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The Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs (ODE CNP) has become aware that some Sponsors, specifically School Food Authorities (SFAs), are not delivering the At-Risk Afterschool Program as required by federal regulations as described in 7 CFR 226. ODE CNP has found on multiple occasions that meals are being served before the end of the school day, meals are not being served in an adequately supervised congregate setting, separate afterschool program, organized academic and/or enrichment programs are not being offered, and/or separate afterschool program attendance records are not being maintained. Most notably, it has been found that some sites are delaying bus arrival times in order for children to receive supper prior to going home, which is not considered an afterschool program organized primarily to provide care.
As a reminder, the nationwide flexibility that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provided to offer non-congregate meals, and off-site academic and enrichment programming, have expired. Oregon does have limited waivers available related to COVID data. For information, please see the Oregon 2022 – 2023 Waiver request form. These waivers must be requested by individual sponsors prior to implementation. After the past few years of USDA waivers that allowed for flexibility in programmatic requirements, it is important to reacquaint with standard At-Risk Afterschool Meal Requirements.
For the purpose of meeting At-Risk Afterschool Meal Program requirements, an Afterschool Program must:
- Be organized primarily to provide care for children after school or on the weekends, holidays, or school vacations during the regular school year
- Provide organized regularly scheduled education or enrichment activities in a structured and supervised environment
- Examples include: arts and crafts, homework assistance, life skills, organized fitness activities
- There is no requirement that all children receiving meals participate in the scheduled activities, however the activities need to be available to all
- Institutions may contract with other organizations, including a for-profit entity, to provide enrichment or educational activities. However, the Sponsor must retain administrative and fiscal responsibility for the meal service, and assume responsibility for meeting all program requirements, including that the meal meets meal pattern.
- Athletic Programs: Students who are a part of school sports teams and clubs can receive Afterschool Snacks and meals as a part of a broad, overarching educational or enrichment program, but the meal program cannot be limited to a sports team or offered on days that other afterschool activities are not available
- Be located in an attendance area of school where at least 50 percent or more of the children are eligible for free or reduced price meals
- Serve at approved meal times listed in CNPweb
- When school is in session, the meal or snack served in At-Risk Afterschool programs must be served after the child’s school day; when all children have the ability to leave the facility and during the hours the afterschool program is operating.
- Only serve a maximum of one meal and one snack per participant
- Follow the CACFP Meal Pattern for the appropriate age groups
- Serve meals in a congregate setting, only allowing for participants to take one vegetable, fruit or grain item, from their own meal or the share table off-site to eat at a later time (CACFP 10-2017 Taking Food Components Off-site in the At-Risk Afterschool Component of the Child and Adult Care Food Program, April 6, 2017)
- Maintain Daily Required Records, which includes, but are not limited to:
- Daily program attendance rosters or sign-in sheets
- Must include first and last name of participant
- May use Present/Absent system
- Be separate from the school day attendance
- Dated with month, day and year
- Be legible
- Daily Meal Count Records
- Indicating number of meals, by type served to participants and program adults
- Dated Menus or Production Records
- Must include day, month, and year
If Sponsors are found to be in non-compliance, ODE CNP may be required to issue findings and corrective actions that may result in the disallowance of meals. The requirements listed above is not all inclusive of the requirements of the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of the CACFP.
For more information and guidance on the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Requirement, please see the following resources:
If you have any questions or are in need of any assistance, please contact your assigned Child Nutrition Specialist.
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