Download:
pdf |
pdfAt-Risk Afterschool Meals
A Child and Adult Care Food Program Handbook
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food and Nutrition Service
Revised July 2015
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
For your reading ease, new information is highlighted. In
addition, throughout the text, references have been made
to numbered memoranda issued by the Food and
Nutrition Service national office. The numbering system
may differ from your State agency or Regional Office.
The U.S Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and
applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender
identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental
status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public
assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity
conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or
employment activities.)
If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program
Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at
http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992
to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the
form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410,
by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at [email protected].
Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through
the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish).
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Revised July 2015
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 2
Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................... 5
Who Administers the Program? ........................................................................................ 5
Legislative History ............................................................................................................ 6
About this Guidance ......................................................................................................... 7
Part 1: Eligibility Requirements ............................................................................................ 8
A. Program Eligibility ........................................................................................................ 8
B. Organization Eligibility ................................................................................................ 11
C. Area Eligibility ............................................................................................................ 13
D. Participant Eligibility ................................................................................................... 16
E. Licensing and Health and Safety Requirements ...................................................... 16
F. Questions and Answers ............................................................................................. 17
Part 2: Applying to Participate in the Program ................................................................... 20
A. Application Procedures for New Institutions ............................................................... 20
B. Annual Information Submission Requirements ............................................................... 25
for Experienced Institutions .......................................................................................... 25
C. Changes to Participating Centers .............................................................................. 26
D. Application Process for Institutions ............................................................................ 26
Participating in Other CACFP Components .................................................................... 26
E. Application Process for SFSP Sponsors .................................................................... 26
F. Application Process for............................................................................................... 28
SFAs Participating in NSLP ............................................................................................ 28
G. Questions and Answers ............................................................................................ 29
Part 3: Meal Patterns and Food Service ............................................................................ 31
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 3
A. Meal Patterns for Children ......................................................................................... 31
B. Required Meal Components ...................................................................................... 34
C. Milk and Other Food Substitutions ............................................................................. 38
D. Offer Versus Serve (OVS) ......................................................................................... 39
F. Water ......................................................................................................................... 39
G. Questions and Answers ............................................................................................. 40
Part 4: Reimbursements .................................................................................................... 42
A. Claims for Reimbursement ......................................................................................... 42
B. Process for Reimbursement ....................................................................................... 42
C. Questions and Answers ............................................................................................. 43
Part 5: Recordkeeping and Reporting ................................................................................ 44
B. Record Retention ....................................................................................................... 45
C. Reporting Requirements ............................................................................................ 45
D. Questions and Answers ............................................................................................. 46
Part 6: Monitoring .............................................................................................................. 47
A. State Agency Monitoring Requirements ..................................................................... 47
B. Sponsoring Organization Monitoring Requirements ................................................... 48
C. Corrective Action........................................................................................................ 51
D. Appeals ..................................................................................................................... 51
E. Questions and Answers ............................................................................................. 51
Part 7: Resources .............................................................................................................. 52
Part 8: Glossary ................................................................................................................. 57
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 4
Introduction
The At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of the Child and Adult Care Food Program
(CACFP) offers Federal funding to Afterschool Programs that serve a meal or snack to
children in low-income areas.
Reimbursement for At-Risk Afterschool Snacks has been available since the 1990s.
However, reimbursement for At-Risk Afterschool Meals was available only in a few States.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296) expanded the availability for AtRisk Afterschool Meals to all States.
Who Administers the Program?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)
administers CACFP at the national level. Within each State, the Program is administered
by the State Department of Education or another agency designated by the State.
Locally, public or private non-profit organizations that want to “sponsor” the Program apply
and are approved by the State agency to operate the Program. These sponsoring
organizations (sponsors) sign an agreement with their State agency and are responsible for
overseeing the program at the sites that they sponsor. Sponsors receive the Federal
reimbursement through the State agency to cover the administrative and operating costs of
preparing and serving meals to eligible children at their Program sites. However, centers
offering an Afterschool Program are not required to work with a sponsor to participate in
CACFP. They may apply directly to the State agency and operate as an independent
center.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 5
Legislative History
The first reimbursements for At-Risk Afterschool Snacks were provided through
demonstration projects beginning in 1994. Below is a brief overview of the laws that
Congress has passed that have expanded the Program over the years.
1994: The Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-448)
x Authorized several demonstration projects, including a project providing snacks to
children, between the ages of 13 and 18, in areas with high rates of violence or drug
and alcohol abuse.
1998: The William F. Goodling Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-336)
x Authorized CACFP reimbursement for snacks to children through age 18 in Afterschool
Programs in all States.
2000: The Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-224)
x Expanded the "At-Risk Afterschool” component of CACFP to allow reimbursement for
meals for children through age 18 in Afterschool Programs in the following States:
Delaware, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Missouri. Two additional States, New York and
Oregon, were selected by USDA on a competitive basis out of a pool of 10 applicant
States.
2001: The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002 (P.L. 107-76)
x Authorized meal reimbursement for Afterschool Programs in Illinois.
2008: 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161)
x Authorized meal reimbursement for Afterschool Programs in West Virginia.
2009: The Fiscal Year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-8)
x Authorized meal reimbursement for Afterschool Programs in Maryland and Vermont.
2009: The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (P.L. 111-80)
x Authorized meal reimbursement for Afterschool Programs in Connecticut, Washington
D.C., Nevada, and Wisconsin.
2010: The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296)
x Expanded meal reimbursement for At-Risk Afterschool Programs in all States.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 6
About this Guidance
This handbook addresses CACFP requirements that apply to At-Risk Afterschool Care
centers. In this handbook, you will find information about:
x
Eligibility requirements,
x
How to apply to participate in the Program,
x
Meal patterns and food service requirements,
x
Reimbursement,
x
Recordkeeping requirements, and
x
Monitoring requirements.
At-Risk Afterschool Care centers provide a much-needed service to their communities.
They give children a safe place to go after school and nutritious food that gives them the
energy they need to concentrate on homework and join their friends in physical,
educational, and social activities. FNS acknowledges the dedication and commitment of
sponsors and centers to ensuring that the meals claimed for reimbursement meet CACFP
requirements, and that meal time is a pleasant, nutritious, and sociable experience for the
children in their care.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 7
Part 1: Eligibility Requirements
Organizations may participate in the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of CACFP as
an independent Afterschool Program or through a sponsor. This section will explain which
programs and individuals are eligible to participate in the At-Risk Afterschool Meals
component of CACFP.
A. Program Eligibility
To be eligible to participate in the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of CACFP either
independently or through a sponsor, an Afterschool Program must:
x
x
x
x
Be organized primarily to provide care for children after school or on the weekends,
holidays, or school vacations during the regular school year (an At-Risk Afterschool
center may not claim meals or snacks during the summer, unless it is located in the
attendance area of a school operating on a year-round calendar);
Provide organized regularly scheduled activities (i.e., in a structured and supervised
environment);
Include education or enrichment activities; and
Be located in an eligible area (see Part 1, Section C) [7 CFR 226.2; 7 CFR 226.17a(b)].
Effective October 1, 2010, programs in all States that meet these requirements are
eligible to receive reimbursement for meals and snacks served to eligible participants.
Previously, programs in all States were eligible for reimbursement for snacks. However,
only programs in certain States were eligible for reimbursement for meals.
Activities
Programs must provide educational or enrichment activities in an organized, structured and
supervised environment. Although there are no specific requirements for the types of
educational and enrichment activities that a program can offer, examples include, but are
not limited to, arts and crafts, homework assistance, life skills, remedial education,
organized fitness activities, etc. Organizations should contact their State agency for
assistance in determining if an activity is eligible.
Note: there is no requirement that all children receiving meals
participate in the offered activities.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 8
Institutions may contract with other organizations, including a for-profit entity, to provide
enrichment or educational activities for the Afterschool Program. However, the sponsor or
independent center must retain administrative and fiscal responsibility for the meal service.
Furthermore, the sponsor or independent center must be the party that enters into the
agreement with the State agency and must assume responsibility for meeting all meal
service requirements, including ensuring that meals are served at eligible sites (CACFP
Memorandum 08-2012: At-Risk Afterschool Meals Component of the CACFP, Questions
and Answers, February 17, 2012).
A Word from our Sponsors…
Tips for expanding your reach:
x
x
x
Churches do more than host summer programs. Work with your local places of
worship to set up weeknight feeding sites in conjunction with their mid-week
programs. Many of them are looking for ways to provide a free meal to youth.
Libraries are more than books. Libraries provide safe places for kids and teens,
offering after school programming such as tutoring and reading help. Work with your
local library to provide Afterschool Snacks or Meals.
Partner with your local Kiwanis, Masons, PTA and other non-profit and civic groups to
spread the word about Afterschool Meals and to find resources for activities.
Angela Jeppesen
Harvesters - The Community Food Network
Athletic Programs
Organized athletic programs that only participate in interscholastic or community level
competitive sports (for example, youth sports leagues such as “Babe Ruth” and “Pop
Warner” baseball leagues, community soccer and football leagues, area swim teams, etc.)
may not be approved as sponsors or independent centers in the Program. Students who
are part of school sports teams and clubs can receive Afterschool Snacks or Meals as part
of a broad, overarching educational or enrichment program, but the Program cannot be
limited to a sports team [Fact Sheet: Athletic Programs and Afterschool Meals, October 2,
2012].
Additionally, Afterschool Programs that include supervised athletic activity may participate
as long as they are “open to all” and do not limit membership for reasons other than space,
security, or licensing requirements. For example, an afterschool police athletic league
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 9
program that uses sports and recreational activities to provide constructive opportunities for
community youth could be approved to participate [7 CFR 226.17a(b)].
Special Needs Programs
At-Risk Afterschool Programs that are designed to meet the special needs of enrolled
children or that have other limiting factors may be eligible to participate. These could
include programs for children who have learning disabilities or for those who are
academically gifted. Other targeted programs may be eligible as well.
Weekends, Holidays, and Vacations
Under the CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals component, meals and snacks may be
reimbursed if they are served on weekends or holidays, including vacation periods (for
example, spring break), during the regular school year only. Meals and snacks served
through CACFP on weekends or holidays during the school year may be served at any
time of day approved by the State (CACFP Memorandum 08-2012: At-Risk Afterschool
Meals Component of the CACFP, Questions and Answers, February 17, 2012).
In areas where schools operate on a year-round basis (i.e., the regularly scheduled school
year is year-round), At-Risk Afterschool Programs set up to serve children attending the
year-round schools may receive reimbursement for meals and snacks through the CACFP
all year [7 CFR 226.17a(b)(i)].
