print

Policy

All enrolled children will have the necessary documentation completed for the program to participate in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The program will assure compliance with CACFP requirements and will complete/submit the necessary reports for meal reimbursement in a timely manner.

USDA Eligibility

The Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act of 1994 made children who are enrolled in the Head Start Program automatically eligible for free meal benefits without further application or eligibility determination. The number of children which the Head Start grantee is to serve, as indicated on the grant award, is termed the “funded enrollment”.

Head Start regulations require that at least 90% of enrolled children must be from low income families. Up to10% of enrolled children may be from families whose income exceeds the low income guidelines. Effective December 12, 2007, all children enrolled in Oregon Head Start Prekindergarten (OHS PreK) were able to be claimed at the Free Rate.

One Month Study

  1. Upon enrollment, all children will be listed in the “Free” category.
  2. A USDA/CACFP Enrollment Statement will be completed for every child. The form will include the parent /guardian signature.
  3. When all Enrollment Forms are received and evaluated, a report will be completed for each classroom, center, and the total agency. These totals will be provided to the Food Service Manager to use to complete the USDA/CACFP reimbursement.
  4. Each month the Food Service Manager will review the classroom sign-in and sign-out and “DAILY MEAL COUNT —HEAD COUNT METHOD”sheets and submit the report to the USDA/CACFP.

USDA Menu Production Record (MPR)

  1. Menu Production Records will be kept daily by the Central Kitchen and Site Cooks.
  2. MPRs for breakfast, lunch, and snack will be kept on file.
  3. The use of a 20-day cycle menu will be implemented with the exception of changes for seasonal fruits and vegetables.
  4. All meals will be planned according to USDA/CACFP food requirements for children 3-6 years old.
  5. A separate meal pattern for adults will be kept and recorded.
  6. The Menu will includes the following information:
    1. The date the menu is served – shown by month, day and year. The menus will be reviewed by a Registered Dietitian.
    2. The name of all menu items served on a specific date and the name of each food item that meets meal or snack requirements. These foods will be listed in the Crediting Food in the CACFP.
    3. The recipes including the quantity of each ingredient used to meet the meal requirements. All ingredients will be weighed, measured or counted. e.g. Chicken Soup – 32 lbs. chicken, 17 lbs. carrots, 10 lbs. celery, 5 lbs. onions, 7.5 lbs noodles. The Simplified Food Buying Guide will be used to determine the amounts of food to prepare. The quantity of food delivered to each site will be recorded (see exhibit 4).
    4. The portion or serving size of each menu item served (e.g. 1/4 cup vegetables, 1/2 cup fruit, and 3/4 cup milk.)

DAILY MEAL COUNT

  1. The number of children served at each meal/snack will be recorded by the teacher on DAILY MEAL COUNT –Head Count Method forms at the time of service.
  2. The number of adults served at each meal/snack will be recorded by teachers for Head Start purposes. NOTE: Adults may not be claimed for USDA reimbursement.
  3. The quantities of food served will conform to recommended amounts indicated in ACYF Head Start guidance materials.
  4. Three standard assurance visits will be scheduled for each site yearly (see exhibit 5). These visits will be coordinated for each specific site by the Food Service Manager.

USDA Reimbursement Reports — Monthly

  1. On the first day of each month, the completed Daily Sign In/Sign Out sheet and Daily Meal Count – Head Count Method forms will be due into the Food Service office from all classrooms.
  2. The Food Service Manager will calculate the number of days each child attended compared to the DAILY MEAL COUNT.
  3. The total number of meals served to children and adults in child care centers will be entered on to the final total sheet along with the attendance sign-in/sign-out sheets.
  4. Totals of all children on the DAILY MEAL COUNT, those eating breakfast, those eating lunch and PM snack will be all transferred onto a work sheet along with the attendance from “Daily Sign In & Out” count.
    1. On the work sheet one total will be calculated for each category (adding children and siblings in attendance together). These will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Education Child and Nutrition Program CNP web to get reimbursement.
    2. The number of days that meals are served for the month will also be counted and documented on the CNP web.
    3. The report will be entered and dated by the Food Service Manager. This documentation is due at the Oregon Dept of Education by the 10th of the month. The Sign In/Out sheet, DAILY MEAL COUNT, copies of the reimbursement report, and the work sheet will all be retained in the Food Service Office.

This complies with Head Start Performance Standard 1301
This was approved by Policy Council on April 24, 2001
Board of Directors approved on November 17, 2009
Updated January26, 2001. June 20, 2008
© 1005-2010. Head Start of Lane County. All rights reserved.