WDE Announces 2022 Organizations With Food Program
In a press release, the Wyoming Department of Education announced which organizations across Wyoming are participating in their Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
The program reimburses organizations that provide meals and snacks to children up to 12 years of age in child care centers and family day care homes and has been active in some form since 1968.
Across Wyoming, the program covers 118 centers and 174 homes, which equates to around 6000 children getting daily meals, while in Natrona County it covers 25 centers and 32 homes with approximately 1300 kids being covered daily.
In Natrona County, there are dozens of organizations that are taking part in the food program including:
- Natrona County School District #1, Bar Nunn, Cottonwood, Evansville, Journey Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Midwest Elementary, Midwest, Pathways Innovation Center, Sagewood Elementary
- Casper College, Inga Thorson Early Childhood Learning Center
- Mountain Ridge Akidemy
- Sunshine Corner Day Care
- Learning Junction Children’s Center
- WY Child and Family Development/Casper Early Childhood Center
- WY Child and Family Development/Lincoln Infant and Toddler Center
- WY Child and Family Development/Natrona County Head Start/Home Start
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming/Mills Branch/Lincoln Branch//Paradise Valley. branch/Veda James branch/Greater Casper Boys and Girls Club
- Busy Bumble Bees Child Care Center
- Neighborhood Child Caring Center
- Neighborhood Child Learning Center
- Kids Campus, Casper Housing Authority
- Wildwood Child and Adult Care Food Program
Across the state, there were eight organizations that went off the program going into next year, while 16 new organizations were added to the program.
In Natrona County, two organizations, the Angels Child Care Center and WY Child and Family Development in Mills, are not continuing into the new year.
Tamra Jackson, child nutrition programs state director with WDE, said that the Angels Child Care Center is small and felt they couldn't handle the paperwork on top of their other responsibilities.
Jennifer Brush with Sunshine Corner Day Care said they've been doing the program since she started working there 27 years ago, and it currently covers all 35 kids at the daycare.