CACFP Training

CACFP Training

Provides information for Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Operators on required and optional (elective) training, as well as additional training opportunities.

CDSS Bright Track Online Training
Civil Rights Training for Child Nutrition Program Online Course
CACFP Annual Mandatory Training
Prospective Operator Training
Optional (Elective) Training
In-person and Virtual Training
Additional Online Training Opportunities

 

CDSS Bright Track Online Training

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) offers CACFP and nutrition training, including annual mandatory training, prospective operator training, and optional (elective) training through the online platform, CDSS Bright Track (BT). All courses are available in English and Spanish and include a link to a written transcript.

There are 65 online trainings available through CDSS BT. New versions for many courses become available at the start of each program year (October 1) to allow CACFP Operators to retake a course as a refresher and earn a new certificate. Refer to the Optional (Elective) Training section below for information on courses that reset annually.

Who can create a CDSS BT account?

CDSS BT accounts may be created by key staff at institutions that have an agreement with the CDSS to operate the CACFP. CDSS BT accounts cannot be created by vendors, day care home providers, or staff at sponsored centers.

‘Key staff’ for the purposes of training is defined in the CDSS CACFP Bulletin 2023–02: Training Requirements in the CACFP, as an institution’s authorized representative, program contact, or their designee. The authorized representative is responsible for the full oversight of the CACFP, and the program contact manages the day-to-day CACFP operations. Designees include employees at an independent center or sponsoring organization with CACFP duties (e.g., menu planners, monitors, fiscal staff).

Family child care home providers, staff at sponsored centers, vendors, and others who do not meet the definition of ‘key staff’ should contact their sponsoring organization (if applicable) for training options and/or visit the Additional Online Training Opportunities section at the bottom of this page for information on free and low-cost training opportunities.

The CDSS will periodically reconcile BT accounts to ensure that they are only created by key staff at institutions that have an agreement with the CDSS to operate the CACFP.

How do CACFP Operators create a CDSS BT account?

Key staff at CACFP institutions must create a CDSS BT account before registering for online courses by completing each field on the BT Registration page and selecting Submit at the bottom of the page.

For instructions on creating an account and registering for a course, access the BT How to Create a New User Account & Register for a Course video and/or the BT Quick Start Guide.

CACFP Operators will need to enter the following Access Code to enroll in online courses: CACFP

The CDSS BT Help tab provides technical assistance on how to create a new account, register for a course, retrieve a lost password, access certificates of completion, and navigate the CDSS BT platform. For additional assistance, CACFP Operators may complete and submit a BT Help Desk Training Support Form.

How many CDSS BT accounts are allowed for each CACFP institution?

The CDSS is limited in the number of accounts that the CDSS BT training platform can support. Therefore, each institution is provided with 10 BT accounts, which is typically enough for each key staff at an institution to have an account.

The CDSS will not delete accounts for an institution that currently has more than 10 accounts; however, the CDSS will work with the institution’s administration to manage the number of BT accounts if staff from the institution submit a CDSS BT User Account Requests form to request an increase in the number of BT accounts. 

Upon submission of the CDSS BT User Account Requests form, the CDSS will contact the institution’s authorized representative and/or program contact (unless the form submitter is listed as one of these two positions or is on the Responsible Principals List in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System [CNIPS]) to obtain approval.

For institutions that use the BT online courses to train staff at facilities (sponsored centers and homes), the CDSS recommends that the institution's administration create one general BT account and share the log in information with facility staff to allow access to the BT courses. Certificates of completion cannot be customized for each person in this situation; however, creating one general account will provide staff at sponsored centers and homes with access to the BT courses and there are other methods to track training completion. For example, CACFP Operators can host an in-person training where BT courses are used and attendance by each staff at the training is documented.

How long do CDSS BT accounts remain active?

CDSS BT accounts remain active unless the user does not log in to their account for over one year. After two years (increased from one year in March 2025). After two years of no activity, BT accounts are automatically deactivated and the user cannot enroll in new courses; however, users with deactivated accounts may still log in to BT and select the My Account menu to access certificates from completed courses and complete unfinished courses.

