Association for Child Development

During the 1970’s, the Association for Child Development was known for its many - at one time, eleven - child care centers in Michigan. The Association for Child Development was the first in the state to have swimming pools and also provided progressive programs such as infant swimming classes, gymnastics, and leisure time activities.

In 1975, ACD became a non-profit organization and in 1976 became a statewide Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) sponsor. Since that time, the Association for Child Development has grown to include the state of Illinois.

Also in 1975, congress became aware of the need for separate legislation for licensed child care institutions. The CACFP, which was formerly a part of the Special Food Service Program for Children (SFSPC), emerged as a separate program. Since that time, the CACFP has undergone many adjustments, but its underlying purpose remains the same: to assist child care providers in serving nutritious food to children in child care and to provide nutrition education for child care personnel.

In 1981, ACD closed the last of its original child care centers. The organization continues to have one operational child care center in Michigan and its focus has remained on children through, training methods, and through the administration of the CACFP. The history of the CACFP goes back to 1968 when congress established the SFSPC in response to the growing national awareness of children’s needs for good nutrition and the increasing number of working mothers.

Today, ACD’s primary responsibility is educating parents and caregivers about nutrition in an effort to combat childhood obesity. This is done through various methods such as printed publications, DVDs, face to face trainings, and online classes just to name a few. ACD is also one of the the largest CACFP sponsors in the nation, serving both Michigan and Illinois. Sponsoring nearly 5,000 child care homes on this program, ACD is impacting the meals of roughly 40,000 children each day!