At-Risk Afterschool Care Centers and Outside School Hours Care Centers participating in CACFP are required to maintain records to verify that the meals and snacks served to resident participants meet guidelines and to justify the claim for reimbursement.

Eligibility Requirements

Program Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the At-Risk Afterschool meals component of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), an At-Risk Afterschool program must:

• Be organized, primarily to provide care for children after school and, with the Community Food and Nutrition Assistance (CFNA) approval, on weekends, holidays or school vacations during the regular school year.
• Provide organized, regularly scheduled education or enrichment activities in a structured and supervised environment.
• Be located in an attendance area of a school where at least 50 percent or more of the enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Activities

The programs must provide educational or enrichment activities that are open to all children in an organized, structured, and supervised environment. Although there are no specific requirements for the type of educational or enrichment activities a program can offer, examples include but are not limited to arts and crafts, homework assistance, life skills, computers, tutoring, and organized fitness activities. There is no requirement that all children receiving meals participate in the offered activities. Sponsors may contract with another organization to provide enrichment or educational activities for the afterschool program. However, the sponsoring organization or independent center must retain administrative and fiscal responsibility for the meal service.

Athletic Programs

Organized athletic programs that only participate in the interscholastic or community level competitive sports, for example, youth sports leagues such as “Babe Ruth” and “Pop Warner” baseball leagues, community soccer and football leagues, area swim teams, etc., may not be approved as sponsors or independent in the program. However, students who are part of school sports teams and clubs can receive afterschool snacks or meals as part of a broad, overarching educational or enrichment program, but the program cannot be limited to a sports team.

Weekends, Holidays, and Vacations

The CACFP At-Risk Afterschool meals and snacks may be reimbursed if they are served on weekends or holidays, including vacation periods, for example, spring break, during the regular school year only and may be served at any time of day when approved by CFNA. Enrichment activities must be provided during these times.

Summer Food Service Programs

The CACFP sponsors currently in good standing are well-positioned to offer summer meals. Although CACFP At-Risk Afterschool meals may not be served during the summer months, these organizations may be eligible to serve meals through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) encourages participation in both programs to establish a year-round presence in the communities they serve.

Both organizations and communities benefit when meals are offered to children in low-income communities year-round by participating in both At-Risk Afterschool meals and the SFSP. Organizations benefit from having the ability to hire year-round staff, a continuous flow of reimbursements providing additional financial stability, and recognition in the community as a stable source of resources. Communities benefit by having a partner that provides year-round nutrition services for children and brings increased federal funds into the local economy.

Organization Eligibility

At-Risk Afterschool programs that meet the above requirements must be operated by an eligible organization to receive reimbursement. Eligible organizations must meet state and local licensing or health and safety standards and be operated by one of the following:

• Public agencies such as schools or city governments.
• Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations.
• For-profit centers that meet the requirements described below.
• Are currently participating in another federal program requiring nonprofit status [7CFR 226.17a(a)(iv)].

For-Profit Centers

A for-profit child care center may receive reimbursement for the At-Risk Afterschool meals component of the CACFP if it meets the program eligibility requirements discussed above and is eligible to participate in the CACFP through its traditional child care center. As with the CACFP child care component, this means at least 25 percent of the children served by the for-profit center through its traditional child care components are:

• Eligible for free or reduced-price meals based on their family income; or
• Receive benefits under title XX of the Social Security Act, and the center receives compensation under title XX.

This 25 percent threshold is based on the center’s enrollment or the licensed capacity, whichever is less. It is calculated during the calendar month preceding the application for program participation. In addition, to claim a reimbursement in any calendar month, the center must meet the 25 percent threshold in that month (for more information, see the definition of a for-profit center in 7 CFR 226.2).

In determining a for-profit center’s eligibility for At-Risk Afterschool meal reimbursement, only the enrollment and/or licensed capacity of the traditional child care component of the center may be considered in calculating whether the center meets the 25 percent criterion.

Example: A for-profit child care center is located in a school attendance area where more than 50 percent of the children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. This for-profit center has 32 preschool children enrolled for care and operates an afterschool program for school-age children. The center would be able to claim reimbursement through the CACFP for meals served under the traditional child care component and for afterschool snacks in any month in which at least eight of the 32 preschool children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals or are Title XX recipients. The school-age children who only participate in the afterschool programs cannot be used in the calculation.

Traditional Child Care Centers

While the At-Risk component of the CACFP is primarily geared towards non-traditional child care centers such as drop-in afterschool programs, traditional child care centers already participating in the CACFP may participate. In this situation, children would attend the center after their school day or on weekends, holidays, or school vacation. Children who do not attend school would continue to participate in the traditional CACFP meal service provided by the center, even during the afterschool hours.

