Child and Adult Care Food Program · District of Columbia
District of Columbia CACFP — State Agency, Sponsor Requirements, and Meal Pattern Overview
District of Columbia participates in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) under USDA Food and Nutrition Service rules. The program is administered locally by Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Wellness and Nutrition Services. Below is the current state agency contact, what sponsoring organizations need to know before applying, and a summary of the USDA meal patterns every site in District of Columbia must follow.
District of Columbia CACFP State Agency
- Agency
- Office of the State Superintendent of Education
- Division
- Wellness and Nutrition Services
- Phone
- (202) 727-6436
- Official CACFP page
- https://osse.dc.gov/service/child-and-adult-care-food-program-cacfp
- FNS Region
- Mid-Atlantic Regional Office — USDA FNS Mid-Atlantic
Who Can Participate in CACFP in District of Columbia
Any public or private nonprofit organization operating one of the following in District of Columbia may apply to OSSE to become a CACFP sponsor or independent center:
- Child care centers — licensed centers serving infants through age 12.
- Family day care homes — licensed homes operating under an approved District of Columbia sponsoring organization.
- Head Start and Early Head Start programs federally funded to serve low-income preschoolers.
- At-risk afterschool programs in area-eligible District of Columbia neighborhoods, serving suppers and snacks to children through age 18.
- Emergency shelters serving children and youth experiencing homelessness.
- Outside-school-hours care for school-age children before or after school.
- Adult day care centers operating non-residential programs for functionally impaired or older adults.
How to Apply as a District of Columbia CACFP Sponsor
- Confirm you meet federal eligibility under 7 CFR 226 and any additional District of Columbia state licensing or nonprofit status requirements.
- Review the sponsor application packet published on the OSSE CACFP page.
- Complete the required sponsor training. In District of Columbia, training is delivered directly by OSSE and includes meal pattern, civil rights, recordkeeping, and financial management modules.
- Submit the sponsor application along with your management plan, budget, outside employment policy, and any required licenses to OSSE.
- Pass the pre-approval visit and enter into the sponsor agreement. Once approved you may begin claiming meals served according to the USDA CACFP meal pattern.
USDA CACFP Meal Patterns Used in District of Columbia
Every CACFP site in District of Columbia — whether a family day care home, child care center, Head Start, or adult day care — serves meals that meet the federal CACFP meal pattern. The pattern is age-specific. Pick your age group below for the full requirement table and minimum serving sizes.
Infants Birth through 5 Months
0-5 months · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
Infants 6 through 11 Months
6-11 months · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
Children Ages 1-2
1-2 · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
Children Ages 3-5
3-5 · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
Children Ages 6-12
6-12 · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
Children Ages 13-18 (At-Risk Afterschool Only)
13-18 · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
Adult Participants
Adults · Breakfast, lunch/supper, snack
District of Columbia State Agency Monitoring and Reviews
OSSE conducts CACFP administrative reviews at least every three years for all sponsors it oversees in District of Columbia, as required by 7 CFR 226.6(m). These reviews cover meal counts, meal pattern compliance, civil rights, recordkeeping, claims accuracy, and financial management.
Sponsors in District of Columbia are also required to monitor each of their child care or day care home facilities three times per year, with at least two of those reviews unannounced and one including a meal service observation.
Need summer meals in District of Columbia?
CACFP covers year-round care. When school is out, District of Columbia sponsors often also run the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or sun-meals non-congregate service. See the District of Columbia SFSP state page for the state agency and summer meal rules.
Build compliant CACFP menus for your District of Columbia site
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