The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimburses child care providers monthly for serving nutritious meals to children in care. Nutrition training, monitoring visits and assistance with record keeping procedures are provided by the Association for Supportive Child Care’s CACFP.

Cash reimbursement for meals served is distributed monthly. The reimbursement rates are established at two levels (Tier I and Tier II). Reimbursement rates are adjusted annually in July.

CACFP is funded through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE).

CACFP Participation Benefits
• Cash reimbursements for meals served (maximum of two meals and one snack or two snacks and one meal per day per child)
• In-home program training and technical assistance
• Monthly newsletter with activity ideas and recipes
• Access to a variety of services made available through the many ASCC programs

CACFP Program Requirements
• Attend a minimum of one nutrition training per fiscal year
• Participate in three monitoring visits yearly by a CACFP Specialist in your home
• Serve foods according to the Meal Pattern Guidelines
• Record menus and attendance daily
• Provide CACFP benefits to children (infant through twelve years of age) without regard to race, color, sex, handicap or national origin

Eligibility
CACFP participants must be certified as a child care provider by the state through the Department of Economic Security (DES) or the Department of Health Services (DHS). If you are not certified by the state, you must meet the requirements of an Alternate Approval Provider which include:
• A satisfactory rating on both health and fire inspections of your home.
• The submittal of your approved fingerprinting and background check. (Arrangements will be made by ASCC for those choosing Alternate Approval.)

You may care for as many as four children for compensation at one time, not to exceed a total of six children, including your own. No more than two children may be under the age of one year. (Ratios are adjusted for those with DHS certification.)

Current Reimbursement Rates
Fiscal Year 2008 (July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008)
Type of meal served Tier I Tier II
Breakfast 1.11 0.41
Lunch/Dinner 2.06 1.24
Snacks .61 .17

Determining Tier Level
TIER I rates are disbursed to those providers whose income eligibility has been established in one or more of the following ways:

• The provider’s neighborhood has been determined to have 50% or more of its children qualifying for free or reduced-price meals in accordance with the guidelines established by the National School Lunch Act.
• The provider’s household income meets the income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-price meals and has been verified by the sponsoring organization.

TIER II rates will be used to determine cash reimbursements for those providers who do not meet the above qualifications to establish income eligibility unless the following option is chosen:
• Providers receiving TIER II rates may elect to have ASCC determine if the children enrolled for child care meet the income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-price meals.
• The provider’s reimbursement will be adjusted to receive TIER I rates for those children whose families meet the qualifications and TIER II rates for those who do not.

Meal Pattern Guidelines
Breakfast – Serve all 3 items
Milk
Fruit, vegetable or 100% juice
Bread or bread alternate

Lunch/Supper – Serve all 5 items
Milk
Meat or meat alternate
Fruit or vegetable
Vegetable or fruit
Bread or bread alternate

Snack – Serve 2 out of the four items
Milk
Fruit or vegetable
Bread or bread alternate
Meat or meat alternate

Sample Menus
Breakfast Ideas
Milk Milk Milk Milk Milk
Orange Apple Banana Applesauce Kiwi
French Toast Waffle English Muffin Wheaties Toast

Lunch and Dinner Ideas
Milk Milk Milk Milk Milk
Tuna Beef Chicken Hamburger Cheese
Apple Refried Beans Broccoli/Carrots Green Beans Pizza Sauce
Corn Applesauce Peaches Applesauce Pears
Bread Tortilla Rice Bun Pizza Crust

Snack Ideas
Cheese Cottage Cheese Peanut Butter Cornbread Fresh Fruit
Apple Orange Toast Apple Juice Yogurt Parfait

For more information about the Child and Adult Care Food Program, please contact:

480-829-0500 x 109 (Maricopa County)
800-535-4599 x 109 (Toll Free)
lmendoza@asccaz.org

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Association for Supportive Child Care
3910 S. Rural Rd., Suite E • Tempe, AZ 85282
480-829-0500 • 1-800-535-4599 (Toll Free)
480-820-7288 (Main fax)
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