2026 CACFP Annual Renewal Webinar - Session 1
Dear CACFP Operators:
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Branch is pleased to announce the 2026-27 CACFP Annual Renewal Webinar for CACFP operators. We recommend this webinar for CACFP operators that would like help completing the required Annual Renewal or may have questions regarding the Fiscal Viability Appraisal (FVA) process.
Annual Renewal Requirement for the CACFP
The Annual Renewal process for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 26-27 will open on July 31, 2026. CACFP operators must complete the Annual Renewal process by updating and submitting their Child Nutrition Information Payment Systems (CNIPS) Application Packet by August 28, 2026. These webinars will provide reminders and best practices specifically for operators of child and adult care centers.
We recommend that CACFP operators ensure webinar attendees are designated individuals that have access to the CNIPS and will be responsible for completing and/or submitting the CNIPS Application Packet by August 28, 2026. We encourage CACFP operators to attend at least one of the sessions listed below to ensure they are aware of the requirements; avoid common errors; and submit a complete, accurate, and approvable CNIPS Application Packet by the deadline.
Fiscal Viability Appraisal
On August 23, 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture published the Child Nutrition Program Integrity final rule which, among other things, requires states to annually conduct reviews for all CACFP sponsoring organizations, [7 CFR 226.7(b)(1)(i)]. In accordance with these requirements, CACFP operators are required to participate in an annual Financial Viability Appraisal (FVA). The CDSS will provide an overview of the process during the Annual Renewal webinars. Additional information regarding how to prepare for the annual FVA, required fiscal documentation and deadlines for uploading materials may also be requested at cacfp-fva@dss.ca.gov.
Webinar Information:
There are four sessions for CACFP operators to attend. Each session will include a one-hour presentation and 30 minutes for questions. Each session will present the same information. If you would like to attend more than one session, please feel free! Zoom links and login information are listed below.
Session 1: Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 9:30am to 11:00am
Invite Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81809529808
Session 2: Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 9:00am to 10:30am
Invite Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81719770017
Session 3: Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 1:30pm to 3:00pm
Invite Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83095735485
Session 4: Monday, August 17, 2026, at 9:00am to 10:30am
Invite Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82722030697
Unauthorized recording, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for note-taking, is prohibited during the webinar, pursuant to California laws and CDSS policy.
This webinar will provide auto-generated captioning. If you require a different accessibility tool or for language access requests, please send an email to CACFPTraining@dss.ca.gov no later than three weeks prior to the event.
To save time before the meeting, check your system to make sure it is ready to use Zoom. Visit the Zoom test webpage.
Contact Information
For questions regarding this information, please contact the CDSS CACFP Team by email at CACFPInfo@dss.ca.gov.
Thank you,
Child and Adult Care Food Program Branch
Family Engagement and Empowerment Division
California Department of Social Services
