CACFP Income Eligibility Guidance for Child Care Centers
Income Eligibility
Meal reimbursement to child care centers is based on the claiming category of each child participating in the center. The claiming category is determined by obtaining family size and household income data from parents or legal guardians of the child(ren) and comparing this information to the income eligibility guidelines. Based on the income eligibility guidelines, the child is classified as eligible for the free, reduced, or paid meal-claiming category.
Income information that is obtained from the parent or guardian of enrolled children is critical to your center’s participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Every year, parents or guardians must be given the current Parent Letter and the Income Eligibility Form (IEF) to complete; however, completion of an IEF is not required. It is recommended that these two items be included in the center’s enrollment packet. These documents are available on the CACFP website .
The IEF, also known as the Meal Benefit Form, is available in 33 languages and can be found at the USDA website.
IEF income information is confidential! It must be kept in a secure location.