Introduction
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) plays a vital role in improving the quality of day care for children and elderly adults by making care more affordable for many low-income families. Each day, 3.3 million children receive nutritious meals and snacks through this federally funded program. This program also provides meals and snacks to 120,000 adults who receive care in nonresidential adult day care centers. The CACFP reaches even further to provide meals to children residing in homeless shelters, and snacks and suppers to youths participating in eligible after school care programs. California's CACFP is administered by the California Department of Education (CDE).
For specific details related to allowable operating and administrative costs, program income, and meals, please refer to the Child Care Centers or Day Care Home Sponsors Administrative Manuals or contact your field consultant.
Once approved by the CDE to participate in the CACFP, each sponsor must submit a monthly Claim for Reimbursement via the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) to receive payment for meals served. If the claim preparer has questions related to claim completion or payments, he or she may contact the Child Nutrition Fiscal Services Unit, 916-322-8304.
Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS)
The CNIPS is the CDE's web-based system for administering the federal and state Nutrition Programs. The CNIPS provides sponsoring agencies with the opportunity to submit claims for reimbursement electronically in a streamlined, timely manner, which eliminates the need for paper claim submission. For access to the CNIPS web page and electronic claim submission go to the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System site.
Reimbursement Rates
- Reimbursement Rates for all claiming types can be found at the California Department of Education Web site.
- For further program information, please visit the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Web site.
Claim Submission Information
- Late Claims
CACFP policies and procedures for submitting late claims.
- Claim Submission Dates
Claim submission deadline dates for CACFP.
- Address Changes
Instructions for submitting CACFP Address Changes.
- Child and Adult Care Food Program Reimbursement Instruction Booklet (DOC; 2MB)
Claim for Reimbursement instructions for sponsors of the CACFP.
- Corrective Action Plan (DOC)
Corrective Action Plan to accompany sponsor late claims.
Worksheets
- Total Meals Fixed Percentage Calculation Worksheet (DOC)
Monthly Reimbursement Calculation Worksheet to compute meal reimbursement for sponsors using the Total Meals Fixed Percentage claiming method.
- Day Care Homes Calculation Worksheet (DOC)
Monthly Reimbursement Calculation Worksheet to compute meal reimbursement for sponsors of Day Care Homes.
- Actual Count Calculation Worksheet (DOC)
Monthly Reimbursement Calculation Worksheet to compute meal reimbursement for the Actual Count claiming method.
- Sponsors of Independent Centers Calculation Worksheet (DOC)
Monthly Reimbursement Calculation Worksheet to compute meal reimbursement for Sponsors of Independent Centers.
