The CACFP food program in Louisiana.
Louisiana Department of Education runs the CACFP food program in Louisiana. These are the steps to join, each with its source.
Checked on the state's and USDA's own pages, November 4, 2026.
Who runs CACFP in Louisiana
Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Nutrition Support
Go to the Louisiana Department of Education page
Source: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Prospective New Sponsor ChecklistHow to join CACFP in Louisiana, step by step
Send your license
A licensed child care center sends a copy of its current license to operate.
Source: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Prospective New Sponsor ChecklistGet your federal IDs ready
You need a UEI number and an active SAM account. Nonprofits also send their IRS letter.
Source: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Prospective New Sponsor ChecklistTake the training modules
Review the USDA handbook and the state's online training modules.
Source: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Prospective New Sponsor ChecklistTake the meal pattern course
Finish the online CACFP meal pattern course and send in the certificate.
Source: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Prospective New Sponsor ChecklistEmail the state, then fill out the packet
Email the state when training is done. It sends the Information Packet to fill out.
Source: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Prospective New Sponsor ChecklistMail the finished packet
Join the virtual meeting for new sponsors. Then mail the finished packet to the state.
Source: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Prospective New Sponsor Checklist
Who can join
- Child care centers
Licensed or approved public or nonprofit child care centers, Head Start and after-school care centers can take part.
Source: Child and Adult Care Food ProgramTo start, a center contacts its state agency.
Source: Program Operator (CACFP)- For-profit centers
At least 25 percent of the children must qualify for free or reduced-price meals. It counts enrolled children or licensed spots, whichever is less.
Source: 7 CFR 226.2 Definitions (eCFR, up to date as of 2026-11-02)- Home daycares
A home daycare cannot join on its own. It joins through a sponsoring organization.
Source: 7 CFR 226.2 Definitions (eCFR, up to date as of 2026-11-02)- After-school programs
Ask your state agency if your after-school program can serve CACFP meals.
Source: How to Participate in the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Component of CACFP (fact sheet)
What a CACFP meal must hold
- Breakfast
Serve all three: milk, a vegetable or fruit, and a grain.
Source: 7 CFR 226.20 Requirements for meals (eCFR, up to date as of 2026-11-02; section last amended 2026-06-08)- Lunch and supper
Serve all five: milk, a protein food, a vegetable, a fruit and a grain.
Source: 7 CFR 226.20 Requirements for meals (eCFR, up to date as of 2026-11-02; section last amended 2026-06-08)- Snack
Pick two of the five food groups. Milk and juice cannot be the only two.
Source: 7 CFR 226.20 Requirements for meals (eCFR, up to date as of 2026-11-02; section last amended 2026-06-08)- Milk
Children age 1 get unflavored whole milk. Children 2 to 5 get unflavored milk. It can be whole, 2 percent, 1 percent or fat-free. Children 6 and older may have flavored or unflavored milk.
Source: 7 CFR 226.20 Requirements for meals (eCFR, up to date as of 2026-11-02; section last amended 2026-06-08)
See the least amounts for each age on the full meal chart.
What CACFP pays
Payment rates change every July.
Source: CACFP Reimbursement RatesThis year's rates for centers and homes are on our CACFP rates page.
Forms and guides
- CACFP reimbursement rates
What USDA pays per meal and snack this school year.
- Free CACFP menu template
A week of meals by meal pattern component, one sheet per age group.
- Free CACFP meal count form
Each child’s meals, marked as they are served, with daily totals.
- How to start a daycare in Louisiana
The steps to open a licensed child care center.
- How to start a home daycare in Louisiana
The kinds of home daycare the state allows, and the steps.
- Louisiana licensing guide
Ratios, trainings and the checklist the state asks for.
- CACFP in every state
Who runs the program in each state, and the full meal chart.
Questions, answered
Who runs CACFP in Louisiana?
Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Nutrition Support runs the program.
How do I join CACFP in Louisiana?
Start with this step: Send your license. All 6 steps are on this page, each with its source.
Can a home daycare join CACFP in Louisiana?
A home must have a current license or approval to care for children. A home daycare cannot join on its own. It joins through a sponsoring organization.
How much does CACFP pay in Louisiana?
Payment rates change every July. This year's rates for centers and homes are on our CACFP rates page.
About this page
Checked on the state's and USDA's own pages, November 4, 2026.
Bloomily does not run CACFP or decide who can join.
This page is a summary of the state's and USDA's own pages. It is not legal advice, and rules change.
Sources for this state
- FNA Contacts: Child and Adult Care Food Program (results page 2 of 3), USDA Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA). Read November 4, 2026.
- Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Prospective New Sponsor Checklist, Louisiana Department of Education. Read November 4, 2026.
Questions about childcare in Louisiana?
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