Louisiana Department of Education seeks applications for food program sponsors

The Louisiana Department of Education’s Division of Nutrition Support is seeking applications from eligible institutions interested in administering the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) for the 2026 fiscal year, which begins on October 1, 2025. Applications are accepted year-round.

The CACFP is a federally funded program overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service Program but administered at the state level. The program provides meals and snacks through daycare centers, afterschool programs, emergency shelters, and homes. Meals are offered at sites that have contracts with the state education department or through daycare centers operating under agreements with sponsoring organizations contracted by the agency.

Eligibility for CACFP is determined by income scales set for July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Households meeting certain income thresholds qualify for reduced-price meals. For example, a household of four must have an annual income at or below $59,478 to be eligible for reduced-price meals. Each additional family member increases the eligibility limit by $10,175 per year.

Certain groups automatically qualify for the program. This includes all child care participants in foster care or enrolled in Head Start centers, as well as those receiving benefits from programs such as FITAP, SNAP (formerly Food Stamps), FDPIR, or SSI. Adult care participants who receive FITAP, SNAP, FDPIR, SSI, or Medicaid also qualify automatically.

The department offers training opportunities for potential sponsors interested in participating in CACFP. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Department’s Division of Nutrition Support.

The announcement also included a nondiscrimination statement effective July 9, 2025: “In accordance with federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.”

Individuals who require alternative communication methods can contact their state or local agency or use the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711. Information may also be available in languages other than English.

Complaints regarding discrimination can be filed using Form AD-3027 found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint or at any USDA office. Complaints can also be submitted via mail to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in Washington D.C., via fax at (202) 690-7442, or via email.

“USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.”

“This institution is an equal opportunity provider.”