Daycare menu and the CACFP
The USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimburses licensed home daycares for meals and snacks that meet its meal pattern. Family child care homes join through a sponsoring organization, plan menus with the required food groups, and record what they serve and who attended each day. Reimbursement rates are set each July and depend on whether you are Tier I or Tier II.
Meal pattern basics
| Meal | Components |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Milk, vegetable or fruit, grain (or meat/alternate a few times a week) |
| Lunch and supper | Milk, protein (meat or alternate), vegetable, fruit, grain |
| Snack | Two of the five components |
Rules include at least one whole grain-rich serving a day, no grain-based desserts counting toward the grain, a limit on juice, and unflavored milk for children aged 2 to 5. Infants have their own pattern. Your sponsor will give you the current details and menu templates.
Tier I and Tier II
- Tier I: your home is in a low-income area, or your own household income qualifies. Higher reimbursement for all meals.
- Tier II: lower rates, with Tier I rates for individual children whose families qualify.
Records you keep
- Daily menus with what was actually served
- Daily attendance and meal counts per child
- Enrollment forms for each child, renewed yearly
- Infant formula and food notes where required
Your sign-in sheet and meal counts should match. Sponsors visit homes and review records, and claims that don’t match attendance can be cut.
Taxes
CACFP reimbursements are business income for you, but food you serve to daycare children is a business expense. The IRS lets family child care providers use standard meal and snack rates instead of saving every grocery receipt, as long as you keep records of the meals served. See home daycare tax deductions.
Attendance that backs up your meal claims. Daycare Binder Pro records check-in and check-out times on your phone for every child, so your attendance matches your CACFP meal counts. Free printable sign-in sheets too. Pro is $12 a month.
Print a sign-in sheetQuestions
Do I have to join the CACFP?
No, it’s voluntary. It brings income and free training but adds menu and record-keeping requirements.
Can I claim meals for my own children?
Only in limited cases, generally if your household is Tier I by income and your own children are enrolled and participating with others.
Where do I find a sponsor?
Your state agency that runs the CACFP (often the education or health department) lists approved sponsors for family child care homes.
Checked against USDA Food and Nutrition Service CACFP guidance and IRS Rev. Proc. 2003-22, November 2026.