A Word from our Sponsors…
If you tread water, you are going to sink, but if you look for opportunities to grow you’ll
thrive. 1n 1991 we started with Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and have since
expanded into CACFP At-risk Afterschool Meals. Participating in both Programs allows us
to stay engaged and communicating with other organizations all year long. Plus the kids
that are used to participating in the summer sites are going to those same sites after
school, so it provides a seamless transition for the children we serve and their families.
Randy Moens
Fresno Economic Opportunity Commission
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 10
Summer Programs
At-Risk Afterschool Programs that wish to continue operation over the summer months
when school is not in session may be eligible to receive reimbursement for meals and
snacks through the SFSP. Both organizations and communities benefit when meals are
offered to children in low-income communities year-round by participating in both At-Risk
Afterschool Meals and SFSP. Organizations benefit from having the ability to hire yearround staff, a continuous flow of reimbursements providing additional financial stability, and
recognition in the community as a stable source of services. Communities benefit by
having a partner that provides year-round nutrition services for children and brings
increased Federal funds into the local economy. Please contact your State agency for
more information about SFSP.
B. Organization Eligibility
At-Risk Afterschool Programs that meet the requirements above must be operated by an
eligible organization to receive reimbursement. Eligible organizations are those that:
x
Meet State and/or local licensing or health and safety standards (see Part 1, Section E);
x
Are operated by public agencies, tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, for-profit
organizations that meet the requirements described below, or are currently participating
in another Federal program requiring nonprofit status [7 CFR 226.17a(a)].
For-Profit Centers
A for-profit child care center may receive reimbursement for At-Risk Afterschool Meals and
Snacks if it meets the eligibility requirements discussed above, and is eligible to participate
in CACFP through its traditional child care center. This means that at least 25 percent of
the children served by the center through its traditional child care component:
x
Are eligible for free or reduced price meals based on their family income; or
x
Receive benefits under title XX of the Social Security Act and the center receives
compensation under title XX.
This 25 percent threshold is based on the center’s enrollment or the licensed capacity,
whichever is less. It is calculated during the calendar month preceding application for
Program participation. In addition, in order to claim reimbursement in any calendar month,
the center must meet the 25 percent threshold in that month.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 11
In determining a for-profit center’s eligibility for At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program
reimbursement, only the enrollment/licensed capacity of the traditional child care
component of the center may be considered in calculating whether the center meets the 25
percent criterion.
EXAMPLE: A for-profit child care center located in a low-income area
has 32 pre-school children enrolled for care, and also operates an
afterschool program for school-age children. The center would be able to
claim reimbursement through CACFP for meals served under the
traditional child care component and for afterschool snacks, in any month
in which at least 8 of the 32 pre-school children are eligible for free or
reduced price meals or are title XX recipients.
Traditional Child Care Centers
While the At-Risk component of CACFP is primarily geared towards non-traditional child
care centers such as drop in Afterschool Programs, traditional child care centers already
participating in CACFP also may participate. In this situation, children would attend the
center after their school day or on weekends, holidays, or school vacation. Children who do
not attend school would continue to participate in the traditional CACFP meal service
provided by the center, even during the “afterschool” hours.
Centers operating both the traditional and At-Risk components of the CACFP may only
claim a total of two meals and one snack or one meal and two snacks, per child per day,
including the afterschool snack [7 CFR 226.17a(k)].
Schools
Many Afterschool Programs are operated by school food authorities (SFAs) at school sites.
There are policies in place to streamline At-Risk Afterschool Meal participation for SFAs
(See: Part F. Application Process for SFAs Participating in NSLP).
A school that operates longer than the traditional school day may be eligible for At-Risk
Afterschool Meal reimbursement, provided that it operates a school day that is at least one
hour longer than the minimum number of school day hours required for the comparable
grade levels by the local educational agency in which the school is located (CACFP
Memorandum 01-2011: Eligibility of Expanded Learning Time Programs for Afterschool
Snack Service in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the Child and Adult Care
Food Program (CACFP), January 21, 2011].
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 12
Generally, Programs that serve only residential children (with the exception of homeless
shelters) are not eligible to participate in CACFP. However, a residential facility may be
eligible to serve At-Risk Afterschool Meals if it has non-residential care programs and these
programs offer afterschool education and enrichment programs for nonresidential children
(CACFP Memorandum 08-2012: At-Risk Afterschool Meals Component of the CACFP,
Questions and Answers, February 17, 2012).
C. Area Eligibility
As noted above, to be eligible to participate in the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of
CACFP, a Program must be located in an eligible area. This means that the site is located
in the attendance area of a public school (an elementary, middle, or high school) where at
least 50 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced price meals under the
National School Lunch Program (NSLP). This is referred to as “area eligibility.” State
agencies have current area eligibility data for all public schools to help determine if a site is
area eligible [7 CFR 226.17a (i)].
EXAMPLE: If a Boys and Girls Club is located in the attendance area of
a high school with less than 50 percent free or reduced price enrollment
but is also in the attendance area of a middle school where 50 percent or
more of the enrolled children are certified as eligible for free or reduced
price meals, then the Boys and Girls Club At-Risk Afterschool Program
would be area eligible.
Only data from appropriate neighborhood school(s) may be used to establish a site’s area
eligibility; district wide data may not be used.
Area eligibility determinations must be based on the total number of children approved for
free and reduced-price school meals for the preceding October, or another month
designated by the NSLP State agency. State agencies have the discretion to use school
data from a more recent month in the school year to establish eligibility for an otherwise
ineligible location [CACFP 02-2014, Use of School and Census Data, November 12,
2013]. A site’s area eligibility determination made under CACFP is valid for 5 years [7 CFR
226.17a(i)(3)].
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 13
EXAMPLE: If a site is determining area eligibility in August 2014, the
most current October data would be October 2013. However, if data from
October 2013 did not establish eligibility, but data from March 2014 did,
the State would have the discretion to use the March data to establish
eligibility. In both cases, eligibility would continue through August 2019.
Organizations should contact the State agency that administers the CACFP to obtain free
and reduced price school enrollment data. NSLP State agencies are required to provide to
the CACFP State agency a list of area eligible schools each year [7 CFR 210.19(f)].
NOTE: Area eligibility based on school data as described above is the
ONLY method for establishing site eligibility. Census data may not be
used to determine area eligibility in the At-Risk Afterschool Meals
component of CACFP. Sites also may not collect participant income
information to establish eligibility.
If an Afterschool Program is not area eligible, it may qualify to participate in CACFP as an
Outside School Hours Care Center (OSHCC). OSHCCs, like At-Risk Afterschool Care
centers, provide organized nonresidential child care services to children during hours
outside of school.
Please see attachment for information about the differences between OSHCCs and At-risk
Afterschool Care Centers (CACFP Memorandum 08-2012: At-Risk Afterschool Meals
Component of the CACFP, Questions and Answers, February 17, 2012).
Private and Charter School Data
Because most private schools (and some charter and magnet schools) do not have defined
attendance areas, generally private school free and reduced price enrollment data may not
be used to determine area eligibility. However, if an At-Risk Afterschool Program site is
located in a private school, then that site may use the free and reduced price enrollment
data for that private school, or free and reduced price enrollment data for the public school
attendance areas in which the private school is located, to qualify as an area eligible site.
In areas that do not have specific assigned schools but allow children to enroll in any of the
area schools, At-Risk Afterschool Care Programs located in school buildings should use
the free and reduced price enrollment data from the school they are located in to determine
area eligibility. FNS will work with State agencies on a case-by-case basis to determine the
area eligibility of At-Risk Afterschool Programs operating in non-school sites in areas with
unassigned attendance areas (CACFP Memorandum 08-2012: At-Risk Afterschool Meals
Component of the CACFP, Questions and Answers, February 17, 2012).
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 14
Busing
If an At-Risk Afterschool Program is located in an area that has mandated busing of
students, site eligibility based on school data may be determined using one of two
methods. Eligibility may be based on the enrollment data obtained for the:
x
School the children attend and are bused to, or
x
School the children would have attended were it not for the school’s busing policy (the
neighborhood school where the children live)
A site may be determined area eligible in situations as described above only if the SFA can
document the percentage of children eligible for free and reduced-price meals at each
school before and after students are reassigned. The same method of determining site
eligibility must be used for all sites participating under that program sponsor to avoid
duplicate counting (CACFP Memorandum 02-2011: Effects of Busing on Area Eligibility in
Child and Adult Care Food Program, December 6, 2010).
Emergency Shelters
Emergency shelters are not required to prove that they are located in a low-income area to
participate in the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of CACFP. Emergency shelters that
operate Afterschool Programs with education or enrichment activities for homeless children
and youth during the school year may participate without regard to location (7 CFR 226.2
Definitions).
A Word from our Sponsors…
Target the high school population and serve suppers after school. Most high schools have
robust afterschool activities. Students often eat in a common area and then go to their
activities. The Site Coordinator (counselor or teacher) can lessen their burden by
recruiting high school students to help set up the meal service, clean tables, and put
meals away. Clubs and booster clubs are also good sources for help. Include the high
school students in the site training to include their perspective and gain input. High school
students are a hidden population, often not reaching out for help when they are hungry,
and are at high risk to go without an evening meal.
Angela Jeppesen
Harvesters - The Community Food Network
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 15
D. Participant Eligibility
At-Risk Afterschool Programs may claim reimbursement only for meals and snacks served
to children who participate in an approved Afterschool Program and who are age 18 or
under at the start of the school year. Programs may be either drop-in or enrolled.
Reimbursement also may be claimed for participants who turn age 19 during the school
year [7 CFR 226.17a (c)]. There is no age limit for persons with disabilities (7 CFR 226.2
Definitions).
Federal law has no minimum age for At-Risk participants. Meals and snacks served to
children who are enrolled in preschool, Head Start, Even Start, etc., and who are
participating in an eligible Afterschool Program are eligible for reimbursement.
EXAMPLE: Serving lunch to children after half-day kindergarten or a halfday Head Start Program is allowable through the At-Risk Afterschool
Meals component of CACFP because their school day has ended.
However, before approving an institution to operate such a program,
States should ensure that the same children who are receiving lunch in
the At-Risk Afterschool Program are not being served lunch in school as
well.
Although the At-Risk Program is available to children of all ages, there is no requirement
that each facility must serve the full age range of eligible children. For example, a
Program could operate at a high school and serve only high school age students (CACFP
Memorandum 08-2012: At-Risk Afterschool Meals Component of the CACFP, Questions
and Answers, February 17, 2012).
