(Fresno, CA) Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission’s (EOC) educational programs including Early Head Start, Head Start, and School Age Child Care are pleased to announce their participation in USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) for the 2011/2012 academic year. CACFP provides nutritious meals and snacks at no cost to low-income youth enrolled in these programs.

Studies show that national programs like CACFP are necessary with more than 43.5 million people living in poverty. According to the Half in Ten campaign study conducted in 2010, California’s 20^th Congressional district, which includes portions of Fresno, Kern, and Kings counties, is the poorest in the state with 29.9% of the district living in poverty.

“Healthy meals are essential no matter your age and the Child and Adult Care Food Program provides those meals to 3.2 million children daily,” says Alita Taylor, Nutrition Services Director for EOC’s Head Start program. “These tough economic times have many of our parents worried, but CACFP provides some relief to parents of Head Start students; they know their child is receiving a nutritious meal and snack five days a week.”

Participants must be enrolled in EOC’s Early Head Start, Head Start, or School Age Child Care programs between July 2011 and June 2012, and family income must not exceed 180% of the federal poverty guidelines.

If you would like more information about USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program, please visit www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care. To learn more about EOC’s educational programs, please visit www.fresnoeoc.org.

NOTE: Please see attached list of school sites participating in CACFP.

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.