5. Benefits for the Child
Care Facility
PRO’s CON’s
• Assistance of Food Costs • Recording meals either
• Nutrition Education on paper or online
• Marketing Business Tool • Visits with another
• Taxes government agency
• Parents
• Children
6. Benefits for the
Children/Families
Lifetime, Studies Show, Participating, Affordable, Early Childhood
10. Getting Started
• Action Step 1 DO YOUR HOMEWORK:
1. Visit your state agency
website
• Action Step 2 2. Attend an Orientation
3. Make a list of resources and
• Action Step 3 talk to Food Program
participants,
What is the CACFP?Federally funded Child Nutrition Program administered through grants to state agenciesImproves quality of childcare and makes it more affordable for low income families3.2 million children receive nutritious meals & snacks daily through the CCFPProgram AdministrationUSDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers CACFP through grants to States. The program is administered within most States by the State educational agency. In a few States it is administered by an alternate agency, such as the State health or social services department. The child care component and the adult day care component of CACFP may be administered by different agencies within a State, at the discretion of the Governor.Independent centers and sponsoring organizations enter into agreements with their administering State agencies to assume administrative and financial responsibility for CACFP operations. CACFP serves nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children and adults who are enrolled for care at participating child care centers, day care homes, and adult day care centers. CACFP also provides meals and snacks to children and youth who participate in afterschool care programs or reside in emergency shelters.Child Care CentersEligible public or private nonprofit child care centers, outside-school-hours care centers, Head Start programs, and other institutions which are licensed or approved to provide day care services may participate in CACFP, independently or as sponsored centers. For profit centers must receive title XX funds for at least 25 percent of enrolled children or licensed capacity (which ever is less) or at least 25 percent of the children in care must be eligible for free and reduced price meals. Meals served to children are reimbursed at rates based upon a child’s eligibility for free, reduced price, or paid meals.Day Care HomesA family or group day care home must sign an agreement with a sponsoring organization to participate in CACFP. Day care homes must be licensed or approved to provide day care services. Reimbursement for meals served in day care homes is based upon eligibility for tier I rates (which targets higher levels of reimbursement to low-income areas, providers, or children) or lower tier II rates."At-Risk" Afterschool Care ProgramsCommunity-based programs that offer enrichment activities for at-risk children and youth, 18 and under, after the regular school day ends, can provide free meals and snacks through CACFP. Programs must be offered in areas where at least 50 percent of the children are eligible for free and reduced price meals based upon school data. Emergency SheltersSince July 1, 1999, public or private nonprofit emergency shelters which provide residential and food services to children and youth experiencing homelessness may participate in CACFP. Eligible shelters may receive reimbursement for serving up to three meals each day to residents 18 and under. Unlike most other CACFP facilities, emergency they must meet any health and safety codes that are required by state or local law.Adult Day Care CentersPublic or private nonprofit adult day care facilities which provide structured, comprehensive services to nonresidential adults who are functionally impaired, or aged 60 and older, may participate in CACFP as independent or sponsored centers. For profit centers may be eligible for CACFP if at least 25 percent of their participants receive benefits under title XIX or title XX. Meals served to adults receiving care are reimbursed at rates based upon a participant’s eligibility for free, reduced price, or paid meals.Reimbursement in Day Care and Non-traditional CentersIndependent centers and sponsoring organizations receive cash reimbursement for serving meals to enrolled children and adults that meet Federal nutritional guidelines. The CACFP meal pattern varies according to age and types of meal served.Centers and day care homes may be approved to claim up to two reimbursable meals (breakfast, lunch or supper) and one snack, or two snacks and one meal, to each eligible participant, each day. Emergency shelters may claim up to three reimbursable meals (breakfast, lunch and supper) to each eligible resident, each day. Afterschool care programs may claim reimbursement for serving one meal and one snack to each eligible participant, each day. Reimbursement for centers is computed by claiming percentages, blended per meal rates, or actual meal count by type (breakfast, lunch, supper, or snack) and eligibility category (free, reduced price, and paid). The State agency assigns a method of reimbursement for centers, based on meals times rates, or the lesser of meals times rates versus actual documented costs.Reimbursement for emergency shelters