E. Licensing and Health and Safety Requirements
Federal law does not require licensing for centers participating in the At-Risk Afterschool
Meals component of CACFP. However, States or local jurisdictions may require licensing. If
there is no State or local requirement for licensing, then Afterschool Care Programs must
meet State or local health and safety standards (CACFP Memorandum 05-2015: Health and
Safety Inspection Requirements, December 10, 2014).
Organizations should check with their CACFP State agency to determine the requirements
they must meet to participate in the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program in their community
[7 CFR 226.17a(d)].
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 16
Schools that participate in the NSLP or School Breakfast Program (SBP) do not have to
meet any additional health and safety requirements to participate in the At-Risk Afterschool
Meals component of CACFP (CACFP Memorandum15-2012: C
: hild and Adult Care Food
Program (CACFP): Health and Safety Standards for Outside-School-Hours Care Centers
(OSHCCs) and At-Risk Afterschool Care Centers, May 1, 2012).
F. Questions and Answers
1. If area eligibility was determined by a school that closes, may census data be
used instead?
No. CACFP regulations require that, except for emergency shelters, At-Risk Afterschool
Programs must be located in the attendance area of a public school (an elementary,
middle, or high school) where at least 50 percent of the students are eligible for free or
reduced price meals under the NSLP. However, school data is valid for a period of five
years, so, once a center qualifies based on school data, it would be eligible for the
remainder of the five-year period even if the school closes during that period.
2. I run an Afterschool Program that is not in an eligible area, but 50 percent of the
children I serve receive free and reduced price school meals. Is my center eligible
to participate in the Program?
No. CACFP regulations require that, except for emergency shelters, At-Risk Afterschool
Programs must be located in the attendance area of a public school (an elementary,
middle, or high school) where at least 50 percent of the students are eligible for free or
reduced price meals under the NSLP.
3. How is area eligibility determined for At-Risk Programs located in school districts
that have elected the Community Eligibility Option (CEO)? Are all school buildings
considered over 50 percent?
For the purposes of determining area eligibility for CACFP and SFSP, district-wide CEO
determinations may not be used. CACFP and SFSP require area eligibility
determinations to be made on the basis of individual schools (7 CFR 226.2 Definitions,
7 CFR 225.2 Definitions). Although an entire school district may elect CEO, there may
be schools within the school district that fall below the 50 percent free and reduced
price meals threshold required for CACFP.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 17
As required by §210.9(b), SFAs must provide the NSLP State agency with a list of
schools under its jurisdiction in which 50 percent or more of enrolled children have been
determined eligible for free or reduced price meals as of the last operating day the
preceding October. If a school district has elected CEO, the NSLP State agency is still
required to provide individual school data to the CACFP State agency. Because the 1.6
multiplier is intended to provide an estimate of the total number of students eligible for
free and reduced price meals in the eligible schools, the product of the identified
student percentage multiplied by 1.6 is the percentage that will be used for area
eligibility purposes for CACFP and SFSP (SP Memorandum 12-2012: Community
Eligibility Option: Guidance and Procedures for Selection of States for School Year
2012-2013, February 2, 2012 and SP Memorandum 21-2014: Community Eligibility
Provision: Guidance Q&As, February 25, 2014).
4. Can a school system participating in both the SBP and NSLP and the At-Risk
component of the CACFP receive reimbursement under CACFP for a meal and
snack served to children who also received breakfast and lunch under the SBP
and NSLP?
Yes. Based on the nature of the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of CACFP, the
expectation is that most of the participating children attend school and receive free and
reduced price meals. With that in mind, schools that serve children meals through
NSLP are eligible for reimbursement for a meal and a snack served to children in an atrisk afterschool program through CACFP. However, schools may not serve children an
afterschool snack through NSLP and then serve those same children an additional
snack through CACFP.
5. Are there any restrictions on Afterschool Programs switching from CACFP AtRisk during the school year to the SFSP during the summer when school is not in
session?
Generally, programs that participate in CACFP At-Risk during the school year would be
eligible to continue to serve those children who are age 18 or under through SFSP
during the summer when school is not in session, subject to approval of their SFSP
application by the State agency.
However, a traditional child care center that also serves At-Risk Afterschool Meals
and/or Snacks (i.e., the center has enrolled pre-school children in care during the day,
but also serves At-Risk Afterschool Meals and/or Snacks to school-age children) must
comply with FNS Instruction 782-4, rev. 3. This instruction states that traditional child
care centers may only claim some or all of their meals under SFSP during the summer
when there is a substantial change in Program activities or a significant increase in
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 18
enrollment. Institutions approved to participate in both the CACFP and the SFSP must
ensure that the same children are not served meals in both Programs, and separate
records must be kept for each Program.
If a traditional child care center did not substantially change its activities or significantly
increase its enrollment during the summer months, it could only receive reimbursement
through SFSP for meals served to children who participate in the Afterschool Program
during the school year. Such a center would receive free, reduced price, and paid
reimbursement through CACFP for all other children enrolled for care (through the age
of 12).
Per FNS Instruction 782-4, rev. 3, the determination to either approve the institution for
participation in both the CACFP and SFSP or solely for the CACFP should be based on
the institution’s Program objectives.
6. Do At-Risk sites have to choose which meal they will serve or can they serve
different meals to different groups of children or on different days?
At-Risk sites may serve up to one meal and one snack per child per day. This could be
any meal and they may serve different meals on different days or to different groups of
children. For example, a site could serve lunch and a snack to children who attend halfday kindergarten and then serve a snack and supper to older children who attend a full
day of school.
7. Can an At-Risk Afterschool Program charge “tuition,” similar to a traditional child
care center?
Similar to non-pricing child care centers, there may be a fee for the care provided or a
“tuition” charge, but there can be no separate charge for the food service. Although the
regulations do not specifically prohibit or specifically authorize tuition charges, should
the State agency encounter a situation where a substantial participation fee is being
charged that might adversely affect the ability of needy children to participate, the State
agency will consult with their Regional Office prior to approving participation
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 19
Part 2: Applying to Participate in the Program
This section provides information on the application process for participation in the At-Risk
Afterschool Meals component of CACFP.
A. Application Procedures for New Institutions
Organizations must submit an application (written or electronic) to the State agency to
participate in the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of CACFP. Applicants must
describe how they meet the eligibility criteria (see Part 1). The State agency will do a preapproval visit of private nonprofit and for-profit institutions to confirm the information in the
application and to further assess the institution’s ability to manage CACFP [7 CFR
226.6(b)(1)]. State agencies may waive the requirement for pre-approval visits for centers
that operated as SFSP sites (CACFP Memorandum 12-2013: Transitioning from the
Summer Food Service Program to the Child and Adult Care Food Program At-risk
Afterschool Meals, May 31, 2013).
The following components must be included in a new institution’s application:
x
Confirmation of Area Eligibility of Centers
Sponsors must submit a list of all applicant afterschool centers and documentation
showing that the centers are located in eligible areas. Independent centers also must
provide documentation that they are located in an eligible area [7 CFR 226.17a (e)].
Applicant organizations should contact the State agency that administers CACFP to
obtain free and reduced price school enrollment data for proof of area eligibility. NSLP
State agencies are required to provide to the CACFP State agency a list of area eligible
schools each year.
x
Non-discrimination Statement
Sponsors and independent centers must submit a non-discrimination policy statement
and a media release unless the State agency has issued a statewide media release on
behalf of all institutions [7 CFR 226.6 (b)].
x
Management Plan
Sponsors must submit a management plan that includes:
x Detailed information on the organization’s management and administrative
structure;
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 20
x An administrative budget that includes projected CACFP administrative
earnings and expenses and demonstrates the institution’s ability to manage
Program funds;
x Sponsors’ budgets may not have administrative costs higher than 15
percent of the year’s estimated meal reimbursements. States may waive
this limit, but waivers should only be granted if the sponsor provides
justification that it needs Program funds in excess of 15 percent, and
the State agency is convinced that the institution will have adequate
funding to provide high quality, nutritious meals and snacks.
x A list or description of the staff assigned to Program monitoring; and
x The procedures that the organization will use to administer the Program and
that sponsors will use to disburse payments to sponsored child care facilities [7
CFR226.6 (b)].
NOTE: SFAs that are already successfully participating in the NSLP are
not required to submit a separate management plan or budget (CACFP
Memorandum 04-2013: Streamlining At-Risk Afterschool Meal
Participation for the School Food Authorities, November 28, 2012).
Additionally, management plans are not required as part of the
application if the institution intends to sponsor only one facility (CACFP
Memorandum 11-2007: Accommodations for Non-Traditional Program
Operators, July 3, 2007).
x
Documentation of Licensing/Approval
All sites must show that they meet State or local licensing requirements, if applicable. If
there are no State or local licensing requirements, sites must show that they meet local
health and safety standards [7 CFR 226.17a (e)].
x
Documentation of tax-exempt status
All private nonprofit institutions must provide documentation of their tax-exempt status
under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [7 CFR 226.6 (b)].
x
Preference for commodities/cash in lieu of commodities
The USDA donates commodities to States and States make those commodities
available to institutions. Institutions must indicate in their application if they prefer
commodities or cash in lieu of commodities. Each year, State agencies must provide
institutions with information about foods that will be available that year. This information
is provided to the State agency by FNS [7 CFR 226.6 (h)].
