Child and Adult Care Food Program

$3.0 Billion committed in FY2018–FY2026

Agency: Food and Nutrition Service, Agriculture, Department of
Assistance: Formula Grants
CFDA number: 10.558
What it does: To assist States, through grants-in-aid and other means, to initiate and maintain nonprofit food service programs for children and elderly or impaired adults enrolled in nonresidential day care facilities, children attending afterschool care programs in low-income areas, and children residing in emergency shelters. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) operates CACFP in partnership with State administering agencies to provide aid to child and adult care sponsoring organizations, centers, and day care homes for the provision of nutritious foods that contribute to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children, and the health and wellness of older adults and chronically impaired disabled persons. Funds are also made available to the States for expenses associated with CACFP administration.
Who benefits: Approved institutions providing nonresidential day care services may participate in CACFP. Eligible public and nonprofit private organizations may include day care centers, outside-school-hours care centers, family day care homes, and Head Start programs. Private for-profit centers may also participate if at least 25 percent of the children in care (enrolled or licensed capacity, whichever is less) are eligible for free or reduced price school meals or receive benefits under Title XX of the Social Security Act. Also eligible for participation are nonprofit centers which provide nonresidential adult day care, and private for-profit centers if the center receives compensation under Title XIX of the Social Security Act or Title XX, and at least 25 percent of the adults enrolled in the center receive benefits under Title XIX, Title XX, or a combination of both. Emergency shelters which provide shelter and meals to children experiencing homelessness and at-risk after school care programs in low-income areas are also eligible. Any eligible institution may participate in CACFP upon request with State agency approval.
Who applies: The State or U.S. Territory agency applies for and signs an agreement with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to administer the Program and receive Federal funds for disbursement. The State agency enters into an agreement with each institution that has been approved for participation. The agreement is permanent and may be amended as necessary to ensure compliance with all Federal requirements. Institutions must agree to operate a nonprofit food service that is available to all eligible children and adult participants regardless of race, sex, color, national origin, age, or disability. Refer to the USDA Civil Rights page for current information. Currently available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/civil-rights
Authorized by: Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, Sections 9, 11, 14, 16 and 17, as amended, 89 Stat. 522-525, 42 U.S.C. 1758, 1759a, 1762a, 1765 and 1766.
Program site: http://fns.usda.gov ↗

Committed by fiscal year

* FY2026 is year-to-date — the fiscal year is still in progress, so its total is still filling in. The striped band and dashed line mark that provisional stretch.

Top recipients

By dollars committed.

How to read these numbers

Committed through this program: Money committed under this assistance listing (its CFDA program), counted in the year each action happened.
How it's paid: Most programs pay out one way — a grant, or a direct payment to individuals; the flow bar only appears when a program genuinely mixes types.
Some recipients aren't itemized: For entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, the government reports one aggregate instead of naming tens of millions of people, so the recipient roster isn't part of the public record.
Awards, counted once: An award count is the number of distinct awards with at least one action that year — each counted once, however many times it was amended.
The colored bars: Every bar on this page splits by how the money moves:
Direct payments

Source

USAspending.gov ↗

Child and Adult Care Food Program

$3.0 Billion committed in FY2018–FY2026

Agency: Food and Nutrition Service, Agriculture, Department of
Assistance: Formula Grants
CFDA number: 10.558
What it does: To assist States, through grants-in-aid and other means, to initiate and maintain nonprofit food service programs for children and elderly or impaired adults enrolled in nonresidential day care facilities, children attending afterschool care programs in low-income areas, and children residing in emergency shelters. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) operates CACFP in partnership with State administering agencies to provide aid to child and adult care sponsoring organizations, centers, and day care homes for the provision of nutritious foods that contribute to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children, and the health and wellness of older adults and chronically impaired disabled persons. Funds are also made available to the States for expenses associated with CACFP administration.
Who benefits: Approved institutions providing nonresidential day care services may participate in CACFP. Eligible public and nonprofit private organizations may include day care centers, outside-school-hours care centers, family day care homes, and Head Start programs. Private for-profit centers may also participate if at least 25 percent of the children in care (enrolled or licensed capacity, whichever is less) are eligible for free or reduced price school meals or receive benefits under Title XX of the Social Security Act. Also eligible for participation are nonprofit centers which provide nonresidential adult day care, and private for-profit centers if the center receives compensation under Title XIX of the Social Security Act or Title XX, and at least 25 percent of the adults enrolled in the center receive benefits under Title XIX, Title XX, or a combination of both. Emergency shelters which provide shelter and meals to children experiencing homelessness and at-risk after school care programs in low-income areas are also eligible. Any eligible institution may participate in CACFP upon request with State agency approval.
Who applies: The State or U.S. Territory agency applies for and signs an agreement with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to administer the Program and receive Federal funds for disbursement. The State agency enters into an agreement with each institution that has been approved for participation. The agreement is permanent and may be amended as necessary to ensure compliance with all Federal requirements. Institutions must agree to operate a nonprofit food service that is available to all eligible children and adult participants regardless of race, sex, color, national origin, age, or disability. Refer to the USDA Civil Rights page for current information. Currently available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/civil-rights
Authorized by: Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, Sections 9, 11, 14, 16 and 17, as amended, 89 Stat. 522-525, 42 U.S.C. 1758, 1759a, 1762a, 1765 and 1766.
Program site: http://fns.usda.gov ↗