The CACFP food program in Vermont.
Vermont Agency of Education runs the CACFP food program in Vermont. 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 Vermont
Vermont Agency of Education, Child Nutrition Programs
Go to the Vermont Agency of Education page
USDA's directory of state CACFP offices lists this link for the agency.
Source: FNA Contacts: Child and Adult Care Food Program (results page 3 of 3)How to join CACFP in Vermont, step by step
Talk with the state first
Start with a short talk with the state about your program and the rules. Call (802)595-3984.
Source: Learn How to Apply (CACFP)Take the New Sponsor Training
Your key staff take the New Sponsor Training.
Source: Learn How to Apply (CACFP)Have a video interview
Next comes an online interview with the state. Then send a Statement of Intent and a W-9.
Source: Learn How to Apply (CACFP)Apply in Harvest
Fill out the application in the state's Harvest system. Then send the agreement and other papers.
Source: Learn How to Apply (CACFP)Pass an in-person visit
The last step is an in-person visit before approval. The whole process takes about six months.
Source: Learn How to Apply (CACFP)
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 Vermont
The steps to open a licensed child care center.
- How to start a home daycare in Vermont
The kinds of home daycare the state allows, and the steps.
- Vermont 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 Vermont?
Vermont Agency of Education, Child Nutrition Programs runs the program.
How do I join CACFP in Vermont?
Start with this step: Talk with the state first. All 5 steps are on this page, each with its source.
Can a home daycare join CACFP in Vermont?
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 Vermont?
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 3 of 3), USDA Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA). Read November 4, 2026.
- Learn How to Apply (CACFP), Vermont Agency of Education. Read November 4, 2026.
Questions about childcare in Vermont?
Tell us what you run or plan to open. A person on our team answers.