Child and Adult Care Food Program · Louisiana
Louisiana CACFP — State Agency, Sponsor Requirements, and Meal Pattern Overview
Louisiana participates in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) under USDA Food and Nutrition Service rules. The program is administered locally by Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Nutrition Support. 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 Louisiana must follow.
Louisiana CACFP State Agency
- Agency
- Louisiana Department of Education
- Division
- Division of Nutrition Support
- Phone
- (877) 453-2721
- Official CACFP page
- https://doe.louisiana.gov/offices/nutrition-support/child-and-adult-care-food-program
- FNS Region
- Southwest Regional Office — USDA FNS Southwest
Who Can Participate in CACFP in Louisiana
Any public or private nonprofit organization operating one of the following in Louisiana may apply to LDOE 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 Louisiana sponsoring organization.
- Head Start and Early Head Start programs federally funded to serve low-income preschoolers.
- At-risk afterschool programs in area-eligible Louisiana 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 Louisiana CACFP Sponsor
- Confirm you meet federal eligibility under 7 CFR 226 and any additional Louisiana state licensing or nonprofit status requirements.
- Review the sponsor application packet published on the LDOE CACFP page.
- Complete the required sponsor training. In Louisiana, training is delivered directly by LDOE 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 LDOE.
- 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 Louisiana
Every CACFP site in Louisiana — 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
Louisiana State Agency Monitoring and Reviews
LDOE conducts CACFP administrative reviews at least every three years for all sponsors it oversees in Louisiana, 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
CACFP covers year-round care. When school is out, Louisiana sponsors often also run the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or sun-meals non-congregate service. See the Louisiana SFSP state page for the state agency and summer meal rules.
Build compliant CACFP menus for your Louisiana site
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