Child Nutrition Programs

USDA Food and Nutrition Service

General Overview of

Critical CACFP Regulations

Policy and Program Development DivisionAngela Kline, Director

Andrea Farmer, Community Meals Branch Chief

Program Monitoring and Operational Support Division

Sarah Smith-Holmes, Director

Autumn McCain, Program Monitoring Branch Chief

Agenda

• CACFP Options in Schools

• NSLP Afterschool Snacks vs. CACFP At-Risk Meals

• Meal Pattern Comparisons

• Streamlining for SFAs

• Procurement, FSMC’s & Monitoring

• Resources

CACFP Options in School Settings

•At-risk Afterschool Meals• Licensed Child Care Centers•Head Start Programs•Out-of-School Time Programs

NSLP Afterschool Snacks

vs.

CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals

NSLP Afterschool Snacks

• Sponsored by school food authorities

• Sites may be “area eligible” or establish participant eligibility through the application

• May serve one snack per participant each day

• Can only operate on days school is in session

Sites located in the attendance area of a

school where at least 50% of all enrolled children are

eligible for free and reduced price meals

• Variety of sponsors

• Sites must be “area eligible”

• May serve one meal and one snack per child per day

• Can operate after school, on weekends, during holidays, and during vacations throughout the school year

• Open to all children

CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals

Sites located in the attendance area of a school where at least

50% of all enrolled children are eligible for free and reduced

price meals

Program Basics

NSLP Afterschool Snacks

CACFP At-Risk

Program Purpose

Provide a nutritional boost to children enrolled in afterschool activities

Provide care to children outside of school hours –after school, weekends, holidays

Children Served

Ages 18 and under (or any age if disabled)

Ages 18 and under (or any age if disabled)

Eligibility

NSLP Afterschool Snacks

CACFP At-Risk

Location Must be located in a school district where at least 1school participates in NSLP

“Area eligible” based on school attendance area

Eligible Sponsors

School Food Authorities Schools, nonprofits, and for-profits

Reimbursement

NSLP Afterschool Snacks

CACFP At-Risk

Number and Type of Meals Eligible for Reimbursement

1 snack can be served on regular school days only

One meal and one snack

Reimbursement Rate “Free,” “reduced-price,” or “paid” depending on eligibility

“Free” rate for allmeals and snacks served

Activities

NSLP Afterschool Snacks

CACFP At-Risk

Programs must provide regularly scheduled educational or enrichment activities in a supervised environment

Programs must provide organized, regularly scheduled activities and include educational or enrichment activities

Operating Days and Time Periods

NSLP Afterschool Snacks CACFP At-Risk

After school on school days only, including during summer school

After school on school days as well as on weekends, holidays, and other days off or breaks

Not during summer break

Differences Between the NSLP and CACFP Afterschool Programs

1. Who can run the programs• NSLP must be run by a school district or SFA and the SFA

must serve lunches through the NSLP • CACFP can be administered by SFAs or public or private

non-profit organizations and eligible for-profit child care providers

2. NSLP reimbursement for afterschool snacks only, CACFP reimburses both afterschool snacks and meals

Meal Pattern Comparisons

At-Risk Meal Patterns in School Settings

• Can choose between NSLP or CACFP meal pattern

• Both have preschool requirements

• CACFP meal pattern includes a new age group for older children ages 13-18

Key DifferencesNSLP and CACFP Meal Patterns

CACFP

(and Schools’ Pre-K)

NSLP and SBP

Vegetables & Fruit Components

• One component at breakfast

• Two separate components at lunch and afterschool snack

• Only the fruit component is required at breakfast; vegetables may be offered in place of fruits

• Two separate components at lunch

• One component at afterschool snack

Key DifferencesNSLP and CACFP Meal Patterns

CACFP

(and Schools’ Pre-K)

NSLP and SBP

Grains • All grain products must be made with enriched or whole grain meal or flour, or bran or germ

• Grain-based desserts cannot credit as grains

• Grain ingredients that are not whole or enriched are considerednon-creditable

• Up to 2 oz eq of grain-based desserts may credit for grains at lunch

Key DifferencesNSLP and CACFP Meal Patterns

CACFP

(and Schools’ Pre-K)

NSLP and SBP

Meat/meat

alternates at

breakfast

• May substitute for the

entire grain

component no more

than 3 times per week

• May substitute 1 oz eq for 1

oz eq grains after the

minimum daily grains

requirement is met

• May be served as an extra

within the dietary

specifications

Key DifferencesNSLP and CACFP Meal Patterns

CACFP

(and Schools’ Pre-K)

NSLP and SBP

Sugar Limits

• Yogurt must contain no more than 23 grams of sugar per 6 ounces

• Breakfast cereal must contain no more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce

• No sugar limits; sugar is self-regulated by the weekly calorie limit

Key DifferencesNSLP and CACFP Meal Patterns

CACFP

(and Schools’ Pre-K)