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 21
x
Providing benefits to unserved facilities or participants
Sponsoring organizations must show documentation indicating that they meet their
State’s criteria for ensuring delivery of benefits to otherwise unserved facilities or
participants.
x
Ineligibility for other publicly funded programs
If an institution or any of its principals are included on the CACFP National Disqualified
List (NDL) or have been declared ineligible for any other publicly funded program for
violating that program’s requirements, States must deny their application.
x So that States can make this determination, institutions must submit:
x A statement listing the publicly funded programs in which the institution
and its principals have participated during the past 7 years; and
x A certification that during the last 7 years, neither the institution nor its
principals have been declared ineligible to participate in any other
publicly funded program by reason of violating that program’s
requirements; or
x Instead of certification, an institution may provide documentation that it
was later reinstated or determined eligible for the program, including the
payment of any debts owed.
x
Information on criminal convictions
If an institution or any of its principals have been convicted of any activity related to lack
of business integrity in the past 7 years, a State agency may not approve the
application. A lack of business integrity includes fraud, antitrust violations,
embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making
false statements, receiving stolen property, making false claims, obstruction of justice,
or any other related activity as defined by the State.
x
Certification of Truth in Application and Submission of Names and Address
Institutions must certify that all information on the application is true and correct, along
with the name, mailing address, and date of birth of the institution’s executive director
and chairman of the board of directors.
x
Outside Employment Policy
Sponsors must submit an outside employment policy restricting other employment by
employees that interferes with an employee’s performance of Program duties and
responsibilities.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 22
x
Bond
Sponsors must submit a bond, if required by State law, regulation, or policy.
x
Compliance with Performance Standards
An applying Institution must demonstrate that it can comply with the following
performance standards:
x Financial viability and financial management:
x Institutions must document that participation will help ensure the
delivery of benefits to otherwise unserved facilities or participants.
x Institutions must demonstrate that they have the financial resources to
operate the Program on a daily basis and adequate funds to withstand
temporary interruptions in Program payments and/or fiscal claims.
x Costs in the institution’s budget must be necessary, reasonable,
allowable, and appropriately documented.
x Administrative capability:
x Institutions must have an adequate number and type of qualified staff.
x Sponsors must employ enough staff to meet the monitoring
requirements (one full-time staff person for each 25-150 centers it
sponsors) [7 CFR 226.16(b)(1)].
x Sponsors must have written policies and procedures that assign
responsibilities and duties, and ensure compliance with civil rights
requirements.
x Program accountability:
x Nonprofit institutions must have adequate oversight by the governing
board of directors.
x The institution must have a financial system with management controls
in writing. For new sponsors these written policies must ensure:
x Fiscal integrity and accountability for all funds and property
received, held, and disbursed;
x Integrity and accountability of all expenses incurred;
x That all claims will be processed accurately, and in a timely
manner;
x That funds and property are safeguarded and used, and
expenses incurred, for authorized Program purposes; and
x That a system of safeguards and controls is in place to prevent
and detect improper financial activities by employees.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 23
x Institutions must maintain records to document compliance with
Program requirements, including budgets, accounting records,
approved budget amendments, and for sponsors, management plans.
x New sponsors must document in their management plan that they will:
x Provide adequate and regular training of staff and sponsored
centers;
x Perform monitoring to ensure centers are appropriately operating
the Program; and
x Have a system in place to ensure that administrative costs
funded from the Program do not exceed 15 percent of estimated
or actual meal reimbursements.
x Independent centers and sponsored facilities must have practices in place to
ensure that the meal service, recordkeeping, and other Program requirements
are performed properly. These practices must be documented in the
application of independent centers or the sponsor management plans and
must document that centers will:
x Provide meals that meet meal pattern requirements;
x Comply with any licensing and health and safety requirements;
x Have a food service that complies with applicable State and local health
and sanitation requirements;
x Comply with civil rights requirements;
x Maintain complete and appropriate records on file; and
x Claim reimbursement only for eligible meals.
State Agency Review of Applications
The State agency must determine the eligibility of each At-Risk Afterschool Program based
on the information included in the application. The State agency also must determine the
area eligibility of independent at-Risk Afterschool Care centers [7 CFR 226.17a (f)].
State agencies must notify institutions in writing if they have been approved to participate in
the Program within 30 days of receipt of a complete application [7 CFR 226.6(b)].
Agreement
Once the State agency has approved an organization’s application, the State agency and
the sponsor or independent center will enter into a permanent agreement. The agreement
must describe the approved At-Risk Afterschool Care Program(s) and list the approved
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 24
facilities. The agreement also must require the institution to comply with applicable
requirements.
Although the agreement is permanent, it may be terminated for cause by the State agency
if the institution does not comply with Program requirements (CACFP Memorandum 072011: Permanent Agreements in the Summer Food Service Program and the Child and
Adult Care Food Program, January 14, 2011).
State agencies that administer more than one Child Nutrition Program are required to enter
into a single agreement with SFAs that operate more than one Child Nutrition Program [7
CFR 225.6(e)].
EXAMPLE: If an SFA is already participating in NSLP and wishes to offer
the at-risk afterschool meals component of CACFP, the State agency
could simply add an addendum to the existing agreement (CACFP
Memorandum 04-2013: Streamlining At-Risk Afterschool Meal
Participation for School Food Authorities, November 28, 2012).
State agencies are also strongly encouraged to enter into a single agreement with other
sponsors operating more than one Child Nutrition Program, including SFSP. Therefore, if
the same State agency administers both CACFP and SFSP, SFSP sponsors interested in
offering Afterschool Meals through CACFP during the school year are required only to sign
an addendum to the existing SFSP agreement. In States where CACFP and SFSP are
administered by different State agencies, sponsors must enter into an agreement with both
State agencies. However, the State agencies are encouraged to work together to share
information and streamline the agreement process.
B. Annual Information Submission Requirements
for Experienced Institutions
As a result of the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, renewing
institutions are no longer required to submit renewal applications on a periodic basis.
Instead, renewing institutions are required to annually provide:
x
Updated licensing information for each independent center and facility participating in
CACFP (the State may choose to get this information directly from the State licensing
agency);
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 25
x
x
x
x
Certification that any information previously submitted to the State is current (see
http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/CACFP-19-2011.pdf for a prototype
certification);
For sponsors, a budget for the upcoming year and, if required by the State agency, a
budget for independent centers;
A media release announcing the availability of meals and snacks at no charge to the
institution’s attendance area (unless the State chooses to issue a statewide media
release);
Area eligibility data for each new center (or centers whose five-year qualification period
is expiring), which may include the most recent free and reduced-price school data and
attendance area information which it has obtained, or verified with the appropriate
school officials to be current, within the last school year [7 CFR 226.17a (g)].
C. Changes to Participating Centers
Independent centers or sponsors must notify the State agency of any substantive changes
to the At-Risk Afterschool Program, including changes to existing sites, contact information,
and key staff. Sponsors that want to add new At-Risk Afterschool Centers must provide the
State agency with information indicating that the new centers meet Program requirements,
including area eligibility [7 CFR 226.17a (h)]. These centers must be approved by the State
agency before claims may be submitted.
D. Application Process for Institutions
Participating in Other CACFP Components
If an institution is already participating in CACFP and wants to add At-Risk Afterschool
Meals and/or Snacks, the agreement with the State agency must be amended to reflect
this additional meal service and its requirements.
E. Application Process for SFSP Sponsors
A streamlined process that eliminates duplicative application requirements is in place for
SFSP sponsors in good standing that wish to apply to participate in CACFP for the first
time. Sponsors considered in good standing are those that are not currently seriously
deficient in their operation of the SFSP.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 26
Because SFSP sponsors are already familiar with operating a Child Nutrition Program,
they are not required to provide documentation that they have practices in place to ensure
that the meal service, recordkeeping, and other Program requirements are performed
properly. Successful operation of SFSP provides evidence of this performance standard.
Management plans are not required as part of the CACFP application unless the institution
intends to sponsor more than one facility. In addition, At-Risk centers are afforded latitude
with regard to budgets. The level of budgetary detail requested should be commensurate
with the size and scope of the applicant.
CACFP sponsoring organizations are required to provide documentation indicating that
they meet their State’s criteria for ensuring delivery of benefits to otherwise unserved
facilities or participants. Because States already have a priority system in place for
selecting SFSP sponsors to eliminate an overlap in service, States generally need not
require existing SFSP sponsors applying to participate in CACFP to provide any further
documentation of providing benefits to unserved facilities or participants.
Additionally, the following are required for participation in SFSP and therefore are not
required to be produced as part of the CACFP application process:
x
Confirmation of Area Eligibility of Centers: SFSP sites that establish area eligibility
through the use of school data may use their area eligibility determination for SFSP and
CACFP Afterschool Meals for a period of five years. There is no need to re-establish
area eligibility for CACFP. However, because area eligibility for CACFP At-Risk
Afterschool Meals must be based on school data, SFSP sites that established eligibility
using census data or based on income eligibility forms (IEFs) must provide additional
documentation indicating that they are area eligible based on school data.
x
Non-discrimination Statement: SFSP sponsors are not required to resubmit a nondiscrimination policy statement to participate in the CACFP.
x
Media Release: If the media release submitted for SFSP indicated that the sponsor
offers year-round meal services, an additional media release for CACFP is not required.
x
Health and Safety Inspections: Where the State or local health and safety inspection
standards for At-Risk Afterschool centers and SFSP feeding sites are the same,
CACFP State agencies may accept documentation of a current inspection obtained by
a sponsor for SFSP.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 27
x
Documentation of Tax-exempt Status: Private nonprofit organizations are not required
to resubmit documentation of tax exempt status for CACFP when such documentation
was submitted for purposes of participation in SFSP.
These simplifications are easiest to implement when the same State agency administers
both the CACFP and SFSP. However, in States where the CACFP and SFSP are
administered by separate agencies, FNS has encouraged the CACFP and SFSP State
agencies to collaborate and share information where applicable to continue to streamline
participation (CACFP Memorandum12-2013: Transitioning from the Summer Food Service
Program to Child and Adult Care Food Program At-risk Afterschool Meals, May 31, 2013).
F. Application Process for SFAs Participating in NSLP
The requirements for SFAs that provide Afterschool Meals are more flexible because they
are already operating another Child Nutrition Program. When applying to participate in
CACFP, SFAs that have successfully operated the NSLP are not required to provide
additional evidence of administrative capability and financial viability. Additionally, State
agencies may waive the requirement for SFAs to submit a separate management plan and
budget for CACFP. SFAs have additional flexibility relating to the meal patterns (see Part 3,
Section E.).
State agencies may accept a copy of the NSLP application from SFAs that wish to
participate in the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of CACFP. However, the State
agency must ensure that additional information required by 7 CFR 226.6(b) that is not
captured by the NSLP application or otherwise available to the State agency is obtained.
This might be accomplished by creating an addendum to the NSLP application that
includes the additional information required for participation in CACFP:
x
The names, mailing addresses, and dates of birth of the responsible principals and
individuals. For SFAs, responsible principals and individuals include, at a minimum, the
school food service director and accountant, and the responsible administrator
(principal or superintendent).
x
Documentation of eligibility. CACFP State agencies must obtain documentation
indicating that each school that will be offering At-Risk Afterschool Meals through
CACFP offers educational or enrichment activities and is a school where at least 50
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 28
percent of the children are eligible for free or reduced price school meals or is located in
the attendance area of an eligible school as required by 7 CFR 226.17a(a).
x
Preference for commodities/cash in lieu of commodities. The CACFP State agency
must determine whether the SFA prefers commodities or cash in lieu of commodities
unless the State agency has received approval to provide cash-in-lieu of commodities
for all institutions.
x
Ineligibility for other publicly funded programs. SFAs must provide a list of all Federal
programs in which they participate. Additionally, the SFA must certify that during the
last seven years, the SFA and the individual responsible for the food service have not
been:
x Declared ineligible to participate in any other publicly funded program by
reason of violating that program’s requirements or provide documentation that
it was later reinstated or determined eligible for the program; or
x Convicted of any activity that indicated a lack of business integrity.
x
Certification. The SFA must submit a certification that all information on the
application is true and correct, along with the name, mailing address, and date of
birth of the individual authorized to sign for the SFA [7 CFR 226.6(b)(1)].
