The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded initiative that helps child care centers serve nutritious meals and snacks to the children in their care. The program aims to improve the well-being of children to perform better in school and grow up to be healthier adults.
In Indiana, the Department of Education (IDOE) oversees the program and provides meal reimbursements, support, guidance, and resources to help you build healthier learning environments.
If you’re a child care center or sponsor in Indiana, here’s what you need to know about participating in CACFP, including eligibility requirements, application steps, and more.
Eligibility requirements
To participate in CACFP in Indiana, a child care center must meet the criteria below.
Your center must be either:
- Licensed or registered by the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), Bureau of Child Care (BCC), or
- License-exempt, such as public school-based programs operating within a school building (these don’t need a separate license to participate).
Additionally, your center must be operated by one of the following types of institutions:
- Nonprofit institution: An organization that has been granted 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by the IRS.
- For-profit institution: A center that doesn’t have tax-exempt status but serves a qualifying population. To be eligible, at least 25% of your licensed capacity or enrollment (whichever is less) must:
- Receive state-subsidized child care payments, or
- Qualify for free or reduced-price meals under CACFP income guidelines.
How to apply for CACFP in Indiana
Indiana offers two main paths to participate in CACFP either through a sponsoring organization or by applying directly through IDOE as your own sponsor.
Application process through a sponsoring organization
This is the faster and easier option, ideal for newer or smaller centers.
Step 1: Find sponsors in your county:
Step 2: Contact the sponsor to begin the onboarding and application process. They’ll guide you through training, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements.
Application process to apply as an independent institution
Applying as your own sponsor involves the following steps:
Step 1: Attend an IDOE CACFP information session (reopens October 1).
Step 2: Submit an Eligibility Questionnaire to confirm your qualification.
Step 3: Complete and submit the initial documentation. These include:
- Annual Information Certification
- CNP agreement and renewal documents
- Vending contract (if applicable)
- Staff and civil rights training documentation
- Monitoring plan (if sponsoring more than one site)
- Income guidelines and enrollment forms
- Financial reports (Annual Financial Report, Entity Annual Report E-1)
Step 4: Participate in a technical assistance visit with an IDOE field specialist.
Step 5: Submit your online application through Indiana’s online portal, CNPweb: https://in.cnpus.com/cnp/Login
Step 6: Schedule and complete a pre-approval visit.
Step 7: If approved, you can begin implementing the CACFP at your facility.
For questions or updates on application status, contact cacfp@doe.in.gov.
Accomplish the mandatory training
Completing the CACFP training is a requirement to begin participating in CACFP.
Indiana’s Department of Education offers flexible online training options.
Here are some of the platforms you can explore:
- INNutritionTraining.com – Indiana’s central training site for CACFP, offering sponsor-specific training modules.
- iLearn (ICN) – Self-paced courses by the Institute of Child Nutrition on meal patterns, menu planning, civil rights, and more.
- Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition – Advanced culinary skills, flavor enhancement, and batch cooking training for child nutrition professionals.
The training topics include:
- Civil rights
- Monitoring
- Meal pattern requirements
- Menu documentation
- Special dietary needs
- Infant meals
- Budget and procurement
- Corrective action planning
- Farm to early care & education
Recordkeeping and documentation
Keeping thorough records is a CACFP requirement. These documents help verify your center’s compliance and serve as your basis for receiving meal reimbursements.
Child care centers must maintain the following for CACFP participation:
- Annual CACFP Renewal paperwork
- CACFP Annual Enrollment Forms for all children
- Applications for Free and Reduced-Price Meals for eligible participants
- Daily attendance records
- Dated menus showing food items and serving sizes
- Point-of-service meal counts
- Receipts, invoices, bank statements and canceled checks
- Cost allocation plans (if applicable)
- Annual Civil Rights and CACFP training documentation
- Food vendor contracts (if applicable)
- Time logs for employees
Reimbursement process
The key benefit of participating in CACFP is the reimbursement you receive for serving healthy meals and snacks. Here’s how the process works for Indiana child care centers.
Your child care center can get reimbursed for up to three meals or snacks per child each day. You’ve got two options:
- Two meals and one snack (e.g., breakfast, lunch, and a PM snack)
- One meal and two snacks (e.g., lunch, an AM snack, and a PM snack)
The reimbursement rates are set by the USDA and are based on:
- The number of meals served
- Each child’s income eligibility (free, reduced, or paid)
Centers must submit their monthly reimbursement claims by the 30th school day.
Ready to apply?
Taking the first step can open the door to healthier meals and greater support for your child care center. If you’re ready to begin, contact the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) to learn more about CACFP program requirements, training, and next steps:
- Call (317) 232-6610
- Or use the online contact form: in.gov/doe/about/contact
Simplify CACFP meals with Ordo
Ordo takes the complexity out of CACFP compliance by preparing meals that already meet all USDA requirements. Your center gets fresh, balanced meals your children will enjoy without you having to worry about prep, menu planning, or delivery.
Ordo has become America's fastest-growing school food program, providing fresh meals made from scratch every day in our kitchens. Our chefs focus on cooking homestyle food that’s both nutritious and what students love. Healthy meals result in better student outcomes, and administrators who invest in their nutrition programs invest in their schools.
Our online platform automates compliance paperwork for reimbursable meals, tracks essential metrics like daily participation rate, and handles all payment and order processing. Ordo offers both vended meal service, where we deliver the food every day, and onsite food service management, where our chefs prepare food on campus.
We have served all types of schools, from preschools and daycare centers to private and public schools. We’ve worked with some of the top brands in early education and child care, including Bright Horizons, Primrose, and more.
If you’re interested in providing fresh, healthy food for your school, you can reach out to the school partnerships team here.
