The House unveiled a fifth coronavirus relief bill today, which includes emergency funding for CACFP. The funding would be administered by states and distributed to providers based on a formula that takes into account the typical level of reimbursement a provider would receive to operate the program, and the reimbursement being received
during the pandemic.
You can see a copy of the CACFP-specific bill text here.
The House is expected to vote on this massive $3 trillion bill on Friday (May 15). The Roundtable strongly encourages you to get in touch with your Representatives and urge them to vote yes on the HEROES Act. Let them know that we need Congress to prioritize targeted CACFP investments to ensure that the nation’s community-based care system can survive through the COVID-19 crisis and sustain into the future.
Here's what to do:
1. Find the contact information for your Representative
2. Email or call your Representative, urging a yes vote on the HEROES Act. Here's some language that might be helpful - personalizing is encouraged!
Please vote yes on the HEROES Act to preserve the infrastructure and capacity of the Child and Adult Care Food Program, a community-based food assistance program. This emergency funding would support the financial viability of:
> Child care centers, family child care homes, community-based afterschool programming, adult care centers, and emergency shelters participating in CACFP.
> The network of community-based organizations that support good nutrition through administering CACFP to family child care homes and child care centers.
This emergency funding is desperately needed to ensure food resources are available to our nation's most vulnerable children and adults for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Thank you for your support. 3. Don't forget to reach out to your Representative on social media.
4. Rinse and repeat for Senate advocacy! Your continued support will be needed if/when the bill moves to the Senate, who twice has stripped SNAP provisions from previous relief bills.
What's Already Happened? Timeline of Important Actions
March 6, 2020: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act provided $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies to respond to the coronavirus outbreak (read more).
March 18, 2020: Families First Coronavirus Response Act gave USDA the authority to implement a series of flexibilities for CACFP in order to better address the nutritional needs of the nation (read more).
March 19-25, 2020: Roundtable held CACFP/COVID-19 Town Hall and submitted additional recommendations to USDA that would allow CACFP to operate at its fullest capacity during this public health crisis.
March 27, 2020: CARES Act sent money directly to Americans and expands unemployment coverage (read more).
March 31, 2020: Roundtable and National CACFP Forum submitted recommendations to Congress about how the federal government can best support the infrastructure of child care with targeted investments in CACFP.
May 12, 2020: House Democrats release HEROES Act, a $3 trillion coronavirus relief act, which includes Rep. David Trone's Food and Nutrition Provider Emergency Support Act of 2020 to give emergency funding to the CACFP.
The Roundtable is working hard to make sure that decision-makers in Washington DC and at the state level know about your concerns and on-the-ground challenges, in addition to understanding the importance of CACFP and the solutions we all think will help.
Tell us how you are doing. The Roundtable is here for you and we want to make sure we know what's happening in the community. Share how the coronavirus has impacted you, your business, and food access.
Questions? elyse@ccfproundtable.org