IRS Standard Meal Allowance Rates for Daycare Providers (2025)
The IRS standard meal allowance rates for 2025: $1.66 breakfast, $3.15 lunch and supper, $0.93 per snack. How they work and when to use them.
Read this guideHome › Guides & Articles › How to Join CACFP: A Step-by-Step Guide for Home Providers
How to Join CACFP: A Step-by-Step Guide for Home Providers
Joining the food program is easier than most providers expect, and it costs nothing. You sign up through a local sponsor, learn a few meal rules, and start getting paid for meals you already serve. Here is the path, step by step.
Step 1: Make sure you qualify
CACFP, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, is open to home providers who are licensed, registered, or approved by their state to care for children. If you are caring for children legally in your state, you can almost surely join.
Before you start, it helps to know what you could earn. The CACFP Reimbursement Calculator shows a quick estimate for your number of children, so you can see why the small bit of paperwork is worth it.
Good to know: You join through a sponsor. You never apply to the USDA or your state directly.
Step 2: Find a sponsoring organization
Sponsoring organizations are local nonprofits or agencies approved to run CACFP for home providers. They sign you up, train you, visit your home a few times a year, and process your monthly claims and payments.
To find one, ask your state child care agency or your local child care resource and referral office for the list of CACFP sponsors for family child care homes in your area. Many providers also hear about sponsors from other providers, so ask around.
- Ask your state agency for CACFP home sponsors in your county
- Ask other local providers which sponsor they use
- If more than one sponsor serves your area, you may choose between them
Step 3: Sign up and get trained
Your sponsor will have you sign an agreement and, in most cases, complete a short training. They will also visit your home to get you started. This is friendly setup help, not a test.
At sign-up, your sponsor also decides if your home is Tier I or Tier II, which sets your payment rates. Ask them to explain your tier and what could change it later.
Step 4: Learn the meal pattern and keep simple records
CACFP meals follow a meal pattern: set food groups, like milk, grains, fruits and vegetables, and meat or meat alternates, in amounts by age group. Your sponsor teaches you the pattern and gives you charts to post in your kitchen.
Each day, you record which children were present and which meals and snacks each child ate. Many sponsors offer a free app or simple paper forms. A minute or two a day is all it takes once it is a habit.
- Post the meal pattern chart where you cook
- Mark attendance and meal counts daily
- Keep menus as part of your records
Step 5: File your claim each month
At the end of each month, you send your meal counts to your sponsor. This is your claim. The sponsor checks it and pays you for the meals and snacks that qualify, based on your tier rates.
That is the whole routine: serve healthy meals, write down who ate, claim once a month, get paid. Providers who stay on the program often say the steady check becomes a quiet backbone of their budget.
Good to know: Keep copies of your claims and records. Your sponsor will tell you exactly how long their rules require.
Try it free: use our CACFP Reimbursement Calculator — it does this math for you in about a minute, right in your browser.
Common questions
Does it cost money to join CACFP?
No. Joining through a sponsor is free for home providers. Sponsors are paid by the program to help you, train you, and process your claims.
How soon can I start claiming meals?
You can claim meals served after your agreement with your sponsor starts and you have completed their start-up steps. Your sponsor will give you your exact start date.
What if I serve meals that do not match the pattern?
A meal that does not meet the pattern simply is not paid for that meal. Your sponsor will show you what went wrong so you can fix it next time. Honest mistakes are a normal part of learning the program.
Keep reading
CACFP Tier I vs Tier II: What Is the Difference?
CACFP Tier I vs Tier II explained in plain words: who gets which rates, the 2025-26 payment amounts, and how your sponsor decides your tier.
Read this guideCACFP Meal Pattern Requirements by Age Group
CACFP meal pattern basics in plain words: the food groups every meal needs, how patterns change by age group, and where to check exact portions.
Read this guideHow Much Does CACFP Pay? Real Examples for 4, 6, 8 and 10 Children
How much does CACFP pay a home daycare? Worked monthly examples at Tier I rates for 4, 6, 8 and 10 children, plus what changes your real payment.
Read this guideDisclaimer: HomeDaycareTools.com provides free calculators and general information for planning purposes only. Nothing on this site is tax, legal or financial advice. Tax rules, CACFP rates and licensing rules change — confirm your figures with IRS Publication 587, your CACFP sponsoring organization, your state licensing agency, or a qualified tax professional before filing or signing anything.