Child and Adult Care Food Program Brings Good Nutrition to Day Care Settings in Texas

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Child and Adult Care Food Program Brings Good Nutrition to Day Care Settings in Texas (10/2/2026)

Program sponsors offer healthy meals for childcare and adult day care participants.

Austin, Texas – Today, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller encourages Texans to consider the benefits of accessing nutritious meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) administers this federally funded program operating at more than 12,000 sites in Texas, including adult day care centers, childcare centers, home-based day cares and afterschool programs.

“CACFP participants get nutritious meals that set the table for a lifetime of healthy habits,” Commissioner Miller said. “Each year our CACFP partners serve about 200 million meals and snacks that meet U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition standards and align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. I want families to access this great resource and support the hard-working people serving healthy food for Texans young and old.”

Benefits

CACFP meals are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and meet specific nutrition standards. Participants receive a balanced meal that can include Texas products.

At centers and day care homes that include meals as part of tuition, meals will be available to enrolled participants at no separate charge. Meals served at eligible at-risk afterschool programs are free to all participants in the program.

At centers and day care homes where meals are charged separately from tuition, the following participants automatically qualify for free meals:

Children in households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits; receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits; enrolled in Early Head Start, Head Start or Even Start Programs; or receiving Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) benefits.

Foster children placed with a caregiver by the state or courts. If you have foster children living with you and wish to apply for free meals for your foster child, contact your participating childcare center or day care home for assistance.

Adults who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) benefits, Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Participants who do not receive any of the above assistance may qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household income (see the chart below for income eligibility guidelines).

Families are encouraged to complete CACFP household eligibility applications provided by participating childcare and adult day care centers. The information provided on the application will be treated confidentially and used only for eligibility determinations and information verification.

Parents or guardians who become unemployed may apply for free or reduced-price meals on behalf of their children at any time during the period of unemployment.

To locate a center or day care home participating in CACFP, call (877) TEX-MEAL.

Meals are made available without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

Income Eligibility Guidelines (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027)

Household Size	Total Income
Household Size	Annual		Monthly		Twice Monthly		Biweekly		Weekly
No. of Household Members	Free	Reduced	Free	Reduced	Free	Reduced	Free	Reduced	Free	Reduced
1	$20,748	$29,526	$1,729	$2,461	$865	$1,231	$798	$1,136	$399	$568
2	$28,132	$40,034	$2,345	$3,337	$1,173	$1,669	$1,082	$1,540	$541	$770
3	$35,516	$50,542	$2,960	$4,212	$1,480	$2,106	$1,366	$1,944	$683	$972
4	$42,900	$61,050	$3,575	$5,088	$1,788	$2,544	$1,650	$2,349	$825	$1,175
5	$50,284	$71,558	$4,191	$5,964	$2,096	$2,982	$1,934	$2,753	$967	$1,377
6	$57,668	$82,066	$4,806	$6,839	$2,403	$3,420	$2,218	$3,157	$1,109	$1,579
7	$65,052	$92,574	$5,421	$7,715	$2,711	$3,858	$2,502	$3,561	$1,251	$1,781
8	$72,436	$103,082	$6,037	$8,591	$3,019	$4,296	$2,786	$3,965	$1,393	$1,983
For each additional family member, add	+$7,384	+$10,508	+$616	+$876	+$308	+$438	+$284	+$405	+$142	+$203

Rights

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

3. email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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