Are you interested in joining the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)? Check out the CACFP Overview (Spanish) (Hmong) for more information and to learn about the types of facilities or institutions that may participate.
Programs that want to join must be open and operating for at least one full month and meet one of the following requirements:
- Licensed Programs: Have an active and current license with the Department of Children and Families
- Programs Exempt from Licensing: Meet local/state health and safety standards
The following information will be required as part of the application process to determine if the program meets minimum eligibility requirements:
- Legal name of organization (refer to IRS documentation)
- Organization type: For-Profit, Private Non-Profit, or Public/Tribal
- Private Non-Profit: must have Federal tax-exempt status 501(c)3 under the Internal Revenue System (IRS).
- Public: must be part of an entity recognized as "public" by the State or Federal Government. This includes public schools, public universities and technical colleges, and Indian reservations.
- For Profit:
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Child Care Component: at least 25% of children enrolled or 25% licensed capacity (whichever is less) must receive W-2 Child Care Assistance (Title XX) or be eligible for free or reduced prices meals.
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Adult Care Component: at least 25% of enrolled eligible adults are Title XIX or Title XX beneficiaries.
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- Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) of organization (refer to IRS documentation)
- DPI Agency Code (if applicable): School Food Authority (SFA) or other organization currently participating in another child nutrition program, or that has participated in a child nutrition program in the past, must provide the DPI assigned agency code
- Unique Enitity Identifier (UEI). Refer to the UEI Guidance Manual for guidance on accessing or obtaining a UEI through SAM.gov.
Ready to take the next step? Complete the Join the CACFP E-Learning Course for an overview of the CACFP New Agency Application Process. Upon completion of the course, the program will receive access to the CACFP New Agency Information Form, which may be submitted to the DPI to determine and contact eligible agencies.