CACFP Reimbursement Calculator
See what the food program will pay you each month, at the official USDA rates for day care homes (July 2025 – June 2026).
Your program
Results update as you type. Claim rule applied: up to 2 meals + 1 snack, or 1 meal + 2 snacks, per child per day.
| Per child, per day | — |
| Per week (all children) | — |
| Per month (all children) | — |
| Per year (all children) | — |
Rates used (per meal): breakfast · lunch/supper · snack . Alaska and Hawaii rates are higher. Actual payment follows your sponsor's claim review.
What will the Child and Adult Care Food Program pay you? Enter your children and the meals you serve — the calculator uses the official USDA rates for family day care homes, July 1 2025 – June 30 2026, and applies the program's daily claim limits for you.
Official CACFP rates for day care homes, 2025–26
| Meal | Tier I | Tier II |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | $1.70 | $0.61 |
| Lunch or supper | $3.22 | $1.94 |
| Snack | $0.96 | $0.26 |
Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Service, CACFP payment rates effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, for the contiguous United States. Rates are updated every July — see the full explainer in our CACFP rates guide.
How the claim limits work
For each child, each day, CACFP reimburses at most two meals and one snack, or one meal and two snacks. If you serve breakfast, lunch, supper and two snacks, the extra items are on you — the calculator trims the claim to the most valuable allowed combination, the same way a sponsor would.
Who gets Tier I?
Your home is Tier I if it sits in an area where at least half of local elementary school children qualify for free or reduced-price meals (or census data shows the same), or your own household income is at or below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines. Tier II homes can still claim Tier I rates for individual children from low-income families. Your sponsoring organization makes the determination — participation runs through a sponsor, never directly with USDA.
CACFP questions
How much does CACFP pay per meal?
At 2025–26 Tier I rates: $1.70 per breakfast, $3.22 per lunch or supper and $0.96 per snack. A Tier I provider serving breakfast, lunch and a snack to 6 children, 5 days a week, claims $176.40 a week — $8,820 over a 50-week year.
Is CACFP money taxable?
CACFP reimbursements are income, but you deduct the cost of the food you served (actual cost, or the IRS standard meal allowance). For most providers the meal deduction offsets most or all of the reimbursement.
Can I claim meals for my own children?
Only if your family income qualifies your own children as eligible — your sponsor applies the income eligibility standards. Meals served to ineligible children of the provider are not reimbursed.
Do I need a license to join CACFP?
Yes — family day care homes must be licensed, registered, approved or legally exempt under state rules, and enroll through a sponsoring organization. Start with your state guide.
Estimates use the published USDA FY 2025–26 rates for the contiguous US and the standard claim limits. Your sponsor verifies attendance and meal counts before payment, so actual reimbursement can differ. Rates change each July 1.