and afterschool care programs is based on the actual meal count by type (breakfast, lunch, supper, or snack) multiplied by the free rate.Reimbursement in Day Care HomesProgram payments for day care homes are based on the number of meals served to enrolled children, multiplied by the appropriate reimbursement rate for each breakfast, lunch, supper, or snack they are approved to serve. Sponsoring organizations also receive administrative funds related to the documented costs they incur in planning, organizing, and managing CACFP.Tier I day care homes are those that are located in low-income areas, or those in which the provider’s household income is at or below 185 percent of the Federal income poverty guidelines. Sponsoring organizations may use elementary school free and reduced price enrollment data or census block group data to determine which areas are low-income.Tier II homes are those family day care homes which do not meet the location or provider income criteria for a tier I home. The provider in a tier II home may elect to have the sponsoring organization identify income-eligible children, so that meals served to those children who qualify for free and reduced price meals would be reimbursed at the higher tier I rates.A child’s eligibility for tier I rates in a tier II day care home may be documented through submission of an income eligibility statement which details family size and income or participation in any of a number of means-tested State or Federal programs with eligibility at or below 185 percent of poverty.USDA Foods or Cash-in-lieu of USDA Foods In addition to cash reimbursement, USDA makes donated agricultural foods or cash-in-lieu of donated foods available to institutions participating in CACFP.Pricing of Program MealsCenters participating in CACFP may charge a single fee (nonpricing program) to cover tuition, meals, and all other day care services, or they may charge separate fees for meals (pricing program). The free and reduced price policy statement describes the institution’s pricing policy. All day care homes and the vast majority of centers participate in CACFP as nonpricing programs, since the fees they charge cover all areas of their day care services.Funding Program BenefitsFNS provides cash assistance to each State agency for meals served to eligible children and adults in day care centers based upon the participant’s eligibility under the Income Eligibility Guidelines for free, reduced price, or paid meals. National average payments for meals served in centers are adjusted annually on July 1, to reflect changes in the Food Away From Home series of the Consumer Price Index. Payments for meals served in day care homes are also adjusted annually on July 1, based on changes in the Food at Home series of the Consumer Price Index. The level of reimbursement for meals served to enrolled children in day care homes is determined by economic need, based on either the location of the day care home, or the household income of the day care home provider, or the household income of each enrolled child. Meals served to the day care home provider’s own children are reimbursable only if those children are determined eligible for free and reduced price meals.The level of donated USDA foods is based on the numbers of lunches and suppers served in centers in the preceding year, multiplied by the national average payment for donated foods. The value of donated foods or cash in lieu of donated foods is also adjusted annually on July 1, to reflect changes in the Food Used in Schools and Institutions series of the Consumer Price Index.Funding State-Level Administrative CostsFNS makes State Administrative Expense (SAE) funds available to State agencies for administrative expenses incurred in supervising and giving technical assistance to institutions participating in CACFP. SAE requirements are prescribed at 7 CFR part 235.Additional funds are also available to States to help State agencies and institutions comply with Federal audit requirements. "One and a half percent audit funds" is equal to 1.5 percent of the reimbursement payments made to the State, during the second fiscal year preceding the year for which the funds are to be made available.Participant Eligibility and Program BenefitsCACFP serves nutritious meals and snacks to children and adults who attend eligible day care programs.Eligible PopulationSection 226.2 of the regulations describes who may receive CACFP meal benefits.Children means "(a) Persons age 12 and under; (b) Persons age 15 and under who are children of migrant workers; (c) Persons of any age who have one or more disabilities, as determined by the State, and who are enrolled in an institution or child care facility serving a majority of persons who are age 18 and under; (d) For emergency shelters, persons age 18 and under; and (e) For at-risk afterschool care centers, persons age 18 and under at the start of the school year." Provider’s own children are eligible only in tier I day care homes, when other nonresidential children are enrolled in the day care home and are participating in the meal service.Adult participant means "a person enrolled in an adult day care center who is functionally impaired ... or 60 years of age or older." The adult component of CACFP is targeted to individuals who remain