U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a co-chair of the Senate Hunger Caucus, is leading efforts to recognize the work of the Child and Adult Care Food Program in fighting hunger by introducing a resolution designating the week of March 11 as “National Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Week.”
“The Child and Adult Care Food Program plays a critical role in meeting the nutrition needs of those in Arkansas and throughout the country. As a co-chair of the Senate Hunger Caucus, I am committed to ending hunger both domestically and abroad, and the CACFP is one of the tools in our toolbox to achieve these results,” Boozman said.
The CACFP is run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. The program supports child and adult care facilities and family or group day care homes by providing healthy foods that contribute to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children, and the health and wellness of older adults and chronically impaired disabled persons.
An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that access to the CACFP can measurably and positively impact the cognitive, social, emotional and physical health and development of children, leading to more favorable outcomes such as decreased likelihood of being hospitalized, an increased likelihood of healthy weight gain and an increased likelihood of a more varied diet.
Through the CACFP, more than 4.2 million children and 130,000 adults receive nutritious meals and snacks every day.
The resolution that Boozman introduced with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) honors and raises awareness about the important role the CACFP plays in improving the health of children and adults in childcare centers, adult day care homes and after-school care programs by providing nutritious meals and snacks.
