of mind knowing that their kids were getting fed healthy nutritious meals throughout the day. They really appreciate that,” said Pasillas.

 

Southwest Human Development Services oversees over 850 family child care homes across Texas. The organization was created to fill a gap in service after many family child care homes were left without a sponsoring organization in south Texas. As an organization, they provide a lot of support, technology, and training for their staff and their providers to do their jobs effectively. The staff understands that the CACFP helps to create a healthier population of children who have learned to eat a variety of foods, had consistency in their diets, and are ready for school. Blake Stanford, President of Southwest Human Development Services, believes that the CACFP is not only a nutrition program, but also a public health program as it helps children meet all of their developmental markers.

 

“Nutritionally, the children are getting higher quality meals through CACFP which is related to health and brain development and all of those developmental markers for kids. I believe that makes the CACFP a public health program. It’s not just a nutrition program, It’s a public health program,” said Stanford.

 

Each of these organizations are devoted to supporting providers and getting nutritious meals to children and adults. Without sponsoring organizations, family child care providers would not have access to the financial reimbursement of the CACFP or the many other benefits of the program. Sponsoring organizations play a vital role in reducing food insecurity across the country.

 

Read more about the great work of Caring People Alliance, Food For Kids, and Southwest Human Development Services.