A key part of the mission of Catholic Charities West Virginia (CCWVa) is working to ensure that every child in our state has access to the services that he or she needs to be healthy, happy, and to reach his or her full potential.
Our CCWVa Child Care Food Program helps to support the health and growth of children by supporting healthy meal choices in homes of child care providers. Our program provides education and assistance to care givers in meal planning and application for meal reimbursements.
March 14-20, 2021 is National Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Week.
“This week especially, we celebrate the partnership between parents, children, providers, and Catholic Charities West Virginia, recognizing the important role that the CACFP plays in promoting lifelong healthy eating habits in children,” said Jane Rose, CCWVa Child Care Food Program Director.
The primary goal of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is to serve nutritious meals to children attending childcare homes and centers. Secondary goals are as follows: 1. The establishment of positive eating habits at the earliest stages of development; 2. Reduction of future health care and education costs due to lack of proper early development; 3. Training and support of local child care personnel.
“Children in our program benefit from early nutrition education that helps them establish positive eating habits that will enrich the quality of their diet throughout their lives,” said Rose.
Child care providers in the program receive nutrition education and support services that help them serve nutritious meals and create a positive eating environment for children.
“The quality of child care provided in West Virginia is improved due to educational and financial resources available to caregivers through our program,” said Rose.
The CCWVa Child Care Food Program served 2,997 children in 21 counties of West Virginia last year.
Through the CCWVa Child Care Food Program and all of our children’s services, we work to give the young people in our state the best possible start, helping to ensure that their opportunity to succeed is not hampered by circumstances beyond their control.
By Katie Hinerman Klug, Catholic Charities West Virginia Marketing Communications Specialist
