Who Can Participate in the CACFP Program?
The program is available to public and private nonprofit organizations providing licensed or registered, nonresidential day care services. Such organizations include child care centers, outside school-hours care centers, adult day care centers and organizations providing day care services for children with disabilities and/or special health care needs.
Children twelve and younger are eligible to participate in the child care program (for children of migrant workers, the age limit is 15 years). People who are physically or mentally disabled may participate regardless of age, if they receive care at a center or home where the majority of the enrolled participants are eighteen or under. Adults are eligible to participate if they are enrolled in an adult day care center and are functionally impaired or 60 years of age or older. The Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, Child Care Licensing Unit can provide information on how to obtain a license.
Meal Service and Program Assistance
All participating institutions must serve meals that meet USDA's nutritional standards. Institutions may receive reimbursements for up to two main meals and one snack per day per participant. Generally, program payments are made to child or adult day care centers and outside-school-hours care centers based on the number of meals served to enrolled participants multiplied by the current reimbursement rates. The reimbursement rates may change according to the annual National Average Payment Rate and varies with each participant's family size and income.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination, write or call:
USDA, Director
Office of Civil Rights Room 326-W, Whitten Building
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250-9410
(202) 720-5964 (Voice and TDD)
The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Eligible Population
Children mean "(a) Persons age 12 and under; (b) Persons age 15 and under who are children of migrant workers; (c) Persons age 18 and under who are residents of emergency shelters; and (d) Persons with mental or physical handicaps, as defined by the State, which are enrolled in an institution or a child care facility or residing in an emergency shelter serving a majority of persons 18 years of age and under." Provider's own children are eligible only in Tier I day care homes, when other nonresidential children are enrolled in the day care home and are participating in the meal service.
Adult participant means "a person enrolled in an adult day care center who is functionally impaired or 60 years of age or older." The adult component of CACFP is targeted to individuals who remain in the community and reside with family members. Individuals who reside in institutions are not eligible for CACFP benefits.
In addition, Public Law 105-336 made CACFP snacks available to children and youth through age 18 in eligible afterschool care programs, while Public Law 108-265 raised the age limit for meals served to children residing in emergency shelters from 12 to age 18.
In centers, participants from households with incomes at or below 130 percent of poverty are eligible for free meals. Participants in centers with household incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of poverty are eligible for meals at a reduced price. Institutions must determine each enrolled participant's eligibility for free and reduced price meals served in centers.
Children who are income-eligible participants of Head Start programs are automatically eligible for free meals, without further application or eligibility determination. Children who are residents of emergency shelters are also automatically eligible for free meals. Adults who receive food stamps, Social Security Income (SSI), or Medicaid benefits are categorically eligible for free meals.
Sponsoring organizations of day care homes must determine which day care homes are eligible for Tier I rates and, if requested, which children are eligible to receive meals reimbursed at Tier I rates in Tier II day care homes.
A participant's eligibility for free and reduced price meals in centers or for Tier I meals in day care homes, may be established by submission of an income eligibility statement, which provides information about family size and income. The information submitted by each household is compared with USDA's Income Eligibility Guidelines.
Claiming Reimbursement for Meals Served
Institutions must submit accurate monthly claims for reimbursement to their administering agency. Reimbursement is not allowed for meals or snacks that are: served to a child or an adult who is not enrolled for care; served in excess of licensed or authorized capacity; not approved in the agreement; served in excess of the maximum number of approved meal services; or out of compliance with meal pattern requirements.
Meals served at for profit centers during a calendar month with less than 25 percent of the center's enrollment or licensed capacity (whichever is less) may not claim for reimbursement.
Shelters may not claim reimbursement for meals served to children who are not residents of emergency shelters.