Homeless Children Nutrition Program

FACT SHEET

• Now, homeless shelters, including domestic violence shelters and some transitional housing providers, can use the Child Care Food Program as a resource for feeding homeless children nutritious meals!
   

• The Child Care Food Program is a federally funded nutrition program, administered by the California Department of Education. It funds healthy meals and snacks to 2.5 million children each day in child care settings. In 1998, the program was expanded to include homeless shelters and Afterschool providers.
   

• Since it is an entitlement program--- there are no competitive grants! If you serve homeless children, you can receive reimbursements for their meals.
   

• Children are eligible up until their 13th birthday.
   

• Shelters that provide residential and food services to homeless children can get reimbursements for up to 3 meals a day.
   

• Shelters can be reimbursed for meals fed to eligible children at the
   shelter, even if they are just residents for the weekend or are
   vouchered to a hotel.
   

• Through a separate provision, shelters can get snack reimbursements for children who do not live at the shelter, if they participate in an Afterschool program at the shelter.
  
  

• Other food donations, including government commodities, will not impact reimbursements.

How can a shelter apply?
 
Applications available through the California Department of Education at (916) 322 8320. Ask about the Homeless Children Nutrition Program.
 
You can apply under the sponsorship of an existing Child Care Food
Program sponsor, with another shelter, or as an independent sponsor.

For local assistance, you may contact Frank Tamborello, Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness at (213) 439.1070 x 15 and Matt Sharp at matt@cfpa.net or (213) 252.8233.