Note: Training records are never deleted to ensure CACFP institutions receive credit for online courses completed by their staff.

CACFP Operators may request to reactivate a deactivated account or deactivate an active account (to free up the number of BT accounts available to an institution) by completing a CDSS BT User Account Requests form.

Upon submission of this form, the CDSS will contact the institution’s administration to obtain approval to reactivate and deactivate BT accounts.

Once a BT account is reactivated, the user must log in to Bright Track by the first day of the following month and at least once every two years to prevent the account from being automatically deactivated again.

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Civil Rights Training for Child Nutrition Programs Online Course

CACFP staff who do not have a Bright Track (BT) account can complete the annual civil rights training requirement (per Food and Nutrition Instruction 113-1: Civil Rights Compliance and Enforcement) by selecting the English or Spanish version of the Civil Rights Training for Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) course and accompanying participant workbook below. At the end of the course, viewers will be prompted to complete an online form which will allow them to receive a personalized and dated certificate of completion by email.

Key staff who have a BT account should complete the CDSS–150: Civil Rights Training for CNPs on the CDSS BT web page.

A new version of this course (in English and Spanish) is available at the start of each program year, October 1.

English version Civil Rights Training for Child Nutrition Programs over an image of fruit(English participant workbook)

Spanish version Civil Rights Training for Child Nutrition Programs over an image of fruit(Spanish participant workbook)  
 

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CACFP Annual Mandatory Training

The 2024–25 CDSS CACFP annual mandatory training (course CDSS-110) is currently available on the CDSS Bright Track (BT) training platform.  CACFP Operators are required to complete course CDSS-110: 2024–25 CACFP Annual Mandatory Training by June 30, 2025.

To verify that a certificate has been issued for a BT course, log-in to CDSS BT, access the My Account menu, and select the course to determine if a certificate is available for download. Instructions on earning a certificate are in the Generating and Accessing a Certificate of Completion section of the CDSS BT Quick Start Guide.

Who must complete the annual mandatory training?

All CACFP Operators, including child and adult care centers, at-risk afterschool care centers, emergency shelters, and sponsoring organizations, must ensure that either the authorized representative, the program contact, or their designee, attends online CDSS Annual Mandatory Training. Other key staff at the agency, who are authorized to have a BT account, may also take the CDSS Annual Mandatory Training.

New CACFP Operators who joined the CACFP in the current program year are not required to complete that current program year’s CACFP Annual Mandatory Training. For example, CACFP Operators who joined the CACFP in the 2024–25 program year are not required to complete the 2024–25 CACFP Mandatory Annual Training. However, those CACFP Operators will be required to complete the 2025–26 Mandatory Training.

The CDSS does not require day care home providers or staff at sponsored centers to complete the CDSS CACFP Annual Mandatory Training.

What is included in the annual mandatory training?

The CACFP Annual Mandatory Training provides a review of CACFP regulations and procedures to assist CACFP Operators with program integrity. The training includes the six lessons below. 

  1. Civil Rights
  2. Performance Standards
  3. Food Service
  4. Recordkeeping
  5. Financial Management and Maintaining a Nonprofit Food Service Program
  6. Program Oversight and the Serious Deficiency Process

CACFP Operators must select the Mark Complete button at the bottom of the page after viewing each topic within a lesson and pass a 10-question lesson quiz by correctly answering at least eight questions in each lesson quiz. Three attempts are provided to pass each lesson quiz. If a lesson quiz is not passed after three attempts, CACFP Operators must complete a CDSS BT Help Desk Training Support Form to request additional quiz attempts. BT Help Desk staff will notify CACFP Operators within one business day when additional quiz attempts are available.

After successfully completing the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training, CACFP Operators will receive a certificate of completion, accessible in the CDSS BT My Account menu when the user is logged in to CDSS Bright Track.

The expected time to complete the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training is six hours. CACFP Operators are not required to complete the training in one session. The training will resume at the last place the user was when they logged off.

How do CACFP Operators complete the training?

All CACFP Operators will complete the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training as an online course through the CDSS BT training platform. CACFP Operators who have a CDSS BT account can log in and register for the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training (course CDSS–110) on the CDSS BT home page.

