Child and Adult Care Food Program

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a Federal program that provides healthy meals and snacks to children and adults receiving day care. Each day more than 2.6 million children participate in CACFP. The program plays a vital role in improving the quality of child care.

If you choose to join DCCDA's food program, here are some of the extra services you will receive:

• Nutrition Notes newsletter with nutrition information, recipe and meal planning ideas
• Trainings and workshops (in-service) which focus on nutrition, health & safety, and exercise.
• Full access to the DCCDA library which includes nutrition books, games, kits and other educational items for you to use with your children. We also have a wide variety of books on taxes, child development and guidance, curriculum, health & safety, and other child care topics.

How does CACFP work?

1. CACFP reimburses participating day care homes for serving nutritious meals. It is administered at the Federal level by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and at the State level by the Kansas State Department of Education.

2. Any child care provider who is licensed or registered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is eligible to participate in the CACFP. There is NO cost to a child care provider who may choose to participate. All family or group day care homes must come into the program under a sponsoring organization. Sponsoring organizations play a critical role in supporting home child care providers through training, technical assistance, and monitoring.

3. The Douglas County Child Development Association is a sponsoring organization. The following are services DCCDA provides:

   • Licensed or registered child care providers work with DCCDA, turn in monthly reports and menus, and are reimbursed for up to 2 snacks/1 meal or 2 meals/1 snack per day per child in care

   • You get a monthly newsletter with nutrition/recipe ideas, activities to try, songs and finger plays, tips and techniques to help in caring for children.

   • You may check out play kits filled with toys, puzzles, puppets, lego sets, cooking equipment and much more.

   • You may check out books, VCR tapes and DVD's on many topics such as curriculum activities, behavior and guidance, first aid, nutrition, infants, business practices for child care, menu planning, setting up policies, abuse, health & safety, etc.

   • You are welcome to attend free training workshops throughout the year which focus on nutrition, food safety, and health.

Requirements to Participate

• You must have a licensed or registered child care home.

• You must agree to feed all children, ages newborn through 12 years old, by USDA standards.

• Keep an accurate count of all children served at each meal or snack.

• Deliver all menus and required paperwork to DCCDA by the 3rd of the following month by 4:30 p.m.

• Attend 2 hours of nutrition training each year.

• Allow DCCDA to review your home at least three times a year.

Notes about CACFP infant meal pattern requirements:

1. Meals containing only breast milk or only formula are reimbursable.
2. Iron-fortified infant formula must be served unless a doctors note is on file.
3. Iron-fortified dry infant cereal must be served at breakfast until the child turns 1.
4. All juices should be full-strength juice and served in a cup.
5. If crackers are served, they should be from whole-grain or enriched meal or flour.
6. If a mother breast feeds her child at the site, the meal is not reimbursable.
7. No reimbursements for tubular meats, peanut butter or any choking food.

Delivery of Provider's Claim

The deadline for providers to turn in monthly paperwork is by 4:30 p.m the 3rd day of the month following the month the claim is for. Claims may be hand delivered to the same address. A drop-off slot is in the window.

Claims may be mailed to:
DCCDA
935 Iowa
Lawrence, KS. 66044

Home Visits

The USDA requires each home to be reviewed at least 3 times a year from October through September. The job of the home visitor is to check for compliance. She is valued for her ability to help. She welcomes any calls for help. Emails are also welcome at marsha@dccda.org.

Two Tiered Reimbursement

1. All providers are Tier 2 until determined to be Tier 1 based on: (a) location of their day care or
   (b) household income. Reimbursement rate is determined by area eligibility and/or income eligibility.
2. If the provider's household income is at or below the income guidelines, she will be eligible for higher reimbursement for meals served to the day care children. If the providers household income qualifies for the Tier 1 reimbursement rates, she may also claim reimbursement for her own children's meals if at least one daycare child is claimed.
3. f the provider does not qualify, then she may ask parents to fill out Income Eligibility information and get reimbursed at the higher level for some of her children. This information is confidential and should be sent directly to DCCDA in the provided envelope.

INCOME GUIDELINES

July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010

Monthly income figures have been rounded to the nearest dollar for ease of reading.

USDA Disclaimer

In the operation of child feeding programs, no child will
be discriminated against because of race color, national origin, sex, age or handicap. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any USDA related activity should write immediately to the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250.