CACFP Regulations
This program reimburses child care providers for serving nutritious meals and snacks to children.
What is the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)?
CACFP is a federal program that provides reimbursements for nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children and adults . CACFP contributes to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children and adults in the United States.
This type of milk is required for children 12–23 months old.
What is whole milk?
This is the required serving style in Head Start programs to support child development and CACFP compliance.
What is family-style dining?
Types of meal service:
Family Style - participants pass bowls and serve themselves
Pre-plated - participants receive full portion of each required meal component
Transition - a mix of the above 2 are used
This type of milk substitute can be served without a licensed medical signature if it meets CACFP requirements.
What is a creditable non-dairy milk substitute?
Credible options our center offers include soy milk or lactose free milk.
Almond milk is NOT nutritionally equivalent.
Meals, including milk substitutes not nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk, may not be claimed for reimbursement unless prescribed by a medical professional. Documentation must be on file.
This federal law prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal funding.
What is Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
Federal regulations require child care providers to record their meal counts no later than this time.
What is at the point of service?
If documentation not completed at the time of service and we claim we are claiming a disallowed meal.
Best practice: Do a roll call during meal time and mark on the iPad
Parent sign in/sign out, meal count attendance and food production records are compared during audits.
This is the minimum number of different food components required for a reimbursable snack.
What is two components?
The components options are:
Fruit
Vegetable
Grain
Milk
Meat/Meat Alternate
This is what staff should do when a child says they are full but hasn’t eaten much.
What is respect the child’s hunger/fullness cues?
Responsive feeding promotes the division of responsibility between the adult and child. In this practice, the adult decides what the child eats while the child decides how much they will eat. Recognizing and responding to hunger and fullness cues nurtures and supports children’s relationship with food.
True or false: The family may bring only one component if the participant has a medical dietary need that is not related to a disability in order for the center to claim the meal.
What is true?
However this only applies if diet modification has been received from a authorized medical professional.
If more than one component is being brought in do NOT claim unless it is for a disability. If the modification is for a disability, the parent may bring all but one component in order for the center to claim the meal.
When in doubt do not claim and please reach out to the health and nutrition team.
This poster must be displayed in a visible location for all participants to see.
What is the “And Justice for All” poster?
The “And Justice For All” civil rights poster is the primary method utilized to inform customers of their rights, responsibilities and displays information.
Providers must retain copies of their menus, food production records, meal counts, and enrollment documents for this length of time.
What is three years plus the current year?
This food component is required at both lunch and supper but not required at breakfast.
What is a vegetable?
This program component connects children to where food comes from through gardening, cooking, and local foods.
What is Farm to Early Care and Education (Farm to ECE)?
Farm to school and early care implementation varies by community but always includes one or more of the following:
Procurement: Local foods are purchased, promoted and served at mealtimes, as a snack, or taste-test
Gardens: Students engage in hands-on learning through on-site gardening
Education: Students participate in education activities related to agriculture, food, health or nutrition.
Daily Double
The center is required to provide meal substitutes if this criteria is met.
The child has a disability.
The definition of disability includes major life activities and bodily functions listed on the Diet Modification Request Form.
Our centers best practice is to provide nutritionally equivalent nutrition substitutions for all children.
These are the six protected classes in CACFP Civil Rights compliance.
What are race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability?
In Iowa, CACFP sponsors must adhere to both federal and state civil rights laws. Protected classes include race, color, national origin, age, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, creed, religion, and reprisal/retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
This document must be on file for each enrolled child to claim meals.
What is an enrollment form?
The enrollment form should be updated annually.
This meal pattern component must be whole grain-rich at least once per day.
What is grains?
Staff must sit with children and do this during meals to support development.
What is model healthy eating behaviors?
This type of preference will be accommodated for individual participants if a diet modification form is on file and substitutions meet the CACFP requirements.
What is a religious/cultural preference substitution request?
The Health and Nutrition Team is responsible for reviewing these requests and determining if they are reasonable requests.
This statement must be included on all CACFP materials when space allows.
What is the “And Justice for All” nondiscrimination statement?
This is the minimum age a child must be to be eligible for CACFP in child care.
What is birth?
This is what must be offered to children to meet CACFP meal pattern requirements, even if they choose not to take it.
What are all required meal components?
This must never be used as a reward or punishment in Head Start programs.
What is food?
These are seven of the big 9 allergens.
They include milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.
The top allergens, known as the "Big Nine," cause roughly 90% of all food allergies in the U.S. and require mandatory labeling.
This must be offered to individuals who have limited English proficiency to ensure equal access.
What is language assistance (or translation/interpretation services)?