G. Questions and Answers
1. Because agreements between States and sponsors are permanent, is it
necessary to provide free and reduced price school data in subsequent years of
operating the Program?
Yes. Sponsors must still verify eligibility of centers and area eligibility determinations
remain valid for five years. “Permanent” is intended solely to convey that the agreement
has no predetermined expiration date and does not need to be renewed.
2. How do I demonstrate that I am serving an unserved population?
Institutions must demonstrate in the management plan that their participation will help
ensure benefits to otherwise unserved facilities or participants. States establish their
own criteria for determining if an applicant’s participation will benefit unserved facilities
or participants.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 29
3. For a school or organization that is already participating in CACFP and now
wants to provide At-Risk Afterschool Meals and/or Snacks, does its agreement
with the State agency need to be amended?
Yes. Once the State agency approves an institution’s application to provide at-Risk
Afterschool Meals and/or Snacks, the agreement with the State agency needs to be
amended to reflect this additional meal service and its requirements. This can be
accomplished by signing a simple addendum to the CACFP or NSLP agreement.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 30
Part 3: Meal Patterns and Food Service
The CACFP meal patterns require At-Risk Afterschool centers to serve meals that meet the
nutritional needs of children, are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
(DGAs), and are appetizing. Meal pattern requirements assist the menu planner in
providing well-balanced meals and snacks that provide the appropriate amount of energy
and nutrients a child needs during critical stages of growth.
There are no Federal requirements regarding the timing of meal service, though States
may establish meal time requirements. There is no federally mandated time limit between
the end of school and the meal service or a requirement for the order of meal and snack
service, but the service of a meal or snack must occur during the operation of the school’s
afterschool care program [7 CFR 226.20(k)].
The charts that follow show the required components for snacks and meals, with the
minimum required serving sizes. Because older children have greater food needs,
sponsors may serve larger portions to satisfy a child’s appetite. Please remember that all
food components (menu items) must be served to each child all at the same time (plated
together) except in the case of school sponsors that elect to use offer versus serve (OVS)
(see Part 3, Section E).
A. Meal Patterns for Children
The chart on the following page lists the meal pattern requirements for children 6 to 12
years old for breakfast, lunch, supper, and snack. Meal patterns for younger children are
available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Care/ProgramBasics/Meals/Meal_Patterns.htm.
Children ages 13 through 18 must be served minimum or larger portions specified for
children 6 through 12.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 31
Child Meal and Snack Requirements
Please Note: For snacks, 2 of the 4 components must be provided for a meal to qualify as reimbursable.
Food Components for Ages 6-12
Milk
Milk, fluid low fat or non-fat
Breakfast
Lunch/Supper
Snack
1 cup
1 cup
1 cup
Vegetable(s) and/or fruit; or
½ cup
¾ cup
¾ cup
Vegetable or fruit juice (full strength)
½ cup
¾ cup (6 fl oz)
¾ cup (6 fl oz)
Bread; or
1 slice
1 slice
1 slice
Cornbread, biscuits, rolls, or muffins, etc.; or
1 servings
1 serving
1 serving
Cold dry cereal; or
¾ cup or 1 oz
¾ cup or 1 oz
¾ cup or 1 oz
Cooked pasta or noodle product; or
½ cup
½ cup
½ cup
Cooked cereal or cereal grains or an
equivalent quantity of any combination of
grains/breads
½ cup
½ cup
½ cup
A meat/ meat
alternate is not
required at
breakfast
2 oz
1 oz
Cheese; or
2 oz
1 oz
Eggs; or
1 large egg
½ large egg
Alternate protein product; or
2 oz
1 oz
Cooked dry beans or peas; or
½ cup
¼ cup
Peanut butter or soynut butter or other nut or
seed butters; or
4 tbsp
2 tbsp
Peanuts or soynuts or tree nuts or seeds; or
1 oz = 50%
1 oz
Yogurt; or
8 oz or 1 cup
4 oz or ½ cup
Vegetables and/or Fruits
Grains and Breads
Meat and Meat Alternates
Lean meat or poultry or fish; or
An equivalent quantity of any combination of
the above meat alternates
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 32
Endnotes
1. Serve two or more kinds of vegetable(s) and/or fruit(s) or combination of both.
2. Full-strength fruit/vegetable juice may be counted to meet no more than ½ of this requirement.
3. Breads and grains must be made from whole-grain or enriched meal or flour. Cereal must be
whole-grain or enriched flour.
4. A serving size consists of the edible portion of the cooked lean meat or poultry or fish.
5. Nuts and seeds may meet only one -half of the total meat/meat alternate serving and must be
combined with another meat/meat alternate to fulfill the lunch/supper requirement.
6. Yogurt may be plain or flavored, unsweetened or sweetened.
Sponsors interviewed for the At-Risk Meals Best Practice Study, indicated that some
potential sites perceive meal planning, preparation, and service to be burdensome. To
address this issue, some sponsors suggested streamlining menus to reduce the burden on
sites. One sponsor developed two months’ worth of menus that are cycled in the sites
throughout the year. Another sponsor serves cold meals that require little preparation, such
as wraps and salads. Below are sample menus for snacks, lunches, and suppers:
Sample Snack
1 oz. cheese
4 oz low-fat yogurt
½ cup enriched macaroni
1 oz graham cracker sticks (4 crackers)
Water
Water
Sample Supper
2 oz lean, hamburger made from 100% ground beef
1 cup (8.8 oz by wt) chicken salad
½ cup baked sweet potato fries
½ cup lettuce and tomato salad
½ cup apple slices
¼ cup pineapple
1 whole wheat bun
1 slice 100% whole wheat bread
1 cup nonfat milk
1 cup 1% milk
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 33
B. Required Meal Components
The following sections provide details on each of the meal pattern components.
Meat and Meat Alternates
At-Risk Afterschool centers are required to serve a meat or meat alternate at all meals and
may choose to serve a meat or meat alternate at snack. For entrees that include meat, the
meat or meat alternate must be served in the main dish and one other menu item for
lunch/supper meals. Additionally, any dish served must contain at least ¼ ounce of a
meat/meat alternate per serving in order to be counted toward the meat/meat alternate
requirement.
Examples of meats/meat alternates:
Meat/Meat
Alternatives
Examples
Notes
Meat, fish,
poultry, and eggs
Beef, chicken, fish, ham, pork, turkey, and
eggs
Cheese
Swiss, ricotta, part-skim mozzarella, cottage
cheese, American, cheddar, and other
cheeses
Dry beans and
peas
Lentils, navy beans, black beans, kidney
beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, refried
beans, chickpeas, and soy nuts
May also count as a vegetable, but not
in the same meal.
Peanut butter and
other nut butters
Peanut butter, almond, and other nut butters
Children under 4 years of age are at the
highest risk of choking. Young children
should not be fed spoonfuls or chunks
of peanut butter or other nut butters.
USDA recommends that peanut butter
and nut butters should be spread thinly
on bread or crackers.
Nuts and seeds
Walnuts, peanuts, almonds, soy nuts, other
nuts, and seeds
Nuts and/or seeds should be served to
all children in a prepared food and be
ground or finely chopped.
Yogurt
Commercially produced yogurt, plain or
flavored, unsweetened or sweetened
Alternate Protein
Product (APP)
APP is an ingredient mixed/made into such
foods as ground beef patties, meat loaf, tuna
salad, chicken nuggets, pizza toppings, etc.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 34
BETTER CHOICES FOR BETTER MEALS:
9
9
9
9
Serve peanut butter with apple chunks on whole wheat bread.
Serve lean meats, skinless poultry, and low-fat cheeses.
Mix ground beef with ground turkey for hamburgers or taco filling.
Try lentils or navy beans in soup.
Vegetables and Fruits
At-Risk Afterschool centers are required to serve a vegetable and/or fruit as a component
for each reimbursable meal and may choose to serve a vegetable or a fruit for a snack.
Reimbursable lunches/suppers require two or more servings of a different vegetable and/or
fruit.
Items that are mixtures of multiple
vegetables and/or fruits (for example,
fruit salad, vegetable medley, etc.)
only count as one vegetable/fruit
serving. Mixed dishes containing at
least ¾ cup or more of each different
fruit/vegetable in combination with a
meat/meat alternate are considered
as two servings of the vegetable/fruit
component and meet the full
requirement.
Guidelines for Fruit Juice
x
x
x
No more than ½ of the
fruit/vegetable component
requirement can be met with full
strength 100% juice during
lunch/supper.
May not be served as a snack if
fluid milk is the only other
component being served.
Should be pasteurized to reduce
the chance of getting sick.
To align with the most current DGAs, centers are encouraged to serve more vegetables
from the dark green, deep orange and red, and dry beans and peas categories for optimal
nutrition. Serving fresh fruit ensures that a variety of fruit will be offered since many fruit are
only available in their fresh form.
BETTER CHOICES FOR BETTER MEALS:
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
Mix a colorful medley of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.
Use spinach, romaine, and mixed greens for salad.
Serve seasonal vegetables (artichokes, pumpkin, okra, etc.).
Offer canned fruits packed in light syrup or natural juices.
Buy frozen mixed fruit and add fresh bananas.
Introduce unfamiliar fruits such as kiwi, papaya, mango, apricots, dates, and figs
Limit the amount of juice offered in meals and snacks.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 35
Examples of vegetables and fruits:
Vegetables and Fruits
Examples
Vegetables (dark green,
red, and orange)
Broccoli, carrots, romaine lettuce, collard greens, green pepper, kale,
pumpkin, spinach sweet potato, winter squash
Vegetables (starchy)
Potatoes, corn, green peas
Vegetables (other)
Cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, okra, onions,
summer squash, vegetable juice, zucchini, green pepper
Dry beans and peas
Black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, navy beans, peas, pinto
beans, soy beans
*May also count as a meat/meat alternate, but not in the same meal
Fruits (citrus, melon,
berries)
Oranges, grapefruit, citrus juices (orange juice, pineapple juice, etc.),
cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries
Fruits (other)
Apple, apricot, banana, cherries, fruit juice (apple juice, grape juice, etc.),
grapes, peach, pear, pineapple, plum, prunes, raisins
Grains and Breads
Breads or grain products must be included with all meals. Breads and grains served must
be made primarily of whole-grain, enriched, or fortified flour or meal. When trying to
determine if a product is whole-grain, look for the word “whole” (whole wheat, whole corn,
etc.) in the first ingredient listed on the food package.
