CACFP challenges us to streamline and reduce paperwork, while continuing to improve CACFP management and integrity. We are taking the lead to consolidate, simplify, and reduce CACFP requirements, where practicable, and to encourage state agencies to fully utilize the authorities that federal regulations and policies already provide to accomplish similar goals.
What's to Gain?
Flexibilities that currently exist in CACFP regulations and policy guidance establish a legal basis for state agencies to modify requirements that would:
- Decrease paperwork burden without compromising the measures taken to preserve integrity;
- Provide more options for managing resource challenges;
- Allow accommodations that make it easier for non-traditional child care facilities to participate;
- Eliminate duplication for CACFP institutions applying to participate in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and SFSP sponsors applying to participate in CACFP; and
- Make CACFP less burdensome and more cost-effective to administer in all components of the program.
Existing Flexibilities
We encourage state agencies to implement streamlining efforts, and where necessary, make changes that would improve CACFP participation and performance. Here is a list of examples.
Applications
- Ask for only the necessary information on the CACFP application.
- Allow CACFP operators to annually certify that they still meet requirements to continue participating, except when there are changes.
- Do not require summer meal sponsors to include information in the CACFP application that they have already provided in their Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) application, such as confirmation of area eligibility and the non-discrimination statement.
- Do not require further evidence of financial and administrative capability on SFSP applications from CACFP operators in good standing.
- Follow the application requirements for experienced sponsors and sites.
- Streamline the application and renewal process where it is possible.
Agreements
- Establish a single permanent agreement between the state agency and the CACFP sponsoring organization.
- Enter into a single CACFP and SFSP agreement.
- Sign an addendum to the existing agreement.
- Streamline agreement process where it is possible.
Enrollment Declaration
Accept other types of forms that centers and homes may already use to capture required information.
Financial Management
Allow allocation of excess CACFP or SFSP funds in any child nutrition program.
Health and Safety Inspections
- Accept CACFP operators’ valid inspection documentation to meet SFSP health and safety requirements.
- Accept SFSP operators’ valid inspection documentation to meet CACFP health and safety requirements.
Infant Meals
- Accept a notation on either a meal roster or a list of participating children as documentation of parent’s decision regarding infant formula.
- Do not require documentation from Head Start programs.
Meal Production Records
Consider simpler methods of documentation, such as using portion menus and keeping receipts for verification of component types and quantities, are consistent with CACFP regulations.
Media Release
Issue a statewide media release on behalf of CACFP operators.
Monitoring Requirements
- Exempt CACFP operators in good standing from conducting SFSP site visits during the first week of operation.
- Allow SFSP and CACFP operators to monitor their sites by following their CACFP monitoring schedules year-round.
- Payments: Allow an annually determined claiming percentage or an annually determined blended rate for centers.
- Procurement Methods: Adopt the simplified acquisition procedures for small purchases, up to the threshold set by the Uniform Guidance under 2 CFR Part 200.
- Sign-in and Sign-out Sheets: Accept other methods for verifying attendance, such as head counts and billing.
- Site Eligibility: Accept CACFP area eligibility determinations to qualify SFSP sites.
Training
- Provide training at multiple venues throughout the year.
- Offer online trainings as long as there is a means to test and verify that staff who require the training have actually received it.
- For CACFP operators applying to participate in SFSP, do not require training before accepting SFSP applications from CACFP operators in good standing.
- Do not require trained SFSP food service staff to attend separate CACFP meal service training.
- Offer targeted supplemental training on SFSP requirements during CACFP trainings.
- Offer targeted training on the at-risk component of CACFP during SFSP trainings.
Additional Information
Review these ideas and adopt the strategies that seem reasonable to you and fit with your program. For additional questions, CACFP participants and the general public should contact the state agency for help. State agencies should contact
their FNS regional office.