The New York State Child and Adult Care Food Program
CACFP Receives Annual Funding to Support and Enhance Meals and Snacks Served to Thousands of Children and Adults Every Day
In 2025 the Department Received More than $291 Million in Federal Funds for the Program
Albany, N.Y. (July 1, 2026) – The New York State Department of Health is highlighting New York's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). All children and adults who attend programs that participate in CACFP receive the same meals at no separate charge. This work continues New York's commitment to promote the health and well-being of its residents.
"The Child and Adult Care Food Program plays a vital role in ensuring thousands of New York families have access to healthy, nutritious meals," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "By supporting children and adults with reliable access to nourishing food, this program helps improve health outcomes and advances our commitment to building healthier, more equitable communities across the state."
Currently, 1,258 sponsoring organizations representing 13,441 licensed or registered center-based or family day care sites participate in CACFP statewide. On average, day care providers serve approximately 455,000 meals per day to children and adults at CACFP-participating facilities in New York State each day. In federal fiscal year 2025, New York received more than $291 million in federal United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds for this program.
Participating programs include:
- Childcare centers, including Head Start centers and outside school hours programs serving children up to 12 years of age;
- Community-based adult day care centers that are approved by federal, state or local authorities to provide day care services to adults with disabilities;
- After-school programs providing educational or enrichment programming for children up to 19 years of age;
- Homeless shelters providing meals to children living with a parent or guardian; and
- Family day care programs including licensed, registered and legally exempt home-based caregivers serving children up to 12 years of age.
The level of support for free or reduced-price meals is based on household income as follows:
INCOME ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR CENTER-BASED CARE
(Effective July 1, 2026 until June 30, 2027)
| HOUSEHOLD SIZE | FREE MEALS | REDUCED-PRICE MEALS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YEAR | MONTH | WEEK | YEAR | MONTH | WEEK | |
| 1 | 20,748 | 1,729 | 399 | 29,526 | 2,461 | 568 |
| 2 | 28,132 | 2,345 | 541 | 40,034 | 3,337 | 770 |
| 3 | 35,516 | 2,960 | 683 | 50,542 | 4,212 | 972 |
| 4 | 42,900 | 3,575 | 825 | 61,050 | 5,088 | 1,175 |
| 5 | 50,284 | 4,191 | 967 | 71,558 | 5,964 | 1,377 |
| 6 | 57,668 | 4,806 | 1,109 | 82,066 | 6,839 | 1,579 |
| 7 | 65,052 | 5,421 | 1,251 | 92,574 | 7,715 | 1,781 |
| 8 | 72,436 | 6,037 | 1,393 | 103,082 | 8,591 | 1,983 |
| FOR EACH ADDITIONAL FAMILY MEMBER | +7,384 | +616 | +142 | +10,508 | +876 | +203 |
A list of the participating programs may be obtained at https://health.data.ny.gov/Health/Child-and-Adult-Care-Food-Program-Participation/dmn7-mpa8 or by calling the New York State Health Department (NYSDOH) at (800) 942-3858.
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant's name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
email:
program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
