Federal Grant Award Summary

The Ohio Department of Education received a $2.71 million formula grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service under the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP, CFDA 10.558) effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. This award supports the state's administration and distribution of federal reimbursements for nutritious meals and snacks provided to eligible children and adults in nonresidential day care facilities, child care centers, day care homes, afterschool care programs in low-income areas, and emergency shelters. The funding enables Ohio to maintain its role as the state administering agency, ensuring compliance with federal civil rights requirements, conducting oversight and audit functions, and providing technical assistance to participating institutions across the state.

The grant funds support direct meal reimbursements and state-level program administration expenses. As the primary state recipient, the Ohio Department of Education distributed federal resources to more than 70 sub-awardees throughout Fiscal Year 2026, including school districts, educational service centers, county boards of developmental disabilities, nonprofit child care providers, and faith-based organizations. Sub-recipients utilized these allocations to provide School Breakfast Program, School Lunch Program, School Milk Program, and Child Care Food Program services to eligible participants. This formula grant mechanism, determined by pre-defined funding allocations rather than competitive selection, represents Ohio's ongoing participation in the federally-administered nutrition assistance initiative designed to promote healthy growth and development in young children while supporting the health and wellness of older and disabled populations.