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Today, Lindsay Datlow, PhD, RD, Senior Vice President, Caprock Strategies and Jodi Kuhn, Director of Regulatory Compliance Kindercare, Learning Companies and President of the National CACFP Forum, joined us for our first introductory session as we unpack and get ready to use our experiences and public voice as the administration considers changes to the CACFP meal pattern through the proposed rule-making process. Thank you, Lindsay and Jodi, for volunteering your time to help

Register Now for Growing Our Voice: Powering Up on the Proposed USDA Meal Pattern Rule. Growing Our Voice is a recurring learning series designed by the CACFP Roundtable to help our community understand, navigate, and confidently respond to the anticipated proposed rule that will change the meal pattern for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Each session will focus on easily digestible information to help us understand the commenting process, share what we hear is

Updated: 5/21/2026 with California CDSS CACFP Branch email addressing whole milk. Final Rule about Whole Milk USDA published the final rule "Expanding Fluid Milk Options in Child Nutrition Programs" last week. The rule becomes effective on June 8, 2026. This rule sets regulations around the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act and alignment with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act expands fluid milk options in the National School Lun

USDA FNS published a Request for Information (RFI) in regard to the “Opportunities, Challenges, and Emerging Areas in Statistical Data, Analysis, and Research at the U.S Department of Agriculture This RFI asks for feedback in regard to the data that comes out of the Economic Research Service (ERS), the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS), and the World Agricultural Outlook Board (OCE-WAOB). As it relates to CACFP, ERS, is the “Recognized Statistical Agency and Uni

Updated 2/5/2026 The government reopened on February 3, 2026, when a bi-partisan funding bill was passed and signed by President Trump. Members of Congress took out the funding of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as there was wide disagreement about increasing funding for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). DHS is flat-funded for the next two weeks as Members of Congress in both chambers attempt to come to an agreement about ICE funding and rules. The

Yesterday, President Trump signed into law the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025. This law amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The change allows whole milk to be served in schools, along with reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free flavored and unflavored milk. It can be organic or not organic. This bill also allows for parents to provide a written statement for a milk substitute. Previously, it was only allowed by a written statement from a licensed phy

In 2025, we saw some proposed policy changes, actual policy changes, and some implementation changes for the CACFP. I wanted to take a moment and circle back to put it all in one place and update you about what did or did not take place. We'll also take a quick look at what is happening now at the federal level. Longest Government Shutdown in History in 2025, will there be another? Last fall, we experienced the longest government shutdown in history. Congress passed a continu

Dietary Guidelines for Americans Every five years, since 1980, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) publish a report called the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This report is issued to help guide policy that impacts nutrition policy. It is also meant to guide doctors and the public about healthy ways to consume meals, snacks, and beverages. The Center for Science in Public Interest has an informational website about