Hello! Here are the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Items of Interest for the Week of September 15

UPDATES AND REMINDERS

Program Year 2025-2026 Claims Reimbursement and Reporting System (CRRS) Application is Now Open: The CACFP 2025-2026 program year CRRS application is now open. Check your inbox for a special Items of Interest email with instructions and reminders on updating the CRRS application information.

CACFP Claims Reimbursement and Reporting System (CRRS) Application Webinar: This training will assist new and returning sponsors in completing the CRRS CACFP application. Sponsors will have the opportunity to walk through the application and speak with an Education Program Specialist. All webinars offered will have the same information. Please visit the Claims Reimbursement and Reporting System (CRRS) Training Registration page to register for the training listed below. Registration will close the day before the training.

September 25, 11:00am-1:00pm

October 8, 12:00pm-2:00pm

October 16,12:00pm-2:00pm

Consider Operating At-Risk Afterschool (ARAS) Programs: Running at-risk afterschool programs through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a great way to help kids in your community. These programs provide healthy meals and snacks to children in eligible areas, making sure they get the nutrition they need. By joining CACFP, afterschool programs can fight hunger, boost school performance, and encourage healthy eating habits. Plus, these programs offer a safe place for kids to learn and play after school. If you want to know more about ARAS, you can reach out to your Education Program Specialist (EPS) or refer to the ARAS Care Handbook.

Farm to CACFP Week in 2025 will be held from October 12–18, 2025: Hosted by the National CACFP Association (NCA), this annual event focuses on connecting CACFP providers with local foods through activities like local procurement, gardening, and agricultural education. During the week, sponsors are encouraged to share their local, ingredient-focused meals using the hashtag #FarmtoCACFPWeek. The NCA provides resources, activity ideas, and a webinar to help participants celebrate.

DISH DISCOVERY

Looking for a fun way to add more veggies? Try Pumpkin Applesauce! This playful twist on classic applesauce blends pumpkin and apples for a flavorful, nutrient-rich combo packed with vitamin A to support vision and immunity. One serving credits as ½ cup fruit, ⅛ cup vegetable, and ½ oz eq grain—making it a great option for breakfast or snack time. Kids will love the taste, and you’ll love the boost in nutrition. Click to get the recipe!

TRAININGS

CACFP Required Annual Online Training: All sponsors must complete the following online trainings:

1. Annual Sponsor Training (DEW 110)
2. Performance Standards (DEW 130)
3. Civil Rights (DEW 150)

The enrollment code is “buckeyes”.

After you finish the training, save a copy of the training certificate and then attach the certificate in the Miscellaneous section of your Claims Reimbursement and Reporting System (CRRS) CACFP application.

CACFP Recordkeeping Training: This training provides guidance to CACFP sponsors or childcare centers, Head Start programs, afterschool programs, emergency shelters, and adult daycare centers. This training serves as a refresher for staff responsible for paperwork and oversight of the CACFP. Please visit the Claims Reimbursement and Reporting System (CRRS) Training Registration page to register for the training listed below. Registration will close the day before the training. The next recordkeeping training will be conducted in-person on the date below:

• October 15, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the ESC of Northeast Ohio

CLAIMS REIMBURSEMENT AND REPORTING SYSTEM REMINDERS

Claims Reimbursement and Reporting System (CRRS) Access: Remember that each employee using the CRRS must be assigned their own username and password. To request access for the CRRS, please complete the Certificate of Authority (COA) and return to your assigned Education Program Specialist. A COA is required to add and inactivate individuals in your organization to the CRRS. To download a COA, please use the instructions below to access Download Forms.

Locating Your Education Program Specialist: Sponsors can determine their Education Program Specialist by going to the Claims Reimbursement and Reporting System (CRRS). Click on Applications and then on Application Packet. On the right-hand side above the Sponsor Application, the ‘Packet Assigned To’ will show the Specialist name. All Education Program Specialist's email addresses are FirstName.LastName@education.ohio.gov.

Looking for CACFP Forms and Information? Sign into the Claims Reimbursement and Reporting System (CRRS). Select Applications in the banner at the top. Then click on Download Forms. This section includes annual forms and resources for applying and administering the program including appeal procedures.

We appreciate all the work you do to support nutrition programs in Ohio!

Office of Nutrition
Ohio Department of Education and Workforce
614-466-2945
1-800-808-6325
Child.Nutrition@education.ohio.gov

In accordance with federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the state or local agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
2. Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
3. Email: intake@usda.gov.