NSLP and SBP

Dietary

specifications

• No specific

requirements for

calories, saturated fat,

sodium or trans fat

• Weekly limits for

calories, saturated fat,

and sodium

• Food products served in

meals must contain zero

grams of trans fat

Key DifferencesNSLP and CACFP Meal Patterns

CACFP

(and Schools’ Pre-K)

NSLP and SBP

Offer

Versus

Serve

• Allowed in adult day care

centers and at-risk

afterschool programs, only

• Not allowed in Pre-K

• No ½ cup vegetable or fruit

requirement

• Required in high schools;

optional for middle and

elementary schools

• Students must select at

least 1⁄2 cup of fruit

and/or vegetable at

breakfast and lunch

• Single-menu flexibility when pre-K and K-5 students are in the same service area at the same time

• May choose to follow the grade-

appropriate meal patterns or K-5 meal

patterns for both groups

• Encouraging schools to serve grade-

appropriate meals

Co-Mingling

Streamlining for SFAs

Streamlined Process for SFAs

SP 09-2013, CACFP 04-2013

• Streamlined application process

• Single agreements for all Child Nutrition

Programs

• Streamlined training requirements

• Procurement and contracting requirements

• Food service management companies (FSMCs)

• Monitoring

Applications, Agreements, & Training

Streamlined Application Process

• State agencies may accept a copy of the NSLP application from SFAs

• State agencies only collect the additional information required ✓Addendum

Single Agreements for all CNPs

• State agencies that administer multiple CNPs must utilize a single agreement with SFAs✓Addendum

Streamlined Training Requirements

• SFAs participating in the NSLP can submit CACFP application prior to training

• Food service staff notrequired to attend separate CACFP training

• Administrative staff must know Program requirements and attend training

Procurement, FSMCs, & Monitoring

• SFAs may follow the NSLP procurement standards in lieu of CACFP procurement standards

• NSLP has comprehensive procurement requirements

• Food inventories do not have to be stored separately

• Child Nutrition Program reimbursements may be used to pay expenses related to any of the Child Nutrition Programs

Procurement and Contracting

• SFAs may follow the NSLP procurement standards when contracting with FSMCs in lieu of CACFP standards

• Ensure addition of CACFP at-risk afterschool meals does not create a material change to the contract

• An SFA’s FSMC may manage both NSLP and CACFP

• SFA maintains certain responsibilities

Food Svc Mgmt Co (FSMCs)

STATE AGENCY

Afterschool Snack Service (NSLP)Administrative Review

off-site on-site

• Supplemental Afterschool Snacks Administrative Review Form

• On-site Assessment Tool (Question 1700)

• Site Eligibility• Counting & Claiming• Service & Nutritional

Requirements• Self Monitoring

Activities • Food Safety and Civil

Rights

Review Requirements

Pre-K Meal Pattern Co-Mingled

Administrative Reviews

On Site Review

Infants & Children ages 1-4 Infants & Children ages 1-4

K-5

Flexibility

SP 37-2017

= Regular Review Questions

Infant and Pre-K Meal Validation Checklist

3 times per year (or more)

2 unannounced site visits

Follow CACFP regulations for:

• Terminations

• Disqualifications

• National Disqualified List

• Overclaims

Monitoring Requirements

SA CACFP monitoring staff will look at:

i. Recordkeeping

ii. Meal counts

iii. Administrative costs

iv. Compliance with FNS instructions and handbooks

v. Facility licensing and approval

vi. Enrollments forms

vii. Training and monitoring facilities

viii. Implementation of household contact system; and

ix. All other program requirements

Being Monitored in CACFP

Monitoring staff should look at:

i. Facility has corrected any problems found on previous reviews

ii. Five-day reconciliation of meal counts with enrollment and attendance records

iii. Meal pattern

iv. Licensing or approval

v. Attendance at training

vi. Meal counts; and

vii. Menu and meal records

Monitoring in CACFP

Resources

Meal Pattern Resources

• Nutrition Standards for CACFP Meals and Snacks: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/meals-and-snacks

• Nutrition Standards for School Meals: https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards-school-meals

Policy Resources

• SP 09-2013, CACFP 04-2013: Streamlining At-risk Meal Participation for School Food Authorities

• CACFP 15-2013: Existing Flexibilities in the CACFP• CACFP 03-2014: Available Flexibilities for CACFP At-risk

Sponsors and Centers Transitioning to SFSP• CACFP 12-2013: Transitioning from the SFSP to CACFP At-

risk Afterschool Meals • SP 01-2018: Updated Infant and Preschool Meal Patterns in

the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program; Questions and Answers

• SP 37- 2017: Flexibility for Co-Mingled Preschool Meals: Questions and Answers

Monitoring Resources

• SP 09-2013, CACFP 04-2013: Streamlining At-risk Meal Participation for School Food Authorities

• SP 60-2016: Indirect Cost Guidance• SP 17-2012: Procurement Questions and Answers to Assist

in the Implementation of the final rule titled Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs

Learn More!

• NSLP Afterschool Snacks Program Website: https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/afterschool-snacks

• CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Website: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/afterschool-programs

More information?

CACFP Website

https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/child-and-adult-care-food-program

Questions?

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