Skip Global navigation and goto content

It's a New Day in Public Health.

The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

Skip MegaMenu and goto content
Megamenu requires javascript to be enabled in your browser.

FLORIDA HEALTH PARTNERS WITH UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN PROMOTING THE CHILD CARE FOOD PROGRAM

By Office of Communications

January 02, 2018

Florida Health Partners with United States Department of Agriculture in Promoting the Child Care Food Program

Contact:
Communications Office
NewsMedia@flhealth.gov
(850) 245-4111

Tallahassee, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health joins the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in promoting the Child Care Food Program, a federally funded USDA program that reimburses child care providers for serving nutritious meals and snacks to children.  The program is administered by the Department and ensures that participating facilities offer meals and snacks that meet or exceed federal and state nutrition standards.  Meals are available to all eligible participants without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Research indicates that early childhood nutrition plays a fundamental role in the cognitive growth and development of a child.

“Building lifelong healthy habits starts in childhood,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. Celeste Philip. “The Child Care Food Program promotes healthy habits by exposing young children to nutritious foods to help them make healthy food choices. We encourage parents seeking child care in Florida to enroll their children in facilities that participate in this program.” 

Lists of participating providers, organized by facility type, can be found at www.floridahealth.gov/ccfp/.

The program is offered at four types of child care-related settings:

  • Child Care Centers:  In a non-pricing child care center, meals are available at no separate charge to eligible children.  In a pricing child care center, which has a separate identifiable charge for meals, children from households whose income falls within the reduced-price income eligibility guidelines are eligible for reduced-price meals. These meals are priced at 40 cents for lunch/supper, 30 cents for breakfast, and 15 cents for snacks. Children from households whose income falls within the free income eligibility guidelines are eligible for meals at no charge.  Refer to the current Income Eligibility Guidelines listed below. 
  • Family Day Care Homes: Meals are available at no separate charge to eligible children.
  • Afterschool Programs: The Afterschool Meals Program is a subcomponent of the Child Care Food Program.  Snacks and/or meals are available at no separate charge to eligible children.
  • Homeless Shelters and Certain Emergency Shelters: The Homeless Children Nutrition Program is a subcomponent of the Child Care Food Program.  Meals are available at no separate charge to eligible children.

Head Start participants and children from households receiving Food Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) benefits are automatically eligible to receive free meals benefits at participating facilities.

Below are the current Income Eligibility Guidelines used in determining a child’s eligibility for free or reduced-price meals.

Free Meal Scale

HOUSEHOLD

SIZE

ANNUAL

MONTHLY

TWICE PER MONTH

BIWEEKLY

WEEKLY

1

15,678

1,307

654

603

302

2

21,112

1,760

880

812

406

3

26,546

2,213

1,107

1,021

511

4

31,980

2,665

1,333

1,230

615

5

37,414

3,118

1,559

1,439

720

6

42,848

3,571

1,786

1,648

824

7

48,282

4,024

2,012

1,857

929

8

53,716

4,477

2,239

2,066

1,033

For each

additional family

member, add

+5,434

+453

+227

+209

+105


Reduced-Price Meal Scale

HOUSEHOLD

SIZE

ANNUAL

MONTHLY

TWICE PER MONTH

BIWEEKLY

WEEKLY

1

22,311

1,860

930

859

430

2

30,044

2,504

1,252

1,156

578

3

37,777

3,149

1,575

1,453

727

4

45,510

3,793

1,897

1,751

876

5

53,243

4,437

2,219

2,048

1,024

6

60,976

5,082

2,541

2,346

1,173

7

68,709

5,726

2,863

2,643

1,322

8

76,442

6,371

3,186

2,941

1,471

For each

additional family

member, add

+7,733

+645

+323

+298

+149

For more information on the Child Care Food Program, please visit www.floridahealth.gov/ccfp/.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on FacebookInstagram and Twitter at @HealthyFla. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.

Newsroom

JavaScript must be enabled in your browser to display articles