Government Shutdown and CACFP

If you are subscribed to any emails or watch the news, you most likely know that the government has officially shut down in response to Congress's failure to pass an agreement to fund the federal government.

How does this impact the Child and Adult Care Food Program? There should be no immediate impact on CACFP reimbursements or operations in the short term. USDA's Lapse of Funding Plan states that:

• Funding is available to reimburse schools and the CACFP for meals served in September and October

• There will be federal employees who will not be immediately furloughed to support program operations

The School Nutrition Association has an FAQ that explains a little bit more about the shutdown, and CACFP is grouped with the Child Nutrition Programs in the USDA plan, which is a good indicator that what happens with the National School Lunch Program, will happen with CACFP.

We'll be keeping an eye on this and updating as necessary, but for now, keep on keeping on and enjoy your meals with the children.

Additional Partner and Program News and Resources:

• Afterschool Alliance

• Children's Funding Project (What does a shut down mean? Why does it happen? How it impacts children and youth.)

• National Head Start Associations, Government Shut Downs: Why do they Happen and How to Prepare

• First Five Years Fund, State of Play: Federal Shutdown and Child Care/Early Learning Programs

• Head Start Link Tree Resources from Early Start

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