Examples of grains and breads:
Grains and Breads
Examples
Enriched breads,
cereals, and pasta
Bagels, cornbread, grits, crackers, pasta, corn muffins, noodles, pita bread,
ready-to-eat cereal, white bread, rolls, corn tortillas
Whole grain breads,
cereals, and pasta
Brown rice, whole corn tortilla chips, whole-grain rye bread, whole-grain
ready-to-eat cereal, whole wheat pasta, whole-grain crackers, whole-wheat
bread, whole-wheat rolls. Whole-wheat tortillas
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 36
Common Food Definitions:
x
Whole-grain flour or meal means the product is made from grinding the entire
grain of wheat stalk which consist of the bran, germ, and endosperm.
x
Enriched means additional iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid have
been added because these nutrients were removed from the product during
the processing stage.
x
Fortified means additional iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid have
been added because they were not included in the original form.
x
If a product is truly whole-grain, fortified, or enriched then the product
name on the food label will say whole-grain, fortified, or enriched.
BETTER CHOICES FOR BETTER MEALS:
9 Substitute unsweetened, whole-grain, ready-to-eat cereal for croutons in a salad
or in place of crackers with soup.
9 Try different pasta flavors like tomato, spinach, or whole wheat.
9 Add smaller pastas such as macaroni, alphabet letters, and small shells in soups.
9 Try brown rice or whole wheat pasta.
9 Add whole-grain flour or oatmeal when making baked treats like cookies.
9 Use whole grains in mixed dishes, such as barley in vegetable soup or
stews and bulgar wheat in casseroles or stir-fry.
Milk
At-Risk Afterschool centers are required to serve milk at lunch and supper as a beverage.
Milk used as an ingredient in cooked meals, such as casseroles, puddings, and other
foods, is not considered a serving.
The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 requires that all milk served in the CACFP to
children over the age of two be low-fat (1%) or fat free (skim) (CACFP Memorandum 212011-Revised: Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2010: Nutrition Requirements for Fluid Milk
and Fluid Milk Substitutions, September 15, 2011).
Examples of milks: Pasteurized unflavored or flavored milk, buttermilk, reduced-lactose
milk, acidified milk, ultra-high temperature milk.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 37
BETTER CHOICES FOR BETTER MEALS:
9 For children who require it, serve alternative types of milks (a reduced-lactose milk,
acidophilus milk, etc).
9 Try shelf-stable UHT (ultra-high temperature) milk.
C. Milk and Other Food Substitutions
Non-dairy milk substitutions can be made at the request of the child’s parent or guardian.
Additional funds are not provided for such substitutions. Therefore, providing substitutions
is at the option and cost of the institution.
Non-dairy milk substitutions must be comparable to fluid cow’s milk in various nutrients in
order to be considered reimbursable (refer to 7 CFR 210.10 (m)(3) for requirements).
Please contact your sponsor or State agency about appropriate non-dairy milk
substitutions. Refer to CACFP Memorandum 21-2011, Child Nutrition Reauthorization
2010: Nutrition Requirements for Fluid Milk and Fluid Milk Substitutions, May 11, 2011, for
additional guidance.
If a child requires substitution of a food component because of ethnic, religious, economic,
or physical needs, the institution should contact their sponsor or the State agency for
information on how to properly request approval. FNS may grant approval of variations in
food components on an experimental or a continuing basis when evidence is provided that
shows that the variations are nutritionally sound and are necessary to meet ethnic,
religious, economic, or physical needs [7 CFR 226.20(i)].
If an institution is serving a child with a disability that directly affects the types of foods the
child can consume, the parent and/or guardian must submit a medical statement signed by
a licensed physician. The medical statement must identify the child’s disability and an
explanation of why the disability restricts the child’s diet, the major life activity affected by
the diet, and the food or foods to be omitted from the child’s diet and the appropriate
substitutions. The institution is required to make these types of substitutions at no cost to
the child’s family.
If an institution is serving a child with special dietary needs (e.g., vegetarian), the
parent/guardian may request substitutions by submitting a medical statement signed by a
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 38
recognized medical authority, listing the foods to be omitted and appropriate substitutions.
The institution can make such substitutions at its discretion. Please refer to the State
agency for the definition of a recognized medical authority.
D. Offer Versus Serve (OVS)
At-Risk Afterschool Meals prepared in or by SFAs may choose to use the NSLP and SBP
meal pattern requirements or the CACFP meal patterns [7 CFR 226.20(o)].
Additionally, institutions that serve meals prepared by SFAs that participate in NSLP and
SBP – whether they are located in the school or in another location – have the option of
using OVS in their At-Risk centers. Institutions electing to use OVS must implement it in
accordance with the approach used by the school providing the meals. Sponsors using
OVS for At-Risk Afterschool Meals should follow the same requirements relating to OVS
that they would follow under the NSLP.
Example: Fun and Games Child Care operates an afterschool program
at Park Center Middle School. Meals for children participating in the Fun
and Games Afterschool Program are prepared and served in the Park
Center Middle School cafeteria. Fun and Games Child Care may use
OVS when providing Afterschool Meals, but must provide the entire
snack to all children.
OVS can help minimize food waste and teach children to make choices. A resource guide
on OVS is available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/SP45-2013a.pdf.
Note: OVS is not an option during a snack service (CACFP
Memorandum 23-2011: Clarification on the Substitution of NSLP Meals
and Use of Offer Versus Serve for CACFP Meals Prepared by Schools,
May 17, 2011).
F. Water
Drinking water must be made available to children throughout the day, including at meal
times. While water must be made available to children during meal times, it is not part of
the reimbursable meal and cannot be served in lieu of fluid milk. Water can be made
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 39
available to children in a variety of ways, including but not limited to: having cups available
next to the kitchen sink faucet, having pitchers and cups set out, or simply providing water
to a child when it is requested. Please contact your sponsor or State agency for questions
pertaining to this requirement (CACFP Memorandum 20-2011: Child Nutrition
Reauthorization 2010: Water Availability in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, May
11, 2011).
G. Questions and Answers
1. May USDA Foods be used in snacks?
Yes. Afterschool Programs may use USDA Foods in their Afterschool Snack and/or
Meal service. Please note, however, that the school or organization will not earn
additional entitlement foods as a result of serving Afterschool Snacks. The amount of
entitlement foods earned will continue to be based solely upon the number of lunches
or suppers served to children.
2. An At-Risk Afterschool Care Program operates during the week and on
weekends. Do the weekday and weekend meal service times need to be the
same?
No. Meals and snacks served through CACFP on weekends or holidays may be served
at any time of day approved by the State.
3. Are Afterschool Programs permitted to serve two snacks instead of one meal and
one snack?
The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act clearly states that institutions
participating in the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of CACFP may be reimbursed
for only one meal and one snack. However, because serving an additional snack in lieu
of a meal would not exceed the maximum meal benefit allowed by law and therefore
would not increase cost to the Program, State agencies are authorized to waive this
requirement on a case-by-case basis and allow institutions to serve two snacks instead
of one meal and one snack. This will allow State agencies to provide additional flexibility
to institutions that may not have the capacity to serve a full meal. We strongly
encourage institutions to provide a full meal whenever possible in order to meet the
nutritional needs of the children served.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 40
4. Must institutions participating in multiple Child Nutrition Programs (for example,
NSLP, CACFP, and SFSP) keep their food inventories separate?
There is no Federal requirement that food inventories used for the various Child
Nutrition Programs be stored separately. However, accurate records must be
maintained for the individual programs, including allocation of food costs between
multiple programs.
5. If the Afterschool Meal is served by the school, can the different afterschool clubs
at the school eat separately?
Yes, it is permissible for the different clubs and groups that make up the school’s
Afterschool Program to eat in different locations on the school grounds. For example, the
band members may eat the meal in the band room with just the band members while the
football team eats outside.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 41
Part 4: Reimbursements
Reimbursement for meals served to eligible children is made to those institutions that have
an agreement with a State agency to operate the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of
CACFP. Reimbursements are paid out of Program funds made available to the States from
the USDA. Reimbursements may be paid by the States directly to independent centers or
to sponsoring organizations, which then reimburse or use the funds to provide food to
sponsored facilities.
A. Claims for Reimbursement
To receive reimbursement, sponsors and independent centers must submit claims to their
State agency. Claims for reimbursement must report information in accordance with the
financial management system established by the State. Only institutions that have an
agreement with the State agency will receive payments.
Reimbursements are based on the number of meals and/or snacks served to children times
the free rate for meals and snacks respectively. While point-of-service meal counts are not
a Federal requirement, records must be kept on the number of meals served (See: Part 5).
Reimbursement rates are based on a formula established by Congress. Current
reimbursement rates can be found at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/reimbursement-rates.
B. Process for Reimbursement
Sponsors and independent centers must submit claims for reimbursement to the State
agency each month. These claims must accurately report the number of meals and snacks
served. Original claims must be postmarked and/or received by the State agency no later
than 60 days following the last day of the month covered by the claim. Some State
agencies may have stricter claim submission deadlines [7 CFR 226.10(e)].
Sponsored centers submit claims to their sponsor. Sponsors then check each facility’s
meal claim to ensure accuracy. At a minimum, edit checks must verify that each facility has
been approved to serve the meals claimed and compare the number of children at each
center, multiplied by the number of days on which the center is approved to serve meals, to
the total number of meals claimed by the center for that month. While block claim edit
checks are no longer required, sponsors may, at their discretion, retain block claim edit
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 42
checks (CACFP Memorandum: 3-2011, Elimination of Block Claim Edit Checks in the Child
and Adult Care Food Program, December 17, 2010).
C. Questions and Answers
1. How does a child care center that uses claiming percentages or blended rates
claim free meals and/or snacks for its At-Risk Afterschool Meals component in
CACFP?
All organizations participating in the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of CACFP
must submit separate meal counts for the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program. This
includes child care centers that are currently participating in CACFP and using claiming
percentages or blended rates. State agencies are responsible for amending their
reimbursement forms and payment systems to recognize a separate entry for At-Risk
Afterschool Meals and Snacks.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 43
Part 5: Recordkeeping and Reporting
By keeping accurate records, institutions can ensure that they receive all the
reimbursement payments to which they are entitled. This section provides information
about the types of records that must be kept to justify reimbursement claims. Institutions
must establish procedures to collect and maintain all Program records required by the
USDA and the State agency.
