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CACFP Online Training and Resources for Training
| The Texas Department of Agriculture encourages Contracting Entities to register with The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) to access a variety of self-paced trainings. The trainings and webinars in the chart below are TDA-recommended self-paced trainings applicable for Child and Adult Care Food Programs. For additional training courses, or to find a local training offered in your region, please visit your local Education Service Center’s website. |
| CACFP Quick Bites Training |
CACFP Quick Bites: Transform Your Training Impact
Join us for a live, interactive training session designed specifically for Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) personnel. This webinar will highlight training strategies that strengthen understanding and retention. We will share practical techniques and show what they may look like in everyday training scenarios.
Dates & Registration:
March 11, 2026: Register Here
March 18, 2026: Register Here
Download handout: coming soon
Intended Audience: CACFP Operators and Staff
Time: 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM (Central Time) via ZOOM
Presenter: Stephanie Parrott, TDA Training & Development Specialist
USDA Training Code: 3000
Participants will receive an official TDA Training Certificate upon completion.
For questions or additional information, please contact: FND.Training@TexasAgriculture.gov
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with details on how to join the webinar. |
| Introductory Class |
| CACFP Program Application for New CEs Introductory Class |
This training provides an overview of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) application process and program requirements for new and prospective Contracting Entities (CEs). This training is required for new applicants or sponsors.
Hours of Instruction: 1
Intended Audience: Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, Adult Day Care, State Agency, Sponsoring Organizations Employee/Staff
For new applicants to the program: Save a copy of the certificate of completion to submit with your financial documents when requested by the Financial Viability Team in Program Eligibility. The application packet will not be approved without completing this required training. |
| Meal Patterns & Menu Planning - Trainings and Webinars |
The following document is intended to serve as a guide and a recommended sequence for meal patterns & menu planning.
Recommended Meal Patterns & Menu Planning Training Sequence
Please note that a user account must be created to access the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) courses. |
| CACFP Child and Adult Meal Pattern Requirements |
This course features the updated meal pattern requirements for child and adult meals.
Intended Audience: Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, State Agency, Sponsoring Organizations
Hours of Instruction: 4 |
| CACFP Infant Meal Pattern Requirements |
This course features the updated meal pattern requirements for infant meals.
Intended Audience: Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, State Agency, Sponsoring Organizations
Hours of Instruction: 4 |
| CACFP Operational Best Practices |
This course features the optional best practices featured in the CACFP updated meal pattern regulations.
Intended Audience: Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, State Agency, Sponsoring Organizations
Hours of Instruction: 2 |
| CARE Connection – Planning Cycle Menus in Child Care |
This course is designed to provide the end user with key practices for planning cycle menus for child care settings.
Intended Audience: Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, State Agency, Sponsoring Organizations Employee/Staff, State Agency, Allied Organizations
Hours of Instruction: 2 |
| CARE Connection – Serving Nutritious Foods in Child Care |
This course features key information for serving nutritious foods while in child care settings.
Intended Audience: Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, State Agency, Sponsoring Organizations
Hours of Instruction: 2 |
| Nutrition 101 4th Edition |
School nutrition staff and school nutrition managers need to understand basic nutrition. Completion of this course will give participants a foundation in nutrition, current dietary guidance, the importance of physical activity in health, and awareness of personal taste preferences and healthful food choices.
Intended Audience: School Nutrition Staff/Employees, Managers, and Directors, State Agency, Child Care Centers & Homes, Summer Food Service Programs, Chefs
Hours of Instruction: 8
Key Area: 1
Professional Development Code(s): 1300, 1310, 1320 |
| Nutrition 101 (Spanish) Nutrición 101 4ta Edición |
El personal y los gerentes de nutrición escolar deben entender nutrición básica. Al completar este curso, los participantes tendrán una base en nutrición, guías dietéticas actualizadas, la importancia de la actividad física en la salud, y conciencia de preferencias personales de sabor y opciones saludables de comida.
Público objetivo: Personal de Nutrición Escolar, Gerentes de Nutrición Escolar, Directores de Nutrición Escolar
Duración: 8
Área Clave: 1
Código(s) estándar profesional: 1300, 1310, 1320 |
| CACFP 101 Webinar: Managing Food Allergies and Special Dietary Needs |
Managing food allergies and special dietary needs are important in providing safe and nutritious meals for the children in our care. Join us to learn good practices and tips for managing food allergies and special dietary needs for small and large centers, including family child care homes.
Intended Audience: Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, State Agency, Sponsoring Organizations
Hours of Instruction: 0.5
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| Food Buying Guide - Trainings and Webinars |
| Food Buying Guide 1: Overview of the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs |
In this module you will learn about the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG). The FBG is available online as an interactive web-based tool, mobile app, and downloadable, printable PDF. The FBG is a resource with built-in tools. Each of these tools will be covered in a separate module. These tools include the Recipe Analysis Workbook (RAW), Product Formulation Statement Workbook, FBG Calculator, and Exhibit A Grains Tool.
Intended Audience: School Nutrition Staff/Employees, School Nutrition Managers, School Nutrition Directors, State Agency, Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, Sponsoring Organizations, Summer Food Service Programs, Chefs, Allied Organizations
Hours of Instruction: 2.5
Key Area: 1, 2, and 3
Professional Standards Code(s): 1100, 2100, 2200, 2300, 2400, 3200 and 3300
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| Food Buying Guide 2: Recipe Analysis Workbook (RAW) |
In this module you will learn what the Recipe Analysis Workbook (RAW) is, what its components are, and how to calculate meal pattern contributions for standardized recipes. You will be guided through the RAW using creditable ingredients from the following meal components: vegetables (including subgroups), fruits, meats/meat alternates, and grains.
