The Child and Adult Care Food Program

In Utah, the Child and Adult Care Food Program is a key source of support for improving the nutritional quality of meals and snacks served to children and adults in day care.
The Child and Adult Care Food Program is a federally funded program that gives meal reimbursements to child care centers, adult day care centers and child care homes for serving nutritious meals. This site focuses on Family Child Care Homes.

The objectives of CACFP in regards to Family Child Care Homes are to:

Participating homes agree to serve meals as outlined in the CACFP meal pattern guidelines; serve creditable foods; keep daily meal participation records and attendance records; keep menus and other records; attend training sessions as outlined by the State Agency and/or sponsoring organizations; send monthly records to the sponsoring organizations.

Any Child Care Home providing care for children in Utah may participate in the CACFP Food Program provided the following requirements are met:

CACFP Day Care Home Sponsors are public or private nonprofit organizations approved by the Utah State Office of Education, Child Nutrition Programs to perform administrative functions that include:

Who gets CACFP meals and snacks?

Children age 12 and younger are eligible to receive up to two; meals and one snack, each day, at a day care home, through CACFP.

Child Day Care Homes are paid reimbursement for planning and serving meals that follow the CACFP meal pattern guidelines. These facilities may request approval for breakfast, lunch, supper and snacks (morning, afternoon and evening).

How much reimbursement will I receive?

Child Day Care Homes are reimbursed for meals and snacks served to participants at rates dependent on home eligibility, tiering and in some cases child’s eligibility for free, reduced-price, or paid meals.

REIMBURSEMENT RATES FOR
JULY 1, 2008 - JUNE 30, 2009
Meals Served in Day Care Homes
Per Meal Payment Rates in Cents

  Tier I Tier II
Breakfast
$1.19
$0.44
Lunch/Supper
$2.21
$1.33
Supplement
$0.66
$0.18

CACFP Meal Pattern

(This chart lists the amounts and types of food to be served to participants of the CACFP).

 

1-2
year olds

3-5
year olds

6-12
year olds
BREAKFAST:
Milk (fluid only)
½ cup
¾ cup
1 cup
Fruit and/or vegetable
¼ cup
½ cup
½ cup
Bread/Grain
½ serving
½ serving
1 servings
Hot Cereal
¼ cup
¼ cup
½ cup
Cold Cereal
¼ cup or
⅓ ounce
⅓ cup or
½ ounce
¾ cup or
1 ounce
SNACK
(Select 2 of the 4 components)
Milk (Fluid only)
½ cup
½ cup
1 cup
Fruit and/or vegetable
½ cup
½ cup
¾ cup
Meat/Meat Alternate
½ ounce
½ ounce
1 ounce
Bread/Grain
½ serving
½ serving
1 serving
Hot Cereal
¼ cup
¼ cup
½ cup
Cold Cereal
¼ cup or
⅓ ounce
⅓ cup or
½ ounce
¾ cup or
1 ounce
LUNCH OR SUPPER
Milk (fluid only)
½ cup
¾ cup
1 cup
Fruit and/or vegetables
(2 different types)
¼ cup (total)
½ cup (total)
¾ cup (total)
Meat/Meat Alternate:
meat, poultry
1 ounce
1½ ounces
2 ounces
or egg
½
¾
1
or cheese
1 ounce
1½ ounces
2 ounces
or cooked
dry beans
¼ cup
3/8 cup
½ cup
or peanut butter,
or other nut butters
2 Tbsp.
3 Tbsp.
4 Tbsp.
or yogurt
4 ounces
6 ounces
8 ounces
or nuts, seeds
½ ounce*
¾ ounce*
1 ounce*
Bread/Grain
½ serving
½ serving
1 serving

*Nuts and seeds may be credited toward meeting only 1/2 of the meat/meat alternate requirement. Nuts and seeds are not recommended for children under three years of age.

How do I sign up for the CACFP in Utah?

Day Care Homes must participate in the CACFP under a sponsoring organization. The Orem Child Care Nutrition Program, Inc. (OCCNPG) is one of the food program sponsoring organizations in Utah that can assist you.

INCOME ELIGIBILITY
Effective July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009
(Use for eligibility determinations and for public releases)

ELIGIBILITY SCALE
Household Size Annual Monthly Twice Monthly Every Two Weeks Weekly
1
$20,036
$1,670
$835
$771
$386
2
26,955
2,247
1,124
1,037
519
3
33,874
2,823
1,412
1,303
652
4
40,793
3,400
1,700
1,569
785
5
47,712
3,976
1,988
1,836
918
6
54,631
4,553
2,277
2,102
1,051
7
61,550
5,130
2,565
2,368
1,184
8
68,469
5,706
2,853
2,634
1,317
For each additional family member, add:
 
+6,919
+ 577
+ 289
+268
+134

Tiering

USDA has established a two-tier reimbursement system, Tier I and Tier II, for reimbursing day care home providers participating in the CACFP. Tier reimbursement, which is a higher rate, is reserved for low-income providers and providers serving low-income children.

Day care homes qualify for Tier I rates based on the home's location in the state or the provider's household income. Eligibility is determined based on location, elementary school, census data or family income. Providers' with a household income that is at or below 185% of the federal income poverty guidelines are also eligible for Tier I higher reimbursement.

Tier II reimbursement, which is a lower rate, is for homes that do not meet the criteria for Tier I reimbursement. If a home is classified as Tier II, the provider has three options for receiving reimbursement

The provider may receive Tier II rates for all meals served to enrolled children. The provider may request that the sponsor collect parent income information to determine the eligibility of all children enrolled in his/her day care, and the provider may have his/her sponsor identify only those children whom the sponsoring organization or the provider already has income information for as categorically eligible for Tier I benefits.