in the community and reside with family members. Individuals who reside in institutions are not eligible for CACFP benefits.Determining EligibilityIn centers, participants from households with incomes at or below 130 percent of poverty are eligible for free meals. Participants in centers with household incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of poverty are eligible for meals at a reduced price. Institutions must determine each enrolled participant’s eligibility for free and reduced price meals served in centers.Sponsoring organizations of day care homes must determine which day care homes are eligible for tier I rates and, if requested, which children are eligible to receive meals reimbursed at tier I rates in tier II day care homes.A participant’s eligibility for free and reduced price meals in centers or for tier I meals in day care homes, may be established by submission of an income eligibility statement, which provides information about family size and income. The information submitted by each household is compared with USDA’s Income Eligibility Guidelines.Children whose families receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or State programs funded through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) are categorically eligible for free meals. Children who are participants of Head Start or Even Start programs are automatically eligible for free meals, without further application or eligibility determination. Foster children who are the responsibility of the State or placed by the court, and children who are experiencing homelessness are also automatically eligible for free meals.Adults who receive food stamps, FDPIR, Social Security Income (SSI), or Medicaid benefits are categorically eligible for free meals.Claiming Reimbursement for Meals ServedInstitutions must submit accurate monthly claims for reimbursement to their administering agencies. Reimbursement is not allowed for meals or snacks that are: served to a child or an adult who is not enrolled for care; served in excess of licensed or authorized capacity; not approved in the agreement; served in excess of the maximum number of approved meal services; or out of compliance with meal pattern requirements.Meals served at for profit centers during a calendar month when less than 25 percent of the center’s enrollment or licensed capacity (whichever is less) receive title XIX or title XX benefits or are eligible for free and reduced price meals may not be claimed for reimbursement.Meals served to adults which are claimed for reimbursement under part C of title III of the Older Americans Act may not be claimed under CACFP.Emergency shelters may not claim reimbursement for meals served to children who are not residents.
Feeding Children and Healthy ChildrenPeople learning to make the choice of healthy lifestyles
Who can participate?In Regards to CentersFor Profit/Non Profit CentersFor Profit Centers must meet the 25% standard Head StartsAfter School ProgramsHomeless SheltersIn Regards to Family Child Care ProvidersIn regards to AdultsProfit and Non ProfitAdult Care Facilities
Cash reimbursement for meals meeting the USDA meal patternAbility to offset staff employment cost labor associated with CACFP is an allowable costResearch cites participation in CACFP as one of the major factors influencing quality care Offering high quality meals with no extra fees to the family is a great way to market your businessOf course we are talking about the Child and Adult Care Food Program, which was started in 1968 and is administrated by the US Department of Agriculture. Approximately 150,000 family child care providers participate in this program and serve nutritional meals to about 900,000 children each day. The Food Program is a major key to good children's nutrition, makes child care more affordable to low income parents, significantly improves the after-tax income of providers, assists in preparing children to enter school ready to learn, and helps working families work. So why are only about 50% of licensed family child care providers participating on the Food Program? If I join the Food Program I'll pay more in taxes." True. But you will pay these higher taxes out of the reimbursements received from the Food Program and have money left over. For every $1,000 you get from the Food Program you will keep about $600 - $700 after taxes. Therefore, you are always better off financially by participating in the Food Program. Providers who join the Food Program can continue to deduct their food expenses in exactly the same way as before. In other words, providers on the Food Program can still deduct the cost of the food served to the children for whom they are now receiving reimbursements. The only difference between a provider not on the Food Program and one who is on the program is that one on the Food Program has more money in her pocket at the end of the year. 2. "The Food Program is not worth it because of the all the paperwork." This is false. Participating in the Food Program does mean spending some extra time filling out paperwork. The real question is whether you are being paid a reasonable amount to do this extra work. Let's look at an example. If you cared for four children, served one breakfast, one lunch, and one snack per child per day, and spent an average of three hours a week on the Food Program paperwork, how much would you be earning per hour for this work? If you received the lower Tier II reimbursement rate from the Food Program, you would be earning $13.58 per hour, and $28.33 per hour if you received the higher Tier I rate. Can you think of any other job that will pay you this much and still allow you to care for children? 