Most CACFP sponsors know that enrollment paperwork takes time. Collecting forms, chasing signatures, verifying income, tracking expirations — it’s a constant cycle that stretches staff thin, especially during peak enrollment periods. But here’s what often goes unspoken: the biggest cost of paper-based enrollment isn’t the labor. It’s the reimbursement that quietly disappears when documentation is
Whether you run a center or a family child care home, you need recipes that come together fast and fit the CACFP meal pattern. Here are four easy summer favorites — three lunches and a breakfast — that check both boxes. All four are scalable, with crediting mapped to ages 3–5. Confirm your exact portion
If you run a childcare center that accepts subsidies, the program itself is the part you signed up for. Helping the families who need childcare. Caring for the kids. Building something that matters. The part nobody tells you about is the recordkeeping that surrounds it. Attendance is captured in one place. Billing happens in another
Running a childcare center is two jobs. There’s the work with the children — the part you signed up for. And there’s the work behind the work: pickup signatures, parent communication, invoices, payments, expense tracking, and the recordkeeping that has to hold up year after year. Parachute is built for that second job. The business
Spring is here — and so is a whole new lineup of fresh, affordable produce. If your menus still look like January, now is the perfect time for a quick refresh. Here’s how to do it in KidKare, fast. Step 1: Pick Your Swaps You don’t need to overhaul everything. Start by swapping 3–5 winter
Every meal logged. Every lesson planned. Every scraped knee bandaged, every tear wiped, every small victory celebrated. Childcare providers do this work day in and day out — and most of the time, no one is watching. Provider Appreciation Day (Friday, May 8) is the one day a year dedicated to making sure they know
Every Kid Healthy Week (April 20–24) is a national celebration created by Action for Healthy Kids that highlights the connection between nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and learning. Each day of the week shines a spotlight on the actions that programs and families are taking to improve the health and wellness of their kids. And if you’re
Family childcare providers are the heart of their communities, creating nurturing environments where children feel safe, supported, and inspired to learn. We love celebrating the dedication, professionalism, and creativity that providers bring to their programs every day. Today, we’re excited to introduce Miss Pam, a family childcare provider in Illinois and the creator behind @misspamslovinglearners on TikTok, where
Not every finding during a CACFP monitoring review leads to a serious deficiency declaration. State agencies have discretion, and many minor issues can be resolved through technical assistance. But some findings are so significant—or so frequently repeated—that they cross the line into serious deficiency territory. In January 2026, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service outlined specific
In January 2026, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service held its first webinar in a new training series focused exclusively on the serious deficiency process in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. The message from FNS leadership was unmistakable: program integrity is a top priority in 2026, and the serious deficiency process is the primary tool