CACFP Operators who do not have a CDSS BT account must first create a user account before registering to complete the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training. The CDSS BT home page includes a How to Create a New User Account and Register for an Online Course video tutorial. Written instructions on creating a user account and registering for an online course are also available in the CDSS BT Quick Start Guide.

CACFP Operators will need to enter the following Access Code to register for the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training on the CDSS BT platform: CACFP.

What if I am taking the training on behalf of more than one institution?

Key staff who are completing the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training on behalf of more than one institution must contact the CDSS CACFP Training Team at CACFPTraining@dss.ca.gov with the CNIPS IDs (five digits starting with zero; for example, 01234) of each CACFP institution.

The CDSS CACFP Training Team will update CDSS BT user accounts to identify individuals who are taking the training on behalf of multiple CACFP institutions and ensure these CACFP institutions receive credit for completing the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training requirement.

Contact Information for Annual Mandatory Training

The CDSS BT Help tab provides technical assistance on how to create a new user account, register for a course, retrieve a lost password, access certificates of completion, and navigate the CDSS BT platform. For additional assistance, CACFP Operators may submit technical assistance questions related to the training platform in the CDSS BT Contact tab.

For questions about the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training requirement, prospective CACFP Operator training, optional training, and in-person training opportunities, please contact the CDSS CACFP Training Team by email at CACFPTraining@dss.ca.gov.

Please review the CDSS Training Requirements in the CACFP Bulletin for additional information regarding CACFP Annual Mandatory Training requirements.

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Prospective Operator Training

If you are a prospective CACFP Operator and need information regarding required training, please contact your county CACFP Specialist. A list of CACFP Specialists by county is available on the CDSS CACFP Contact List web page.

During the CACFP application process, county CACFP Specialists will require prospective CACFP Operators to complete a series of online trainings, depending on agency type. These trainings are designed to instruct prospective CACFP Operators on the requirements needed to successfully operate the CACFP. Prospective CACFP Operators must complete all training requirements prior to operating the CACFP and claiming meals for reimbursement.

Please review the CDSS Training Requirements in the CACFP Bulletin for additional information regarding Prospective CACFP Operator training.

 

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CACFP Online Optional Training

There are dozens of optional online trainings currently available through the CDSS Bright Track (BT) platform. Topics include but are not limited to the following topics: Financial viability, recordkeeping and claims, budgets, menu planning, adding cultural foods to menus, special dietary needs, food allergies, family-style meal service, and much more!

Users will be required to create an account before registering for courses. Before creating a user account and beginning the registration process, please view the Registration video or Quick Start Guide on the CDSS BT web page (scroll to the bottom of the page).

New Annual Versions of BT Courses

New versions of the courses listed below are available at the start of each program year (October 1) with two exceptions: (1) CDSS–001: How to Master the CACFP Administrative Review is typically reset annually by the first week in September to prepare operators scheduled for a review at the start of the program year, and (2) CDSS–110: Annual CACFP Mandatory Training is typically reset annually by the end of December.

  • CDSS 130–CACFP Performance Standards 
  • CDSS 150–Civil Rights Training for Child Nutrition Program Operators
  • CDSS 160–Sponsoring Organization Hearing Official Training
  • CDSS 181–Procurement for CACFP Operators
  • CDSS 211–Meal Counting, Claiming, and Documentation for Homes
  • CDSS 505–Creditable vs Non-creditable–A CACFP Meal Pattern Guide
  • CDSS 506–Creditable vs Non-creditable–A CACFP Infant Meal Pattern Guide
  • CDSS 514–Family Style Meal Service
  • CDSS 555–Food Safety Essentials
  • CDSS 601–Eligibility Determination
  • CDSS 602–CACFP Enrollment
  • CDSS 604–Meal Counting, Claiming, and Documentation for Centers
  • CDSS 605–Crediting Foods in the CACFP
  • CDSS 609–Sponsor Monitoring
  • CDSS 610–Maintaining a Nonprofit Food Service Program
  • CDSS 611–Child Care Centers and Head Start Recordkeeping
  • CDSS 612–At-Risk Recordkeeping
  • CDSS 613–Outside School Hours Recordkeeping
  • CDSS 614–Emergency Shelter Recordkeeping
  • CDSS 615–Adult Center Recordkeeping

New annual versions of these courses allows CACFP Operators to retake a course as a refresher and earn an additional certificate.

