spoonFULL, formerly CCSA’s Meal Services Program, provides high-quality and affordable nutritious meals and snacks per day to children enrolled in participating child care centers, keeping children healthy, helping teachers focus on teaching and saving providers money. Learn more about how your program can participate.
Program Overview
For more than 30 years, CCSA has offered catered meals following U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines with ample portion sizes that meet or exceed Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) standards.
spoonFULL buys food in bulk, allowing child care centers to purchase nutritional meals and snacks at an affordable rate, without having to maintain expensive kitchens. The program also allows directors to focus more of their attention on quality care instead of on shopping, menu planning and cooking.
Program Menus
Prioritizing fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains while limiting salt, sugar, fat and preservatives makes spoonFULL unique. Meals are crafted with care with local products whenever possible (including locally sourced meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables). The meal preparation team uses only canola and olive oil in cooking and uses nutritious brown rice, whole-grain breads and whole wheat macaroni whenever possible. In addition, we will accommodate special diets and food allergies with appropriate substitutions. The menus vary by the season and new foods are introduced to children in tasty and appealing ways. Our meals are fresh, unique, liked and local.
spoonFULL Testimonials
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Both of my children were lucky enough to eat Robert’s food [through CCSA’s Meal Services] while they were in child care. They each came home daily raving about the healthy food…My son has asked me many times why we can’t just have Robert’s food at home and was disappointed to find out that we can’t just order it. Recently, he has started asking for Robert’s recipes daily and wondering why Robert doesn’t have a cookbook.
— Parent of participating center
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I like the fresh, local produce…[spoonFULL] does offer healthy meals and food options to children that may not be introduced to that food (beets, cauliflower, turnip greens, etc.).
— Teacher of Participating Center
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Many families lament to us how much they and their children will miss the [spoonFULL] food program when they leave our program. Several parents have told us that when looking for their child’s next school, they will only consider programs that provide meals because of the convenience, nutritional aspects and their child’s varied palate, and how well they eat at our program.
— Director/Owner of Participating Center
How to Participate
To participate in spoonFULL, centers must maintain at least a 3-star license or be working toward a 3-star license through one of CCSA’s local quality improvement projects. This program is primarily available to child care centers in Durham, Orange and Wake counties. Download the brochure to learn more about eligibility and participation.
Food Insecurity in Children Ages Birth to Five
An Analysis of Childhood Food Insecurity in Wake, Durham and Orange Counties
As Child Care Services Association (CCSA) looks to grow and keep up with the demand of our meal services program, spoonFULL, there is a need for better data on food insecurity among children birth to five in the Triangle as well as an understanding of the causes and effects of food insecurity on early learners. This report outlines the concept and realities of food insecurity, the findings and methodology of mapping food insecurity in the Triangle and the implications these results have for CCSA. This report was created by students in the Department of Public Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2019.
spoonFULL News
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Celebrate Week of the Young Child’s Tasty Tuesday with CCSA’s spoonFULL!
It’s Week of the Young Child and today is Tasty Tuesday! Celebrate with CCSA’s spoonFULL program by trying this easy and delicious recipe of chicken fried rice with your child straight from our kitchens! -
It’s CACFP Week: Create the Nutritious and Delicious Meal, Squash Casserole
This week is Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Week! While most fruits and vegetables are available year-round, taking advantage of local foods in season maximizes nutrition and always tastes best. -
It’s CACFP Week: Create the Nutritious and Delicious Meal, Creole Chicken
This week is Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Week! Keeping children healthy involves more than just nutritious meals and exercising.
