Q&As Related to CACFP 11-2021, SFSP 07-2021 Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data by Visual Observation and Identification in the CACFP and SFSP – Policy Rescission – Set 2

This guidance is intended to assist state agencies and program operators of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in meeting the longstanding federal requirement to collect race and ethnicity data of program participants. As a reminder, using visual identification is no longer an allowable practice, per CACFP 11-2021, SFSP 07-2021 Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data by Visual Observation and Identification in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program – Policy Rescission¹, published May 17, 2021, and CACFP 09-2022, SFSP 05-2022 Questions and Answers Related to CACFP 11-2021, SFSP 07-2021 Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data by Visual Observation and Identification in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program – Policy Rescission², published June 13, 2022. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is issuing this memorandum to provide further clarification on these earlier published guidance documents. In addition, this guidance includes examples of challenges program operators may encounter and best practices that may be used to collect race and ethnicity data for the CACFP and SFSP. Each scenario is followed by examples of talking points that program operators may use when faced with challenges collecting these data. See the appendix at the end of this document for best practices and example scenarios.

State agencies are reminded to distribute this information to program operators immediately. Program operators should direct any questions regarding this memorandum to the appropriate state agency. State agencies should direct questions to the appropriate FNS regional office.

Attachments

• Questions and Answers Set 2
• Appendix - Race and Ethnicity Data Collection Best Practices