CACFP Operators who want to retake a course that is not on the list above must submit a BT Help Desk Training Support form and select ‘Certificate – Earn a new certificate for a course’ from the ‘Select your issue’ drop-down list. The BT Help Desk Team will reset the course so the CACFP Operator can receive an updated certificate with a new date after they pass the quiz; however, this will replace the prior certificate so CACFP Operators should download and save the prior certificate before requesting to earn a new certificate.

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In-person and Virtual Training

CACFP 101 Training

Overview

The CDSS is hosting a free two-day in-person CACFP 101 training in May 2025. The goal of the CACFP 101 training is to strengthen managerial and operational practices and provide regulatory and nutrition information to CACFP child care center staff. Some of the topics that will be covered, include:
 
  • CACFP basics
  • Performance standards
  • Civil rights
  • Financial management
  • Procurement
  • Eligibility
  • Meal claims
  • Meal pricing
  • Monitoring
  • Administrative reviews and audits
  • CACFP meal patterns
  • Family-style meal service
  • Menu planning
  • Recordkeeping
  • Nutrition education

Target Audience 

The target audience is new CACFP center directors, new staff with CACFP duties, established operators who need a refresher course, and operators with serious deficiencies. 

Schedule 

The two-day training will be hosted at the California Endowment in Sacramento (1414 K Street, Suite 500, Sacramento, CA 95814), May 14 and 15, 2025, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Certificates of completions will be provided to participants who attend both days. 

Registration Instructions 

Please complete the CACFP 101 Training Registration Form and select Submit at the bottom of the screen. After you select submit you will receive a confirmation email for your records. Please complete a separate registration form for each staff member. Registration is limited to two staff per institution  

Contact 

Please contact the CDSS CACFP Training Team by email at CACFPTraining@dss.ca.gov with questions about the CACFP 101 trainings.

 

CACFP Meal Pattern Crediting Academy Workshops

Overview

The CDSS staff hosts free CACFP Meal Pattern Crediting Academy workshops each summer to assist CACFP Operators to comply with the meal pattern requirements.

The workshop includes tutorials and engaging activities to learn how to:

  • Navigate the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Buying Guide (FBG)
  • Use the USDA FBG electronic tools:
    • FBG Calculator to determine how much food to purchase
    • Exhibit A Grains Tool to determine how much of a grain product to serve
    • Recipe Analysis Workbook to determine the contribution to the meal pattern for one serving of a homemade recipe
  • Learn when and why manufacturer documentation is required
  • Understand recipe requirements and how to find standardized recipes
  • Determine how to accommodate requests for meal modifications
  • Credit grains using ounce equivalents
  • Demonstrate meal pattern compliance with proper documentation

Target Audience

The target audience is CACFP Operators serving children and adults who are involved in planning, purchasing, and/or serving meals and are either new to the program or want to learn more about identifying creditable foods, using the FBG tools, and understanding meal pattern documentation requirements.

Schedule

The CDSS will send an email to all CACFP Operators announcing the dates, locations, and registration instructions at least six weeks prior to the first workshop.

Contact

Please contact the CDSS CACFP Training Team by email at CACFPTraining@dss.ca.gov with questions about the CACFP Meal Pattern Crediting Academy workshops.

 

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Other CDSS Online Training

Feeding Infants in the CACFP

The CDSS Feeding Infants in the CACFP online course provides an overview of the infant meal pattern, developmental readiness signs for infants starting on solid foods, creditable foods for infants, benefits of breastfeeding, how to determine creditable infant formulas, and the documentation requirements for infant meals.
 

Farm to CACFP Training

The CDSS Farm to CACFP Initiative web page includes training opportunities in the Trainings section.  
 