A. Required Records
Institutions are required to keep the following records relating to participation in the
CACFP:
Records relating to attendance and the number of meals served:
x
x
x
x
x
Daily attendance rosters or sign in sheets, or other methods with State approval, which
result in accurate recording of daily attendance;
Number of At-Risk Afterschool Snacks and/or Meals prepared or delivered for each
meal service;
Daily record of the number of At-Risk Afterschool Snacks and/or Meals served at each
snack and/or meal service;
Daily records indicating the number of meals, by type, served to adults performing labor
necessary to the food service; and
Any additional records required by the State agency.
Records establishing that the meal patterns were met:
x
Menus for each At-Risk Afterschool Snack and/or Meal service.
Records establishing eligibility:
x
x
x
Copies of all applications and supporting documents submitted to the State;
If applicable, information about the location and dates of child care center reviews, any
problems noted, and the corrective action prescribed and effected; and
Documentation of nonprofit food service, to ensure that all Program reimbursement
funds are only used for the food service operations.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 44
Records pertaining to fiscal management:
x
Copies of invoices, receipts, or other records required by the State agency financial
management instruction to document:
x Administrative costs claimed by the institution,
x Operating costs claimed by the institution, and
x Income to the Program;
x Copies of all claims for reimbursement submitted to the State agency;
x Receipts from all Program payments received from State agency; and
x If applicable, information concerning the dates, and amounts if disbursement to
sponsored centers.
Records documenting training:
x
x
Information on training session dates, locations, topics presented, and names of
participants; and
For sponsors, records documenting attendance at training of each staff member with
monitoring responsibilities.
B. Record Retention
Records that support a claim must be retained for three years after the final claim for the
fiscal year. However, if there are audit findings that have not been resolved, records must
be retained until the audit findings have been resolved. All accounts and records should be
made available upon request to the State agency, the USDA, and the United States
General Accountability Office (GAO) for audit or review at a reasonable time or place.
Failure to maintain required records will result in denial of reimbursement.
C. Reporting Requirements
At-Risk Afterschool Care centers must report the total number of meals and snacks served
to eligible children based on daily attendance rosters or sign-in sheets [7 CFR 226.17a
(p)].
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 45
D. Questions and Answers
1. Are point-of-service meal counts and production records required?
Meal counts taken at the point of service and production records are not required for
Afterschool Meal and Snack service, though individual State agencies may require
them. However, accurate daily meal count records based on daily attendance rosters or
sign-in sheets must be maintained. Documentation of compliance with the meal pattern
and records of all purchases including food are required under CACFP.
2. Because production records are not a Federal requirement, can a State that
requires production records enforce the requirement with fiscal action?
Yes. The Federal regulations require institutions to maintain any records required by
the State agency [7 CFR 226.15(e)]. Therefore, additional record requirements
established by the State agency, including production records, are enforceable with
fiscal action by the State agency.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 46
Part 6: Monitoring
Monitoring is the process of visiting and reviewing centers. Monitoring is critical to the
effective operation of the Program. As part of the review and monitoring process, State
agencies and sponsors must provide technical assistance. This assures that participants
receive nutritious meals and that institutions receive proper financial reimbursement.
A. State Agency Monitoring Requirements
State agencies must provide technical and supervisory assistance to sponsors and
independent centers to ensure effective Program operation, monitor progress towards
achieving Program goals, and ensure that there is no discrimination in the Program.
Review Content
State agencies must assess each institution’s compliance with the requirements related to:
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Recordkeeping;
Meal counts;
Administrative costs;
Any applicable guidance issued by FNS, the USDA, or the State;
If applicable, facility licensing and approval;
If an independent center, observation of a meal service;
If a Sponsor, training and monitoring of facilities; and
All other Program requirements.
Frequency and Number of Reviews
State agencies must adhere to the following review schedule when monitoring sponsors
and independent centers:
x
x
x
x
Annually review at least 33.3 percent of all institutions.
At least 15 percent of the total number of facility reviews must be unannounced.
Independent centers and sponsors of one to 100 centers must be reviewed at least
once every three years.
Sponsors with more than 100 centers must be reviewed at least once every two years
(these reviews must include five percent of the first 1,000 centers and two and a half
percent of the centers in excess of 1000).
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 47
x
New sponsors with 5 or more centers must be reviewed within the first 90 days of
operations [7 CFR 226.6(m)]
Civil Rights
Institutions also must comply with the following civil rights laws and compliance will be
monitored by the State agency:
x
x
x
x
x
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964;
Title IX of the Education amendments of 1972;
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;
The Age Discrimination Act of 1975; and
The USDA’s regulations concerning nondiscrimination.
Monitoring SFAs that participate in NSLP and CACFP
When the same State agency administers both CACFP and the School Meal Programs,
monitoring of the financial management portion of the Child Nutrition Programs must be
combined to ease the burden on SFAs and ensure that the complete nonprofit food service
is reviewed. Where two separate State agencies administer the Programs, the State
agencies must determine which agency will monitor the financial management portion of
the SFA Child Nutrition Programs.
Additionally, States are encouraged to combine CACFP and NSLP monitoring of
programmatic requirements, including meal pattern compliance, counting, and claiming.
State agencies may wish to implement a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between
the two agencies to address review requirements. MOUs between State agencies must be
approved by the appropriate Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Regional Office (CACFP
Memorandum 04-2013: Streamlining At-risk Meal Participation for School Food Authorities,
November 28, 2012).
B. Sponsoring Organization Monitoring Requirements
Each sponsoring organization must provide adequate supervisory and operational
personnel for the effective management and monitoring of the Program at all At-Risk
Childcare centers under its sponsorship.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 48
Pre-approval Visits and Training Requirements
Sponsors must conduct pre-approval visits to each center to discuss Program benefits and
requirements and ensure that the facility is capable of providing the proposed meal service.
State agencies may waive the requirement for pre-approval visits for centers that operated
as SFSP sites and SFAs are not required to conduct pre-approval visits to schools
participating in NSLP. Sponsors must also conduct training on Program duties and
responsibilities to key staff from all sponsored centers prior to the beginning of Program
operations.
At a minimum training must include instruction appropriate to the level of staff experience
and duties on:
x
x
x
x
x
x
Program meal patterns,
Meal counts,
Claims submission,
Review procedures,
Recordkeeping requirements, and
Reimbursement system.
Mandatory Training
Attendance by key staff, as
defined by the State agency, is
mandatory at trainings.
Sponsors must provide additional annual training sessions for key staff from all sponsored
child care facilities [7 CFR 226.16(b)]
Review Elements
Reviews must:
x
x
x
Review Averaging
If a sponsor conducts two unannounced reviews
of a facility in one year and finds no serious
deficiencies, the sponsor may choose not to do
a third review of that facility that year. However,
the first review in the next review year must
occur no more than nine months after the
previous review [7 CFR 226.16(d).
Determine whether a facility has
corrected problems noted on prior
reviews;
Include a reconciliation of the facility’s
meal counts with enrollment and
attendance records for a five day period; and
Assess the facility’s compliance with Program requirements related to:
x The meal pattern;
x Licensing or approval;
x Attendance at annual training;
x Meal counts; and
x Menu and meal records.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 49
Follow-up Reviews
If during a facility review, a sponsor finds one or more serious deficiencies, that facility’s
next review must be unannounced [7 CFR 226.16(d)(4)(v)].
Health and Safety
If a sponsor, State, or FNS finds that a facility’s conduct or conditions pose a threat to the
health or safety of participating children or the public, the reviewer must immediately notify
the appropriate State or local licensing or health authorities and take action that is
consistent with the recommendations and requirements of those authorities [7 CFR
226.6(c)(5)(i)]. If the licensing or health authorities discover a problem and suspend the
facility’s license, CACFP participation will be immediately suspended.
Frequency and Type of Required Reviews
Sponsors must adhere to the following review schedule:
x
x
x
x
x
Annually review each facility three times per year.
At least two of the reviews must be unannounced.
At least one unannounced review must include observation of a meal service.
At least one review must be during each new facility’s first four weeks of operations.
No more than 6 months may elapse between reviews.
Sponsors must ensure that the timing of unannounced reviews is varied in a way that
would ensure they are unpredictable to the facility (CACFP Memorandum 16-2011: Child
Nutrition Reauthorization 2011: Varied Timing of Unannounced Reviews in the Child and
Adult Care Food Program, April 7, 2011).
Sponsors that operate SFSP and CACFP At-Risk Meals are not required to monitor their
sites following the SFSP requirements and then monitor those same sites again following
the CACFP requirements during the school year. Instead, such sponsors may follow the
CACFP monitoring schedule year-round. If sponsors choose to follow the CACFP
monitoring schedule year-round, one of the three annual reviews must occur during the
summer, review for SFSP requirements, include the review of a meal service, and be
unannounced; two reviews must occur during the school year, review for CACFP
requirements, at least one must include the review of a meal service, and at least one must
be unannounced (CACFP Memorandum 12-2013: Transitioning from the Summer Food
Service Program to Child and Adult Care Food Program At-risk Afterschool Meals, May
31, 2013).
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 50
C. Corrective Action
If a participating institution has committed one or more serious deficiencies, the institution’s
executive director and chairman of the board of directors must receive a notice of serious
deficiency. The notice must identify responsible principals and individuals and must be sent
to those persons as well. The notice will specify appropriate corrective action and the time
periods for completing the corrective action for the institution and responsible principals
and individuals.
If one or more serious deficiencies result in a disallowance (a determination that the
institution must repay the State for unearned reimbursements) the State must establish an
overclaim. To the extent possible and appropriate, the State must identify the person or
persons responsible for the deficiencies for the purpose of assigning financial responsibility
to the responsible principal or responsible individual, in addition to the institution. Failure to
take corrective action to fully and permanently correct the serious deficiency by the allotted
time will result in proposed termination [7 CFR 226.6(c)].
D. Appeals
A facility may appeal the proposed termination by requesting an administrative review
within 15 days of receiving the notice of proposed termination. A hearing is then held by the
administrative review official, and the official must inform the State agency, the institution’s
executive director, and the chairman of the board of directors, and the responsible
principals and responsible individuals, of the administrative review’s outcome within 60
days of the State agency’s receipt of the request for an administrative review [7 CFR
226.6(k)].
E. Questions and Answers
1. What are the State administrative review requirements for At-Risk Afterschool
institutions?
In CACFP, State agencies must comply with 7 CFR 226.6(m) in conducting reviews of
those institutions that have agreements with the State agency to provide At-Risk
Afterschool Meals or Snacks. According to these regulations, State agencies must
annually review 33.3 percent of all CACFP institutions, including those operating AtRisk Afterschool Programs. At least fifteen percent of the required reviews must be
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 51
unannounced. Additionally, the current regulations require that State agencies ensure
that:
x Independent centers and sponsors of one to 100 facilities are reviewed at least
once every three years; a review of such sponsors must include reviews of ten
percent of the sponsors’ facilities.
x Sponsors with more than 100 facilities must be reviewed at least every three
years. These reviews must include reviews of five percent of the first 1,000
facilities and two and a half percent of the facilities in excess of 1,000.
x Reviews of newly participating sponsoring organizations with five or more child
care facilities must be completed within the first 90 days of Program
operations.
