FY17 Mandatory Training Unit 2

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) centers and day care homes must comply with the updated infant and child meal patterns by October 1, 2017.

The current Infant and child meal patterns must be followed until 9-30-2017.

Under the updated child and adult meal patterns, meals served will include a greater variety of vegetables and fruit, more whole grains, and less added sugar and saturated fat.

The current infant meal pattern includes 3 infant age groups: 0-3 months, 4-7 months, and 8-11 months.  The updated infant meal pattern includes 2 infant age groups: 0-5 months and 6-11 months.

The updated infant meal pattern encourages and supports breastfeeding.  Providers may receive reimbursement for meals when a Breastfeeding mother comes to the day care home and directly breastfeeds her infant.   Providers should offer a quiet, private area that is comfortable and sanitary for mothers to breastfeed.

Under the updated infant meal pattern, breastmilk or infant formula must be served to infants 0-5 months old.

The updated infant meal pattern requires breastmilk or infant formula at snacks for infants 6-11 months old.  In addition, a serving of a grain component (bread/cracker/infant cereal or ready-to-eat cereal) AND a serving of a vegetable or fruit component (or a combination of both vegetable and fruit) are required when the infant is developmentally ready to accept these components.

The updated infant meal pattern no longer allows juice, cheese food or cheese spread to be served.

The updated child meal pattern requires that one serving of grains per day must be whole grain-rich.

The updated child meal pattern limits juice to once per day.

Grain-based desserts no longer count towards the grain component under the updated child meal pattern.  Grain based desserts include (but are not limited to): cake, cookies, pie crust, brownies, etc.

Granola bars are considered grain-based desserts and will not be reimbursable under the updated child meal pattern.

Under the updated child meal pattern, the combined fruit and vegetable component is now a separate vegetable component and a separate fruit component.

Under the current child meal pattern, meat and meat alternates are not reimbursable at breakfast.

Under the updated child meal pattern, meat and meat alternates may be served in place of the entire grain component at breakfast a maximum of three times per week.

Under the updated child meal pattern, unflavored whole milk must be served to 1 year olds; unflavored low-fat or fat-free milk must be served to children 2-5 years old; and unflavored low-fat, unflavored fat-free, or flavored fat-free milk must be served to children 6 years old and older.

Tofu does NOT count as a meat alternate under the current child meal pattern.

Under the updated child meal pattern, tofu counts as a meat alternate.

The updated child meal pattern requires that yogurt must contain no more than 23 grams of sugar per 6 ounces.

The updated child meal pattern requires that breakfast cereal must contain no more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce.  Samples of reimbursable cereal with no more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce include: Bran Flakes, Shredded Wheat (plain), Grapenuts®, Kix®, Corn Flakes, Whole Grain Total™, Life®, Rice Krispies®, Corn Chex™, Rice Chex™, Cherrios™, Cream of Wheat® (whole grain), and original Malt-o-Meal®.

Frying is not allowed as a way of preparing foods on-site under the updated child meal pattern.

All CACFP day care homes must follow the current meal patterns until:

The updated meal patterns go into effect:

Providers will lose reimbursement if they do not follow the meal patterns.

The Illinois Child Care Bureau staff is available to answer questions and provide assistance M-F 8:30 am-5:00 pm.