News, Events, & Webinars

2026 Nutrition Trainings

The 2026 Nutrition Training schedule is now available to help you plan training attendance for the year. The training offerings include the CACFP Meal Pattern Crediting Academy workshops along with five new trainings that are offered outside of the Bright Track online training platform. Sessions are offered both in-person and live virtually and include:

• Feeding Infants in the CACFP Series
• Farm to CACFP Basics Workshops
• Grain Expectations: Mastering CACFP Requirements
• Menu Planning Made Easy
• Meals That Count: CACFP Meal Pattern Essentials

For a snapshot of the 2026 upcoming trainings, refer to the training flyer. As registration becomes available, the ‘In-person and Virtual Training’ section of the CACFP Training web page will be updated to include the details on how to register for the trainings.

For more training opportunities, access the CDSS CACFP Training web page.

Webinars

CACFP—Stay Connected Quarterly Webinars

The CACFP Branch of the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) holds quarterly webinars to engage the CACFP community in promoting excellence in the operation of the CACFP in California. Join these webinars to find out more about the CDSS updates, policy support, and best practices.

Announcements of the quarterly webinars will be sent through email.

For more information about the webinars and registrations, visit the CACFP— Stay Connected Quarterly Webinar web page.

Preschools SHINE Webinars

The Preschools SHINE program is a voluntary recognition program that highlights CACFP child care sites and Day Care Home providers for the outstanding work they do to support the health and wellbeing of the children in their care.

Join a Preschools SHINE webinar to learn more about the program, how to apply, and hear from existing Preschools SHINE sites about their experience. Announcements of the webinars will be sent through email.

Visit the CDSS Preschools SHINE web page to register for an upcoming webinar, download resources, trainings, and view a list of certified Preschools SHINE sites.

For questions, contact the Preschools SHINE team at PreschoolsSHINE@dss.ca.gov or Maddie Fellenz at Madison.Fellenz@dss.ca.gov.

CACFP Listservs

Listservs are email communication to CACFP Operators, that include guidance on program operations and meal requirements, funding announcements, training announcements, special events, and new tools and resources from the United States Department of Agriculture Team Nutrition initiative.

Sign up here or scan the QR code in the right column with your smart device and complete the form to receive CACFP listservs.

Find the most recent listservs at the Listserv Archive.