In conducting these reviews, State agencies must ensure that sponsors are operating
eligible At-Risk Afterschool Care Programs (i.e., programs that provide children with
regularly scheduled activities in an organized, structured, and supervised environment),
and are complying with all Program requirements.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 52
Part 7: Resources
Below is a list of available resources including regulations, required notices, rates, and
meal service/planning guides.
x
Building for the Future Notice
This notice describes the CACFP, its eligibility requirements, and the types of meals
that can be served.
English version: http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/4Future.pdf
Spanish version: http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/elFuturo.pdf
x
CACFP At-risk Afterschool Meals Best Practices, 2011 Final Report
The CACFP At-risk Afterschool Meals Best Practices Report identifies best practices
that pilot State agencies and their sponsors used to implement and administer the atrisk afterschool meals component of the CACFP, challenges these State agencies and
sponsors encountered and solutions they developed.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/Best_Practices_Report.pdf
x
CACFP Required Meal Patterns
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care/programbasics/meals/meal_patterns.htm
x
Code of Federal Regulations
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionCfr.action?collectionCode=CFR
x
Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs)
The DGAs are the cornerstone for Federal nutrition policy and nutrition education
activities.
www.dietaryguidelines.gov
x
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)
FNS administers the CACFP on the Federal level.
www.fns.usda.gov
x
MyPlate
MyPlate was developed as an effort to promote healthy eating to consumers. The
MyPlate icon is easy to understand and it helps to promote messages based on the
2010 DGAs.
www.choosemyplate.gov
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 53
x
The Institute of Child Nutrition
The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN), part of the School of Applied Science at The
University of Mississippi, offers in-person training at little or no cost and free online
courses designed to support the professional development of child nutrition program
and child care personnel at all levels of responsibility. The Institute also delivers free
training resources managers can use to train their staff.
www.nfsmi.org
x
Reimbursement Rates:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/reimbursement-rates.
x
State Agency Contact Information
www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Contacts/StateDirectory.htm
x
Team Nutrition
Team Nutrition is an initiative of the USDA-FNS to support the Child Nutrition Programs
through training and technical assistance for food service, nutrition education for
children and their caregivers, and school and community support for healthy eating and
physical activity. Users can download recipes, activity sheets and other nutrition related
materials.
http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/
x
The Healthy Meals Resource System
The Healthy Meals Resource System is an online information center for USDA Child
Nutrition Programs and has been delivering resources to Program staff since 1995.
http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov
x
Share Our Strength: Afterschool Snacks and Meals
Share Our Strength’s Afterschool Snacks and Meals homepage provides resources
Program partners may use to expand and improve their At-Risk Program.
http://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/Afterschool
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 54
Memoranda Issued by FNS Relating to the
At-risk Afterschool Meals Component of
CACFP
July 22, 2015
Smoothies Offered in Child Nutrition Programs
April 17, 2015
Allowable Costs Related to Physical Activity and Limiting the Use of
Electronic Media in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
March 20, 2015
Guidance on Prohibition of Separation by Gender during CNP Meal Service
March 13, 2015
Local Foods in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
December 10, 2014
Health and Safety Inspection Requirements
November 21, 2014
Area Eligibility in Child Nutrition Programs
April 24, 2014
Sharing Aggregate Data to Expand Program Access and Services in Child
Nutrition Programs
May 31, 2013
Transitioning from the Summer Food Service Program to the
Child and Adult Care Food Program At-risk Afterschool Meals
April 26, 2013
Guidance Related to the ADA Amendments Act
March 29, 2013
Additional State Agency Requirements in the Child and Adult Care Food
Program
January 24, 2013
Tax Exempt Status for Private Nonprofit Organizations and Churches in the
Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service
Program
November 28, 2012
Streamlining At-risk Meal Participation of School Food Authorities
November 23, 2012
Determining Area Eligibility Based on School Data
October 2, 2012
Federal Small Purchase Threshold Adjustment
July 24, 2012
Tribal Participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
and the Summer Food Service Program
May 1, 2012
Health and Safety Standards for Outside-School-Hours Care Center and
At-Risk Afterschool Care Centers
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 55
February 17, 2012
The At-Risk Afterschool Meals Component of the Child and Adult Care
Food Program, Questions and Answers
January 25, 2012
Changes to the FNS-44, Report of the Child and Adult Care Food
Program
September 15, 2011 Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2010: Nutrition Requirements for Fluid Milk
and Fluid Milk Substitutions in the Child and Adult Care Food Program,
Questions and Answers.
May 17, 2011
May 11, 2011
Clarification on the Use of Offer Versus Serve and Family Style Meal
Service
Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2010: Water Availability in the Child and Adult
Care Food Program
January 21, 2011
Eligibility of Expanded Learning Time Programs for Afterschool Snack
Service in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the Child and
Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
December 17, 2010
Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2010: Elimination Claim Edit Checks in the
Child and Adult Care Food Program
December 17, 2010
Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2010: Nationwide Expansion of At-Risk
Afterschool Meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
July 3, 2007
Accommodations for Non-Traditional Program Operators
June 3, 2003
Review Requirements for At-risk Afterschool Care Centers Participating in
the Child and Adult Care Food Program
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 56
Part 8: Glossary
CACFP – Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Children – For the purposes of at-risk afterschool centers, persons 18 years of age at the
start of the school year and under and mentally or physically disabled persons, as defined
by the State, enrolled in an agency or a child care facility serving a majority of persons 18
years of age and younger.
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) – The CFR is is the codification of the general and
permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the
Federal Government.
Disability – The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, including ADA
Amendments Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-325), defines an individual with a disability as a person
with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life
activities; has a record of such an impairment; or is regarded as having such an
impairment. Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself,
performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, communicating, etc. A major life activity
also includes the operation of a major bodily function, including, but not limited, to functions
of the immune system, digestive system, bowel, bladder neurological system, etc.
Family Style Meal Service – A type of meal service that allows children to serve
themselves from common platters or bowls of food.
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) – The agency within the USDA that regulates the
CACFP.
Institution – A sponsoring organization, child care center, at-risk afterschool care center,
outside-school hours care center, emergency shelter or adult day care center which enters
into an agreement with the State agency to assume final administrative and financial
responsibility for Program operations.
Meal Count – A daily count of meals served to participants by meal type.
Menus – A dated list of food, by meal type, served to CACFP participants.
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) – The National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 57
residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches
to children each school day. The program was established under the National School
Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.
Offer Versus Serve (OVS) – Offer versus serve means that children are offered all of the
components of the meal pattern, but are not required to take them all.
Participants – Children who are participating in the CACFP.
Reimbursable Meals – Meals that are served to enrolled participants at a center and that
meet USDA nutritional requirements.
Reimbursement – Money paid at-risk afterschool centers or through their sponsors for
eligible meals served.
Sponsoring Organization (Sponsor) – Public or private non-profit organizations that are
entirely responsible for the administration of the CACFP in sponsored facilities such as
FDCHs.
School Breakfast Program (SBP) – The School Breakfast Program (SBP) provides cash
assistance to States to operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential
childcare institutions.
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) – The Summer Food Service Program provides
free, nutritious meals and snacks to help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they
need to learn, play, and grow, throughout the summer months when they are out of school.
USDA – United States Department of Agriculture.
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 58
Attachments:
Outside School Hours Care Centers and At-risk Afterschool Care Centers
Comparison Chart
The chart below highlights the differences between two components of the Child and Adult Care
Food Program that provide reimbursement for meals served in Outside School Hours Care
Centers and At-risk Afterschool Care Centers
Requirement
OSHCC’s
At-risk Afterschool Centers
Eligible Institutions
Public, private nonprofit, or qualifying
for-profit centers [7 CFR 226.19(a)].
Public, private nonprofit, or qualifying forprofit centers [7 CFR 226.17a(a)].
Licensing
Licensing not required unless there is a
State or local requirement for licensing.
If there is no State or local requirement
for licensing, then centers must meet
State or local health and safety
standards [7 CFR 226.6(d)].
Licensing not required unless there is a
State or local requirement for licensing. If
there is no State or local requirement for
licensing, then centers must meet State or
local health and safety standards [7 CFR
226.6(d)].
Determination of
Reimbursement
Program may operate in any area.
Individual free and reduced-price
applications are collected to determine
level of reimbursement (free, reduced
price, and paid) [7 CFR
226.19(b)(7)(i)].
Program must be located in a geographic
area served by a school in which 50 percent
or more of the children enrolled are eligible
for free or reduced price meals. All meals
and snacks are reimbursed at the free rate
[7 CFR 226.17a(i)].
Age of Participants
12 years of age and under, children
age 15 and under who are children of
migrant workers, and persons of any
age who meet the definition of
‘‘Persons with disabilities’’ [7 CFR
226.19(b)(3)].
School-age children through age 18 (or 19 if
the individual turns 19 during the school
year) and persons of any age who meet the
definition of ‘‘Persons with disabilities’’ [7
CFR 226.17a(c)].
Type of Meals Eligible for
Reimbursement
Breakfast, snack, and supper. Lunch
may be served during school vacations
during the regular school year [7 CFR
226.19(b)(4)].
Snack and supper. Breakfast or lunch may
be served in lieu of supper on weekends,
holidays, or during school vacations during
the regular school year [7 CFR 226.17a(k)].
Number of Reimbursable
Meals
Maximum of two meals and one snack
or two snacks and one meal per child
per day [7 CFR 226.19(b)(5)].
Maximum of one snack and one meal per
child per day [7 CFR 226.17a(k)].
Meal Patterns
CACFP meal patterns [7 CFR
226.20(c)].
CACFP meal patterns [7 CFR 226.20(c)].
Meal Service Periods
School days, weekends, and holidays;
no weekend-only programs [7 CFR
226.19(b)(4)].
School days, weekends, and holidays during
the regular school year [7 CFR 226.17a(b)].
Time Restrictions for
Meal Service
None.
Meals must be served after school, except
on weekends and holidays, when meals may
be served at any time of day, as approved
by the State agency [7 CFR 226.17a(m)].
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 59
At-Risk Afterschool Handbook
Page 60
| File Type | application/pdf |
| File Title | atriskhandbook.pdf |
| Author | tmays |
| File Modified | 2016-09-14 |
| File Created | 2016-09-14 |