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Federal Program Provides Resources for Feeding Children and Youth in Shelters: The Child and Adult Care Food Program

History/Purpose
The Child and Adult Care Food Program provides nutritious meals and snacks to children and youth in homeless, runaway, and domestic violence shelters. The 2004 Child Nurtition Program Reauthorization raised the maximum age for eligibility to eighteen years of age. The program was extended to homeless and domestic violence shelters as part of the 1998 Child Nutrition Program Reauthorization. The State Child and Adult Care Food Program agency, generally located in the State Department of Education, administers the program for shelters.

Benefits/ Participation
The program provides reimbursements for food and meal preparation costs and technical assistance in meeting the program's requirements. In October of 2003, the Child and Adult Care Food Program was used in 292 homeless shelters to serve nearly 5,208 children each night. The number of children and youth participating in the program is expected to increase significantly as the new program is fully implementated in all states.

Eligibility
Shelters participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program are reimbursed for meals and snacks served to children age 18 and under. Families are not asked to prove their income. Instead, the shelters receive a full reimbursement for each child and youth who is eligible under the age criteria.

Funding
This program can bring significant resources into often very limited shelter budgets. Participating shelters receive $1.23 for each breakfast, $2.24 for each lunch or supper and 61 cents for each snack. For each child served, shelters can receive food program reimbursement for up to three meals or two meals and one snack each day. Shelters also receive commodities or a "cash-in-lieu" of commodities reimbursement of 17 cents for each lunch or supper.