CACFP for Family Child Care

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimburses day care homes for a maximum of two meals and one snack or one meal and two snacks per day per child 12 years of age or younger. Minnesota currently has nine nonprofit family child care sponsoring organizations that administer CACFP. Sponsors are responsible for recruiting, training, monitoring and reimbursing family child care providers. Information about Family Child Care Home (CACFP) sponsors, including links to their websites, are located on this page. Visit the USDA website for access to memoranda related to this program.

The Cyber-Linked Interactive Child Nutrition System (CLiCS) Administration page includes forms to obtain a new sponsor ID, site IDs and user IDs. New sponsors must complete and submit all application materials before receiving a CLiCS User ID.

Required nondiscrimination statement: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.)

If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.

Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish).

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Notice of Request for Federal Waiver
Licensed family child care providers may participate in the federal CACFP and receive reimbursements for nutritious meals served to enrolled children. The definition of “day care home” in the federal regulations for CACFP (7 Code of Federal Regulations Part 226) requires that child care services must be provided in a private home in order to be eligible to participate in the program. However, Minnesota’s Human Services Licensing law (Minn. Stat. § 245A.14, subd. 4) allows some family child care providers to provide family child care services in a nonresidential setting, for example, a commercial space. Family child care providers with this type of license currently are not eligible to participate in the CACFP because the child care services are not provided in a private home.

MDE is submitting a request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to waive the portion of the definition of “day care home” in federal regulations that requires the family child care services to be provided “in a private home.” If the waiver is granted, family child care providers in Minnesota who provide licensed family child care services in a nonresidential setting according to conditions set forth in Minn. Stat. § 245A.14, subd. 4 will be eligible to participate in the CACFP.

If you have any questions about the waiver request, or to request a copy, contact us.

Program Regulations
Current Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) related to this program are available on the U.S. Government Printing Office website:


  • Copyright 2012
  • Minnesota Department of Education