The centers operating both the traditional and At-Risk components of the CACFP may only claim a total of two meals and one snack or one meal and two snacks, per child, per day including the afterschool snack or meal [7 CFR 226.17a(k)].

Schools

Many afterschool programs are operated by school food authorities at school centers. There are existing USDA policies in place to streamline At-Risk Afterschool meal participation for school food authorities.

A school that operates longer than the traditional school day may be eligible for afterschool meal reimbursement, provided that it operates at least one hour longer than the minimum number of school day hours required for the comparable grade levels by the local education agency in which the school is located. In such instances, the snack or supper may be served during school hours.

Other Programs

Generally, afterschool programs that serve only residential children (with the exception of homeless shelters) are not eligible to participate in the CACFP. However, a residential facility may be eligible to serve At-Risk Afterschool meals if it has nonresidential care programs and these programs offer afterschool education and enrichment programs for nonresidential children.

Area Eligibility

As noted above, to be eligible to participate in the At-Risk Afterschool meals component of the CACFP, a program must be located in an eligible area. This means that the center must be located in the attendance area of a public elementary, middle, or high school where at least 50 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). This is referred to as area eligibility. State agencies have current area eligibility data for all public schools to help determine if a center is area-eligible. For information regarding area eligibility, go to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website, then scroll down and click “Free and Reduced Price Lunch Percentage By Building.” Click on “Enable Editing” if the relevant data is not visible.

Area eligibility determinations must be based on the total number of children approved for free or reduced-price school meals for the preceding October or another month designated by the NSLP agency. The CFNA has the discretion to use school data from a more recent month in the school year to establish eligibility for an otherwise ineligible location. In both cases, the site’s area eligibility determination under the CACFP is valid for five years.

If an afterschool program is not area eligible, it may qualify to participate in the CACFP as an Outside School Hours Care Center (OSHCC). OSHCCs, like At-Risk Afterschool Centers (ASCS), provide organized nonresidential child care services to children during hours outside of school. Refer to the OSHCC and ASCS program comparison chart.

Participant Eligibility

At-Risk Afterschool programs may claim reimbursement only for meals and snacks served to children who participate in an approved afterschool program and who are age 18 or under at the start of the school year. Reimbursement may also be claimed for participants who turn 19 years of age during the school year. Programs may be either drop-in or enrolled. There is no requirement that all children receiving meals participate in the scheduled activities, but children should remain on site while consuming food.

Federal law has no minimum age for at-risk program participants. Meals and snacks served to children enrolled in preschool, Even Start, Head Start, etc., and participating in an eligible afterschool program are eligible for reimbursement. An At-Risk Afterschool program is not required to serve the full age range of eligible children. For example, a program could operate at a high school and only serve high school students.

Licensing, Health, and Safety Requirements

Determining Applicable Status

To participate in the CACFP (ASCS or OSHCC), a center must be either licensed or determined exempt from licensure. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Childhood-Child Care Compliance (DESEOOC), makes the licensing determination. Each center must also meet Missouri or local public health and safety standards. Health and safety standards differ across the state and depend in part on the type of facility involved and on local health and safety ordinances. Each license-exempt center shall submit a sanitation and fire inspection at initial application, no more than one year old.

School Participation in CACFP

School-owned afterschool programs are automatically exempt from licensure. Schools that participate in the NSLP or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) must obtain a minimum of two food safety inspections per the NSLP and the SBP regulations. Therefore, schools participating in the NSLP or the SBP and as ASCS/OSHCC in the CACFP do not have to meet additional health and safety standards.

Summer Food Service Program Health and Safety Inspections

Where the state or local health and safety inspection standards for the ASCS/OSHCC and the SFSP sites are the same, CACFP may accept documentation of a current inspection obtained by an SFSP sponsor pursuant to SFSP regulations, as long as the current SFSP inspection has not expired or been revoked.

Public Programs

At-Risk Afterschool programs are those owned or operated by city, county, or state governmental entities. Public programs must be licensed or license-exempt and meet health and safety standards.

Outside School Hours Care Centers (OSHCC) and At-Risk Afterschool Care Centers (ASCS) Comparison Chart

The chart below highlights the differences between the two components of the Child and Adult Care Food Program that provides reimbursement for meals served. Reference: USDA 2017 At-Risk Afterschool Meals Guide

*Community Food and Nutrition Assistance meal time restriction for At-Risk requires a minimum of one hour between the end of one meal or snack to the beginning of the next meal or snack service.

Attendance Records

Documentation of Daily Attendance is a Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) requirement – Original documentation of daily attendance records must be maintained for each afterschool participant. Accurate attendance records are very important for the submission of the monthly claim for reimbursement.