Intended Audience: School Nutrition Staff/Employees, School Nutrition Managers, School Nutrition Directors, State Agency, Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, Sponsoring Organizations, Summer Food Service Programs, Chefs, Allied Organizations
Hours of Instruction: 4
Key Area: 1, 2, and 3
Professional Standards Code(s): 1100, 2100, 2200, 2300, 2400, 3200, 3300 |
| Food Buying Guide 3: Product Formulation Statements (PFS) |
In this module, you will learn about Child Nutrition (CN) Labels and Product Formulation Statements (PFS). This module will provide background information on the specific requirements for a CN Label and PFS, explain how they are different, and how to utilize each resource with interactive examples. Though this training is mainly directed toward Program operators, you will also learn how these resources apply to manufacturers.
Intended Audience: School Nutrition Employees/Staff, School Nutrition Managers, School Nutrition Directors, State Agency, Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, Sponsoring Organizations, Summer Food Service Programs, Chefs, Allied Organizations
Hours of Instruction: 3.5
Key Area: 1, 2, and 3
Professional Standards Code(s): 1100, 2100, 2200, 2300, 2400, 3200, 3300
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| Food Buying Guide 4: Exhibit A Grains Tool |
This module is the fourth module in the five part Food Buying Guide series. This training module provides an overview of how to determine the grains contribution for grain products using Exhibit A: Grain Requirements for Child Nutrition Programs and presents an interactive walk through of the Exhibit A Grains Tool on the Food Buying Guide Web Tool and Mobile App.
Intended Audience: School Nutrition Employees/Staff, School Nutrition Managers, School Nutrition Directors, State Agency, Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, Sponsoring Organizations, Summer Food Service Programs, Chefs, Allied Organizations
Hours of Instruction: 1.5
Key Area: 1, 2, and 3
Professional Standards Code(s): 1100, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1170, 2100, 2110, 2120, 2150, 2200, 2210, 2220, 2230, 2400, 2410, 2420, 2430, 3200, 3230, 3260, 3300, 3310, 3320
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| Food Buying Guide 5: Food Buying Guide Calculator Tool |
This module is the fifth module in the five part Food Buying Guide series. This training module demonstrates in detail how to create a Shopping List for food items using the FBG Calculator. You will also learn how to create various menu Shopping Lists in both the FBG Web Tool and Mobile App by searching, locating, and selecting individual items to add to a Shopping List, as well as selecting items to add to a Shopping List using a Favorites List.
Intended Audience: School Nutrition Employees/Staff, School Nutrition Managers, School Nutrition Directors, State Agency, Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, Sponsoring Organizations, Summer Food Service Programs, Chefs, Allied Organizations
Hours of Instruction: 2
Key Area: 1, 2, and 3
Professional Standards Code(s): 1100, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 2110, 2120, 2150, 2210, 2220, 2310, 2410, 2420, 2430, 3200, 3230, 3310, 3320 |
| FINANCIALS AND PROCUREMENT – TRAININGS AND WEBINARS |
CACFP Budget Basics:
Allowable and Unallowable Costs |
This module describes the criteria for determining if costs are considered “allowable” or “unallowable” when utilizing federal child nutrition program funds.
Intended Audience: Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, State Agency, Sponsoring Organizations |
CACFP Budget Basics:
The CACFP Budget |
This module provides an overview of the annual budget requirements, examples of expenses and factors that affect budget approval. The participant will be introduced to factors the determine necessary budget revisions. |
CACFP Budget Basics:
Direct and Indirect Costs |
This module outlines the processes used for categorizing costs in their correct categories of “Direct" and “Indirect” |
| CACFP Budget Basics: Levels of Approval for Costs |
Use this self-paced, self-directed training to learn about levels of approval for costs. |
| KPI Series: Meal Counts and Participation |
This course is to provide school nutrition professionals with an easy-to-use reference for identifying and applying the key performance indicators (KPIs) that focus on the most critical aspects of a nutrition program's performance to achieve success.
Intended Audience: School Nutrition Employees/Staff, School Nutrition Managers, School Nutrition Directors, State Agency, Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes
Hours of Instruction: 0.5
Key Area: 3
Professional Standards Code(s): 3000
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| KPI Series: Productivity and Labor |
This course is to provide school nutrition professionals with an easy-to-use reference for identifying and applying the key performance indicators (KPIs) that focus on the most critical aspects of a nutrition program’s performance to achieve success.
Intended Audience: School Nutrition Staff/Employees, School Nutrition Managers, School Nutrition Directors, State Agency, Child Care Centers, and Child Care Homes
Hours of Instruction: 1
Key Area: 3
Professional Standards Code(s): 3000
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| KPI Series: Financial and Inventory Management |
This course is to provide school nutrition professionals with an easy-to-use reference for identifying and applying the key performance indicators (KPIs) that focus on the most critical aspects of a nutrition program’s performance to achieve success.
Intended Audience: School Nutrition Staff/Employees, School Nutrition Managers, School Nutrition Directors, State Agency, Child Care Centers, and Child Care Homes
Hours of Instruction: 2
Key Area: 3
Professional Development Code(s): 3000
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| GENERAL PROGRAM AREAS – TRAININGS AND WEBINARS |
| Food Safety in Child Care |
Food Safety in Child Care, formerly known as Serving Safe Food in Child Care, is based on the four principles of the Fight BAC© program: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Cool. Developed specifically for child care providers in the CACFP environment, it provides four hours of face-to-face food safety training for foodservice employees in child care.
Intended Audience: Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, State Agency, Sponsoring Organizations
Hours of Instruction: 4 |
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