Nutrition Services Division Management Bulletin |
|
| Purpose: Policy, Action Required | |
| To:
Child and Adult Care Food Program Sponsors of Day Care Homes |
Number: USDA-CACFP-06-2009 |
| Attention: Food Program Director |
Date: July 2009 |
| Subject: Enrollment Documentation For Day Care Homes |
|
| Reference: Child and Adult Care Food Program Second Interim Rule: Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 226, sections 15(e)(3) and 18(e); United States Department of Agriculture CACFP Policy Memo 02-2005: Nutrition Services Division Management Bulletin 05-205 | |
This Management Bulletin clarifies the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) enrollment documentation requirements for children enrolled in a day care home (DCH). This requirement was originally distributed through Management Bulletin 05-205 in March 2005.
Federal regulations require DCH sponsors to ensure that each child’s enrollment document(s) contain the following information prior to claiming meals served to the child:
- The normal days and hours that a child is in care at the DCH
- The meals that the child ordinarily would receive during normal hours at the DCH
- The parent’s or guardian’s signature and the date signed
DCH providers can claim meals served to a child 1) from the date of the parent’s or guardian’s signature on the enrollment document or 2) the first date of care, whichever is later. Each DCH provider must have the signed and dated information on file before any meals served to the child can be claimed for reimbursement. Each DCH sponsor must have this signed and dated information on file for each child prior to submitting the claim for reimbursement to the California Department of Education.
The DCH sponsor must ensure the enrollment document is updated at least annually. The DCH sponsor can choose to update the enrollment forms for all of the children within a home or sponsorship during the same month of the year, or the sponsor can stagger the updates, as long as no more than 12 months elapse between the updates of any child’s enrollment form. To accomplish the annual update, the parent or guardian and DCH provider must initial and date the original enrollment application. A new enrollment form is not needed to fulfill the update requirement.
A DCH provider cannot claim meals served to children enrolled for care in the CACFP when:
- A child’s required enrollment information has not been documented with a parent’s or guardian’s dated signature
- A child’s required enrollment information has not been updated and signed by a parent or guardian and dated within 12 months of the parent’s or guardian’s initial dated signature
- A child’s parent has declined to allow the child to participate in the CACFP
Please note that although DCH providers cannot claim meals in the three above instances, sponsors and providers must continue to count these children as part of their licensed capacity when they are in attendance at the DCH.
It is imperative that sponsors train their providers, monitors, and CACFP program staff regarding the enrollment requirements for claiming meals.
If you have any questions regarding this MB, please contact Josh Michel, CACFP Day Care Home Specialist, at 916-327-6466 or by e-mail at jmichel@cde.ca.gov; or Michael Smith, CACFP Day Care Home Specialist, at 916-323-5755 or by e-mail at msmith@cde.ca.gov.