The attendance records cannot be used to complete the meal count records; however, the attendance records must support the meal count records. For example, the October 17 meal count cannot exceed the total number of participants documented in attendance on October 17. For CACFP compliance, the site may choose to use the Daily Attendance Record (CACFP213) to document attendance. This form can be found at the CACFP website under Forms.

Documentation of Daily Attendance Guidelines:

• The center may use daily rosters, sign-in/out sheets, program roll books, or other methods that accurately record daily attendance.
• Optional – type or print names alphabetically, last name first; information must be legible.
• Require participants to sign in as they arrive, or if staff takes attendance, do so at the same time each day so it becomes routine. If attendance is only based on participant-provided attendance documentation, the full name must be legible.
• Count the number of children each day. Keep a running total of participants in attendance for the monthly claim.
• Keep the original completed Attendance Records in a monthly folder with other CACFP documents for the claim month.

Instructions for completing the Daily Attendance Record (CACFP-213):

• This is a one-page form for each month.
• Enter the month and year in the heading.
• Either have the staff list each participant’s name in alphabetical order by last name or have each participant legibly enter their complete name.
• The center may use its own method to record attendance, but some common notations are: X=in attendance and A=absent.
• Total the number of children in attendance at the bottom of the form.
• On the last workday of each month, add the total daily attendance to get your monthly grand total. If more than one form is used, total all forms together to calculate the grand total sum. This number is entered on line six when the monthly claim is submitted.

Enrollment records are not required for the afterschool care programs. Participation is permitted on either a drop-in or an enrolled basis.

Meal Count Record

Daily Meal Count Records are a requirement for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Each monthly claim for reimbursement must be supported by the daily-dated meal count records for each meal and snack served during the month. The meal count form for the Summer Food Service Program cannot be used to document service for the At-Risk program. The At-Risk meal count form is available in 150 and 300 count forms and can be located at the CACFP Website under Forms.

Instructions for completing the At-Risk Daily Meal Count Record:

• Name of Program: Enter the name of the At-Risk program.
• Date of Service: Enter the complete date on which the meal count is being completed.
• Meal Served: Mark the box for a snack or supper.
• Meal: Mark the box for prepared or delivered.
• Meal Service Time: Enter the time the meal was served.
• Total Meals Available: Count and record the total meals available. This number could differ from the number delivered if a meal is damaged. Note the discrepancy.
• Meal Tally: As meals are served to participants, cross through each consecutive number.
• Adult Meal Tally: After all children have been served, cross through the number for each adult meal served. Adults are 19 and older and may not be claimed for reimbursement.
• Total # of Meals Served to Eligible Participants: Enter the total number of meals served to individuals 18 and under from the meal tally section. Reimbursement may also be claimed for an individual who turns 19 during the school year.
• Total # of Meals Served to Adults: Enter the total number of meals served to adults from the adult meal tally section.
• Total # of Leftover Meals: Enter the number of meals left over after service.
• Signature of Afterschool Program Representative and Date: Enter the signature and date of signature of the program representative.

Use a separate form for each meal served.

Claim for Reimbursement

Claims for meal reimbursement are filed via the internet.

Each user of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) web-based system must have a personal user ID and password, referred to as User Access. User IDs and passwords may not be shared. It is recommended that two key people from each center have access to submit claims and make system changes. If you want to add User Access or change current access when a user is no longer employed, you must submit a Network User Access Request Form (MO 580-1854) available at the CACFP Website under Forms .

In this web-based system, each independent site is considered a sponsor of one site!

Basic Claiming Steps are available on the CACFP website under Links to Important Information at the CACFP Website.

Please read all instructions before entering your first claim.

Tips for Moving in the Web-Based System

• Do not use the “Back” button; use the menu in the orange section at the top left of the screen or use the “breadcrumb trail” (orange bar) to navigate from screen to screen.
• Each time you save the claim, no matter if it has errors, it is saved on the server and will be there if you need to leave or log off and come back.
• Use the “Tab” key to navigate from field to field, or use your cursor to click into the field you want to complete. Try not to use the “Enter” key; if you do, the claim will be saved in error status.
• If you are in “View” mode, changes will not be saved. If you want to make changes, make sure you are in “Edit” or “Revise” mode.
• Claims are saved at the site level or center level before saving a sponsor-level claim.
• Revisions can only be filed after the original or previous revision is in “Paid” status.

User Notes

• Click the “Users” tab to view individuals who have access to submit applications and claim information for your organization.
• User Access IDs and passwords are assigned to individuals and are not to be shared.
• Inform the state office immediately if an individual with access is leaving your organization so their access can be revoked.
• Submit a Network User Access Request form to request online access for new users.

