Food Program

Serving Johnson County in Iowa

4Cs is the local sponsor of the Child Care Food Program in Johnson County (Iowa), a program of the USDA department of Food and Nutrition Services. The goal of the program is to reward child care providers for giving children in their care balanced, nutritious meals. Participants agree to serve nutritious meals and attend at least one 4Cs nutrition workshop per year. In return, participants are partially reimbursed for up to two meals and a snack per child per day. 4cs includes participation in the CACFP when making referrals to parents. There are two tiers of reimbursement, based on income. Providers of all income levels are encouraged to participate in the program.

An Economic Stimulus

The Child and Adult Care Food Program federal funds provide an economic stimulus from the federal government as the money flows directly into the economy to buy food and pay for food service labor. It also helps to sustain child care providers through this economic downturn.

A Financial Resource

CACFP is a key source of financial support for child care in family child care homes. Last year, over three quarters of a billion dollars in food program funds were expended in states to serve an average of nearly a million children in family child care homes each working day. The funding comes without any state match requirement and with separate federally funded state administrative funds. On the small business level, the food program can provide up to $4,500 a year for a family child care home serving six children.

A Hidden Asset

Unfortunately, many child care providers do not know about the CACFP. Nationally, only about half of the eligible child care homes participate. There is an enormous potential for increasing the use of this resource. For each additional 1,200 children participating in the program, up to one million dollars in reimbursements will be injected into the state economy.

For more information contact Traci Miller, the 4Cs Food Program coordinator at 319-338-7684. For information about the Food Program in other parts of Iowa call Rod Bakken at 515-281-4760 or Suzanne Secor at 515-281-3744.

Rates of Reimbursment effective 7/1/2007