Homeless Shelters Receiving Commodities in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

This memorandum clarifies our policy with regard to those situations in which homeless shelters participating in CACFP receive and use commodity foods. Like all other CACFP institutions, shelters may choose to receive commodities or cash in lieu of commodities through CACFP. Many of them also obtain commodities through the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

Homeless shelters can use any or all of those commodities to prepare meals and snacks to serve to children in CACFP and to their other clients. Our only concern is that the shelter be able to accurately document the number of meals served to eligible children in CACFP. To justify its claims for CACFP reimbursement, the shelter must, at a minimum, maintain a roster of children receiving meals, total meal counts by type; and menus for infant meals and meals served to children, each day.

STANLEY C. GARNETT
Director
Child Nutrition Division