PHL Child Nutrition Fund
The Philadelphia Child Nutrition Fund (PHL-CNF) offers resources to organizations working to expand the availability of fresh and nutritious food to children through federal child nutrition programs in Philadelphia.
It’s CACFP Week!
Access to nutritious meals is vital for the success of our children’s development. Let’s come together to support educators and caregivers in providing healthy, fresh foods for our youngest minds. Here’s how you can support CACFP:
- Sign the petition to expand the Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act.
- Learn more about how CACFP brings healthy foods to tables across the country for children in child care centers, homes, and afterschool programs as well as adults in day care.
- Hear from providers in our upcoming insight story series and join the conversation by following our Instagram @reinvestfund.
- Start a program like the PHL-CNF!
Announcing the 2024 Grantees!
At the start of 2024, Reinvestment Fund, through the continued support of the William Penn Foundation, made 83 grants to childcare providers throughout Philadelphia. These grants represent a total of $400,000 invested into the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) participants.
Grants were awarded to 6 Childcare Centers and 77 Home-based Childcare Programs. This investment will help deliver over 10,000 meals weekly to children in Philadelphia. Nutritious meals are key to supporting the development of children, Reinvestment Fund is thankful to support childcare providers in ensuring all children have access to nutritious meals.
CACFP in Philadelphia Conversations with an Expert
Reinvestment Fund staff invited National CACFP Expert and Consultant, Alana Jones of Hope Wellness Solutions for a discussion on CACFP in Philadelphia. Watch the recorded webinars below.
CACFP Conversation: Home-Based Childcare Participants
recording.
CACFP Conversations: Center-Based Childcare Participants
recording.
CACFP Conversations: “Myths and Rumors” Answering Questions from Providers not in CACFP
recording.
Childcare Map Persistent High-Need Neighborhoods
High-need neighborhoods were identified as areas with clusters of high family poverty rates and consistent lack of access to licensed childcare on CC Map over the past seven years. This analysis identified eleven high-need zip codes: 19120, 19123, 19124, 19131, 19132, 19133, 19139, 19140, 19141, 19142, and 19151. Please review this map for further details.
Child Care Meals
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal child nutrition program available to help child care centers and home-based providers serve nutritious meals in their programs. Providers who participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) receive federal reimbursement for breakfast, lunch, snack and supper meals.
Check back for more information about new resources.
Program History
PHL Home-Based Child Care CACFP Grants – February 2022
In early 2022, PHLCNF awarded 160 grants totaling $400,000 to Family and Group Child Care providers in Philadelphia who participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The awards helped 22 of these providers newly enroll in CACFP.
PHL Child Care Center CACFP Grants Program – June 2022
In summer 2022, PHLCNF awarded 72 grants totaling $360,000 to Licensed Child Care Centers in Philadelphia to support a variety of needs connected to operating a CACFP meal program, including kitchen equipment (such as deep freezers or refrigerators), the cost of food, and labor for preparing and serving meals.
Philadelphia Child Care Center New– CACFP–Sponsor Coaching Program (West/Southwest Pilot)
Beginning in summer 2022, a cohort of childcare providers from west and southwest Philadelphia have been receiving coaching from Hope Wellness Solutions to become a newly enrolled sponsor of CACFP. Through this initiative, providers receive coaching to prepare their business to meet the application and ongoing CACFP requirements so that they can be a successful sponsor. Providers also received flexible grants of up to $10,000 or more to support the implementation of their CACFP program.
As an approved CACFP sponsor:
· Centers are provided with reimbursement funding to help your center serve healthy food.
· Centers buy and serve healthy meals and/or snacks, keep track of what is served, then request reimbursement on a monthly basis.
This pilot program is currently closed to new applicants.