Payment Notes

• Click the “Payments” tab to view upcoming and past payments for CACFP claims.
• If a claim has been approved but has not yet been processed for payment, the payment information will show in the Open Balance Transactions section. All other payments are shown in the next section.
• When checking the payments, the processed date shown is approximately 4 to 5 business days prior to the electronic funds deposit date. It is the date it was processed and the information was sent to the State of Missouri payment system.
• Deductions, if any, made from claim reimbursements due to downward revisions are reflected in the information under the “Payments” tab only, not in the claim amount under the “Claims” tab.

Filing a Claim for Reimbursement

• A site has 60 calendar days from the end of the claim month to file a claim for reimbursement. It is not the last day of the month; it is 60 calendar days. If a claim is filed online late, the site may not be paid for that month.
• Submit the completed claim online after you have reviewed your entries and are satisfied that the claim is completed accurately. The system has built-in checks that should decrease the chance of errors in the claim being submitted.
• You cannot enter a claim before the first day of the next month. For example, an October claim cannot be entered until November 1.

The Department of Health and Senior Services-Community Food and Nutrition Assistance (DHSS-CFNA) processes claims on the 10th of each month for payment by check or automatic deposit by around the 28th of the month. A second processing for claims is done on the 25th of the month for claims received from the 11th through the 25th. The second payment is made around the 13th of the following month.

DHSS-CFNA cannot guarantee an exact date; this is a projected date only.

CACFP payments are typically directly deposited. This avoids payment delays and lost checks. If you have not received your payment within 15 days of the projected payment date, please contact DHSS-CFNA. Per CACFP regulations, DHSS-CFNA will provide payment of valid claims within 45 days of receipt.

60 Day Deadline for CACFP Claims

Additional Meal Claim Information

• Creditable meals may be claimed for participants through 18 years of age when enrolled and in attendance each day of operation as follows: one meal and/or one snack per participant per day.
• Adults should not be claimed for CACFP meal reimbursement in At-Risk centers unless the adult is a mentally or physically disabled person, as defined by the state, who is enrolled in an agency or a child care facility serving a majority of persons 18 years of age and younger.
• There may be a fee for the care provided or tuition charged but there can be no separate charge for the food service.
• Meals or meal components purchased at a fast food establishment or any restaurant may not be claimed for reimbursement.
• Meals prepared or packed at the site and served off the site grounds that are supervised by site personnel, such as a field trip, may be claimed.
• Meals prepared or packed at the site and sent with a participant to eat at another location without the supervision of site personnel are not eligible to be claimed for CACFP reimbursement.
• Food items provided by parents or other unapproved food sources cannot be counted as fulfilling any of the CACFP required meal or snack components. However, there are exceptions described in CFR 226.20(g) for participants who cannot consume regular meals because of medical or special dietary needs, either due to disability or non-disability reasons.
• SNAP benefits may not be used to purchase food for CACFP.

Meal Service Times and Duration*

Reimbursement for meals will only be made when meals are served during the center’s approved meal times as listed on the Center Information Sheet of the program application on the CACFP web-based system. Meal times may be changed as needed, within the requirements of this policy, and through revision and approval of the Center Information Sheet in the CACFP web-based system. The meals approved for reimbursement are based on the site’s licensed hours of operation or on actual hours of operation within those hours. This also applies to license-exempt centers.

There are no federal requirements regarding the timing of the meal service except that meal times shall be reasonable. However, DHSS-CFNA requires a minimum of one hour between the end of one meal or snack and the beginning of the next meal or snack. In addition, there is no federally mandated time limit between the end of school and the service of a meal or snack. Also, there are no requirements for the order of the meal and snack service, but the service of a meal or snack must occur during the operation of the school's afterschool care program. On school days, afterschool snacks and/or supper meals may be served at any time after the children’s school day has officially ended, and the snack or supper can be served in any order.

Type of Meals Eligible for Reimbursement*

At-Risk Afterschool Care sites may serve up to one snack and one meal per child per day. This could be any meal, and you may serve a different meal to different groups of children. For example, a site could serve lunch and a snack to children who attend half-day kindergarten and then they could serve a snack and supper to older children who attend a full day of school.

Snacks may be approved for after school or after early supper service.

Lunch may be approved for after school for children who attend half-day kindergarten.

Supper may be approved for after school or after early snack service.

Weekends, Holidays, and Vacations - With DHSS-CFNA approval, meals, breakfast or lunch, and snacks may be served in lieu of supper on weekends, holidays, or during school vacation periods during the regular school year only. The facility may vary which meal and/or snack will be served; however, it may only claim a maximum of one snack and one meal per child per day.

*The requirements for the Outside School Hours Care Center (OSHCC) are different; refer to the OSHCC and At-Risk comparison chart.