3. "I don't like outside people coming into my home and telling me what to do." Understandable, but there are many benefits for being on the Food Program that you should consider before making a decision not to participate. In addition to the significant financial benefits to you, being on the Food Program will give you reassurance that you are serving nutritious food that will improve the health of the children in your care. The Food Program offers training that will help you with planning meals and recipes as well as offering support and access to other resources that will help you teach children about healthy eating habits and food safety. Yes, representatives from the Food Program will visit your home several times a year to monitor the meals you are serving and to answer your questions, but the benefits to you and the children should outweigh most providers' concerns. There are other reasons why providers don't participate on the Food Program. Some providers have the parents bring all meals to their program, and other providers feel that the nutritional guidelines of the program are too narrow. Although there may be some good reasons why a few providers don't participate, the vast majority of providers would be much better off on the Food Program. When you join the Food Program, you will make more money (after taxes), you are fairly compensated for the extra work you must do, and the children in your care will get nutritious food. All regulated providers are eligible to participate in the Food Program (some states now allow license-exempt providers to participate). Those on the Food Program receive a monthly reimbursement for serving up to three nutritious meals and snacks each day. The reimbursement rates from July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012 for the higher Tier I are: $1.24 breakfast, $2.32 lunch/snack, and $0.69 snack. The reimbursement rates for the lower Tier II are: $0.45 breakfast, $1.40 lunch/snack, and $0.19 snack. (All of these rates are higher in Alaska and Hawaii.) You may receive the higher Tier I rate if your family is low income, you live in a low-income area, or you serve low-income children. To find out if you qualify for the Tier I rate, contact your local Food Program sponsor. I strongly recommend that all providers join the Food Program and remain on it as long as they are in business. Being on the Food Program is a sign of professionalism and it shows your concern for the nutritional health of children. It's a benchmark of quality that benefits you and the children in your care. Title XX of the Social Security Act, also referred to as the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), is a capped entitlement program. States are entitled to their share, according to a formula, of a nationwide funding ceiling or "cap," which is specified in statute. Block grant funds are given to States to help them achieve a wide range of social policy goals, which include preventing child abuse, increasing the availability of child care, and providing community-based care for the elderly and disabled. Funds are allocated to the States on the basis of population. The Federal funds are available to States without a State matching requirement.
Healthy eating habits are established in early childhood that last a lifetimeStudies show that children in CACFP receive meals that are nutritionally superior to those served to children in child care settings without CACFP.Children in participating institutions have higher intakes of key nutrients, fewer servings of fats and sweets, than children in non-participating care. CACFP also makes child care and afterschool programs more affordable for low-income parents, who rely on these programs to provide a safe and healthy place for their children.
Application ProcessCenter supplies information regarding location, principle employees, meal preparation plans, etc.Pre-Approval visitAgreement with State Agency/Sponsoring OrganizationOn site kitchen or vended foods through private vendor/School Food AuthorityTraining on requirements of CACFPRecordkeeping:Facility LicenseEnrollment/Income Eligibility Forms signed by parentDaily menus, including quantity served Daily attendanceNumber of meals by type served to enrolled children each dayVerification of children’s eligibility categoryCivil rights dataInternal control systemMeals:USDA Meal PatternMenu Production RecordExample from Food Buying Guide
Action Step 1 Visit your state agency website (Show CCI resources)Action Step 2 Attend an orientation with State Agency/Sponsoring OrganizationAction Step 3 Make a list of the resources you’ll need State Agency:Centers can contract directly with their state agencyCenter then assumes liability for the programDoesn’t receive as much “hands on” assistanceSponsoring Organizations:Assume liabilityProvide training/technical assistanceEdit check your recordkeepingMonitor staff to ensure compliance