Nutrition Services Division Management Bulletin |
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| Purpose: Policy, Action Required, Beneficial Information | |
| To: Day Care Home Sponsors |
Number: USDA-CACFP-18-2011 |
| Attention: Executive Directors and Authorized Representatives |
Date: December 2011 |
| Subject: Day Care Home Expansion Funds, Round Two: 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; Information Alert NSD-CACFP-02-2011 |
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This Management Bulletin (MB) notifies day care home (DCH) sponsors of a second opportunity to apply for 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 Day Care Home Expansion Funds to the Nutrition Services Division (NSD) by 5 p.m. on December 30, 2011. 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 have been approved to receive expansion funds within the last twelve months are not eligible to apply in Round Two.
Purpose of Administrative Funds
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) allows eligible DCH sponsors to obtain these additional administrative funds to conduct outreach activities to expand the number of DCH providers that participate in the CACFP in rural 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
DCH sponsors 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. DCH sponsors 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 one or two months).
Time Frame for Expansion Activities
Sponsors can conduct expansion activities and claim administrative expenses for either one month, or two consecutive months between May 1, 2012, and July 31, 2012. 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 nonprofit (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 day care home expansion funds within the past twelve months and/or have not already been approved to receive expansion funds during Federal Fiscal Year 2011
- Be in good standing with the CDE and the USDA (i.e., sponsors with serious deficiency status 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. 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 Request for Applications. 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. DCH sponsors 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 p.m. on December 30, 2011. The NSD will not accept late applications. Applicants must submit original signatures on the Application for Day Care Home Expansion Funds. The NSD will not process incomplete or illegible applications and cannot accept fax or e-mail submissions.
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.