Child Care Forums

Child Care Meal Quality (MQ) Forums

The Child Care MQ Forums are designed to assist early child care program food service staff with enhancing the quality of meals served to young children by highlighting healthy menu planning, food preparation, culinary skills, and kitchen safety. All attendees will receive a variety of tools and resources that they can immediately use in their day care homes or child care centers. Visit California Preschool Instructional Network (CPIN) Child Care MQ Forums for the agendas and session descriptions for the introductory and advanced MQ forums, speakers, professional growth hours, and registration information.
 

Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity (NPA) Forums

The Child Care NPA Forums highlight and demonstrate methods for integrating nutrition education, edible gardens, wellness policies, and physical activity into child care programs. Participants will learn ways to create learning environments that maximize opportunities for children to develop healthy eating habits and to move their bodies to learn. These forums provide a unique platform where early childhood educators can express challenges and develop solutions toward supporting active living and healthy eating environments. Visit the CPIN Child Care NPA Forums for the agenda, session descriptions, speakers, professional growth hours, and registration information.
 

Conferences

CACFP Roundtable Conference

The annual CACFP Roundtable Conference provides the CACFP community with an opportunity for professional growth. Sessions range from topics such as program operations and management, nutrition and eating environments, advocacy and outreach, and professional growth.
 

National CACFP Sponsors Association Conference

The annual CACFP Sponsors Association Conference provides training opportunities on CACFP policy, administration, nutrition, meal pattern and much more. The conference is targeted to educating professionals from child care centers, family day care home providers, sponsoring organizations, school districts, afterschool programs, head start programs, food banks, tribal nations, and State Agencies.
 

CAPPA and Resource & Referral Network Annual Joint Conference

The California Alternative Payment Program Association (CAPPA) and the Child Care Resources and Referral Network Annual Joint Conference provides a networking and learning opportunity for professionals from the early care and education field including alternative payment programs, resource and referral programs, county welfare departments, and county offices of education. Attendees typically are subsidy child care administrators, family caseworkers, resource and referral counselors and trainers, food program administrators, and child care advocates.
 

National Association for Family Child Care

The annual National Association for Family Child Care Conference provides an opportunity for family child care professionals to learn, network and collaborate.
 

National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference

The National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference co-sponsored by the Food Research and Action Center and Feeding America and in cooperation with the National CACFP Forum, is targeted to anti-hunger and anti-poverty advocates, federal, state and local government officials, child advocates, representatives of food banks and food rescue organizations, sponsoring organizations, and nutrition and anti-obesity groups. 

 

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Additional Online Training Opportunities

To find additional online training opportunities, visit:
 
  •  Institute of Child Nutrition CACFP web page to access free online courses.
     
  • Brighton Child Nutrition Training website includes many of the CDSS Bright Track (BT) online courses for those who do not have a CDSS BT account. Enter 25% in the Apply Coupon field during checkout to receive a 25% discount on the cost of courses. Refer to the CDSS BT Online Training section above for information on who can create a CDSS BT account.
     
  • CACFP Operational Resources & Education (CORE) website includes nine online courses for CACFP sponsoring organization staff who do not have a CDSS BT account. The courses are approved by the USDA and include the following topics: Financial Viability, Monitoring and Oversight, Serious Deficiency, Recordkeeping and Claims, Management Plans, Internal Controls, Corrective Action, CACFP Budgets, and Trainer Success. 
  • National CACFP Sponsors Association Learning Center to locate free and low-cost online courses organized by specialty for CACFP Operators and early learning and care staff.
     
  • University of California’s Nutrition Policy Institute free training videos, in English and Spanish, for family child care home providers. These short training videos can be used by educators, and align with evidence-based recommendations for what and how to feed infants and toddlers.
     
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Esta institución es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.
Child and Adult Care Food Program Logo, hands holding a heart shaped apple

Contact Us

CDSS Child and Adult Care Food Program
744 P Street, MS 9-13-290
Sacramento, CA 95814
833-559-2418
CACFPInfo@dss.ca.gov

For more information or if you have any questions about CACFP Training, please contact the CDSS CACFP Branch Training Team by email at CACFPTraining@dss.ca.gov.

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Last updated: May 2025