The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides reimbursement for nutritious meals and snacks served to children across New York in eligible childcare and afterschool programs. CACFP Ambassadors Elaine Reynolds and Tracy Sullivan share how this vital nutrition program supports students at Schenectady and Sandy Creek School Districts.
Elaine Reynolds, Food Service Manager at Schenectady City School District, reports that students in afterschool programs across 17 buildings—elementary through high school—access afterschool meals throughout the school year. Students attend enrichment programs like music, performing arts, gardening, and more. Depending on the programs in session, the district provides around 250–1000 meals and snacks to students each week through CACFP.
“CACFP allows us to provide our students who stay after school with a nutritious, well-balanced snack and hot dinner with their peers and adults who provide support and community that they may not receive if they were not in afterschool programs.”
Elaine notes: “For dinner, chicken parm is an all-time favorite.”
Tracy Sullivan, Food Service Manager at Sandy Creek Central School District, states that CACFP Afterschool Meals gives parents “peace of mind” knowing that students receive meals and snacks before getting on the bus to head home. Sandy Creek High School distributes around 400 meals each week to students attending afterschool enrichment activities. Suppers at Sandy Creek Central School District may include taco salad, pizza, subs, and more. Notable favorites among students include ravioli lasagna and chicken tenders with cheesy broccoli.
“This program has relieved stress for our parents…”
Pizzas at Sandy Creek CSD
Afterschool meals are provided at no cost to families. Hot or cold meals may be offered for supper.
To be eligible, afterschool programs must be located in an area where 50% or more students are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and provide an enrichment component. Programming can be tailored to meet the needs of students and schools. CACFP reimburses programs that serve afterschool meals at the “free” rate.
Eligible afterschool programs should apply for CACFP through the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), the state agency that administers CACFP. Programs can screen for eligibility through the NYSDOH CACFP Prescreening Tool. Schools that currently serve an afterschool snack through NSLP may already meet the requirements for CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals. School districts participating in NSLP work with the NYS State Education Department (NYSED), the administering state agency for school lunch and breakfast.
As a provider who works with both NYSDOH and NYSED, Tracy shared an interesting perspective that CACFP provides a unique opportunity for professional development as CACFP requires different paperwork and reporting compared to NSLP.
To implement a successful afterschool meal program, Elaine recommends seeking input from students about the types of foods they are interested in eating. Food service professionals can survey students about menu options, put up flyers, and work with afterschool program operators to ensure students are aware of the opportunity to access additional nutrition afterschool.
Want to learn more or have questions about getting started?
Email Kayla.Snyder@HungerSolutionsNY.org or visit AfterschoolMealsNY.org.
