Nutrition Services Division Management Bulletin |
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| Purpose: Beneficial Information | |
| To: Day Care Home Sponsors |
Number: USDA-CACFP-12-2012 |
| Attention: Executive Directors and Authorized Representatives |
Date: February 2012 |
| Subject: Day Care Home Expansion Funds Request for Applications |
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Reference: Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, sections 226.2, 226.4(e) and (f), 226.6(k)(vi), 226.7(h) and 226.12(b); U.S. Department of Agriculture Policy Memo CACFP 06-2011 |
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This Management Bulletin (MB) notifies Day Care Home (DCH) sponsors of an opportunity to apply for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administrative payments for outreach, recruitment, and training activities to expand participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
Interested DCH sponsors must submit an Application for DCH Expansion Funds to the Nutrition Services Division (NSD) by 5:00 p.m. on April 30, 2012. The Application, Instructions, and General Assurances are available on the California Department of Education (CDE) Funding Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/af/index.asp.
This process is not a competitive bid for funding. The NSD will award funding to all eligible DCH sponsors that apply. There are no requirements for matching funds. Sponsors who received expansion funds and conducted the related activities within the last twelve months are not eligible to apply for expansion funds for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2012.
Purpose of Expansion Funds
The USDA allows eligible DCH sponsors to obtain these additional administrative funds to conduct outreach and recruitment activities to expand the number of DCH providers that participate in the CACFP in rural and/or low income areas. The DCH expansion funds provide payments to DCH sponsors for administrative expenses incurred to identify, recruit, train, and enroll providers in the CACFP.
Funding Amount
A DCH sponsor may request $106 for each provider that the sponsor proposes adding to their CACFP agreement, up to a maximum of 50 new providers during the funding period. A DCH sponsor can request payments for either one month or two months of administrative expenses. Therefore, the maximum amount the NSD can award to a DCH sponsor is $5,300 for one month, or $10,600 for two consecutive months (50 providers X $106 X either 1 or 2 months). The CDE will adjust the reimbursement amount per home consistent with the administrative reimbursement schedule released by the federal government in July 2012.
Time Frame for Expansion Activities
Sponsors can conduct expansion activities and claim administrative expenses for either one month, or two consecutive months between December 1, 2012, and July 31, 2013. The USDA allows sponsors to request up to two months of reimbursement to allow sufficient time for outreach, recruitment, training, and pre-operational visits to a new provider. Sponsors can add no more than 50 new homes with expansion funds regardless of whether they requested one or two months of reimbursement.
The NSD will not reimburse sponsors for expansion activities that occur before or after the approved period of time. The sponsor must submit a final report within 30 days after completing the expansion activities.
Eligibility Criteria
DCH sponsors must meet the following criteria in order to apply for these additional administrative funds:
- Maintain public non-profit (tax exempt) status under the Internal Revenue Code, Section 501(c)(3)
- Provide documentation that the newly proposed providers are located in rural or low income areas
- Assure that they have not received DCH expansion funds within the past 12 months and/or have not already been approved to receive expansion funds during FFY 2011–12
- Be in good standing with the CDE and the USDA (i.e., sponsors identified as having serious deficiencies are not eligible to apply)
The Request for Applications (RFA) includes additional requirements specific to the application process.
Awards
The NSD will determine each DCH sponsor’s award based on the number of providers the sponsor proposes adding to their CACFP agreement, and whether they have requested reimbursement for one month or two months. The NSD will issue 50 percent of the award when the DCH sponsor signs both their Award Notification form and a Supplemental CACFP Agreement with the CDE. The NSD must approve all supporting documentation submitted by the DCH sponsor before issuing the remainder of the funding. Sponsors will be reimbursed the administrative rate per home or for actual expenses, whichever is the lesser amount. Award results will be posted on the CDE Funding Results Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/fr.
Application Process
The NSD will review all applications for content, completeness, and compliance with the requirements of the RFAs. The NSD will send successful applicants an Award Notification with a supplemental agreement that outlines the specific expansion activities, time frame for the activities, and reporting requirements. Each DCH sponsor must sign and return these documents within 30 days of receipt. The NSD encourages DCH sponsors to sign and return the documents as soon as possible so that the NSD can review and award funding requests timely.
Application Deadline
The NSD must receive the Application for DCH Expansion Funds no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 30, 2012. The NSD will not accept late applications. Applicants must submit original signatures on the Application for DCH Expansion Funds. The NSD will not process incomplete or illegible applications and cannot accept fax or e-mail submissions.
Please submit the application to the following address:
Day Care Home Expansion Funds Application—Michael Smith
Nutrition Services Division
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 1500
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
Note: The CDE is not responsible for postal delays.
Questions
If you have questions about this MB, please contact Michael Smith, DCH Specialist, by phone at 916-323-5755 or by e-mail at msmith@cde.ca.gov.
