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Infants enrolled for care at a participating CACFP center or day care home must be offered a meal that complies with the CACFP infant meal pattern requirements (7 CFR 226.20(b)). CACFP regulations define an enrolled child as “a child whose parent or guardian has submitted to an institution a signed document which indicated that the child is enrolled in child care”. A center or day care home may not avoid this obligation by stating that the infant is not “enrolled” in the CACFP, or by citing logistical or cost barriers to offering infant meals.
Sponsors may choose to not claim meals provided to enrolled infants. Regardless if infant meals are claimed, sponsors must offer enrolled infants meals that meet the meal pattern while considering each child’s developmental readiness for meal pattern components. Sponsors must provide food to meet the meal pattern, parents cannot be asked or expected to provide food for their child.
To ensure program compliance, CACFP Specialists will verify that all enrolled infants are provided meals that meet meal pattern requirements during administrative reviews starting in Fiscal Year 2022–23 (FY23).
Recordkeeping
Infant meal recordkeeping requirements have been revised to alleviate burdensome paperwork in efforts to streamline this process.
Infant meals may be claimed when the following steps have been taken:
- Up-to-date CACFP Infant Meal Forms for each infant are maintained. This form helps track developmental readiness and assists staff in providing required components when appropriate.
- The Standard Infant Menu and the Infant Meal Pattern have been posted in the infant room(s).
- Staff take a Point of Service Meal Count once all components infants are developmentally ready for have been offered.
- A childcare meal count form may be used. Sponsors no longer need to track meals on the Daily Infant Meal Record or the Monthly Infant Meal Record forms.
- Infant classrooms that offer more than 3 meals or snacks must take a by name meal count.
Reminder: Infants eat on demand; components of a meal do not need to be provided all at the same time and may be spread out throughout the day.
Would you like to start claiming enrolled infant meals in FY23?
If you have not previously claimed enrolled infant meals, but you would like to start in FY23:
- During renewal, indicate this change in WINS in the Site Application to include 0–12 months for “Age of Participants”.
- Provide training to staff on the CACFP infant meal requirements prior to October 1. Continue to include this topic during your staff annual training.
Resources
For more details on this and other changes in FY23, watch the “What’s New in CACFP” recorded webinar.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released CACFP 09-2022 SFSP 05-2022: Questions and Answers Related to CACFP 11-2021, SFSP 07- 2021 Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data by Visual Observation and Identification in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program – Policy Rescission.
This memo provides clarification on questions related to the Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data by Visual Observation. As of May 17, 2021, visual observation and identification was no longer an allowable practice for CACFP operators, SFSP operators, or State agencies to use during the collection of racial or ethnic data (per CACFP 11-2021, SFSP 07-2021).
Race and Ethnicity Data Collection
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) requires all Child Nutrition Program (CNP) operators to collect Race and Ethnic Data at the site level at least once per program year. This helps to determine how effectively FNS programs are reaching potential eligible persons and beneficiaries. This data may be used to identify areas where additional outreach is needed, determine any barriers to access, and assess the institution’s and sponsor’s compliance.
Program operators should use methods that are based on self-identification and self-reporting. A best practice for this would be obtaining the information from parents or guardians or adult participants. Please review the full memo for more details on data collection methods.
Providing meals to participants must not be contingent upon families providing their racial and ethnic data.
Grace Period Granted
FNS recognizes that it will take some time to develop methods and gather data from alternative sources. As a result, there will be a grace period to develop these methods through December 31, 2022. During the grace period, program operators will not receive a finding of non-compliance during reviews. By January 1, 2023, program operators must have alternative means to capture the data.
Questions? Please contact your CACFP Specialist.
The Western Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extended the automatic eligibility of participants in Washington State’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) for a one-year period.
Institutions that feed and claim children enrolled in ECEAP are not required to collect income applications. Children enrolled in ECEAP are automatically eligible for free meal benefits without further application or eligibility determination.
B038-22 Waiver of Eligibility for Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program
The waiver covers children participating in child care centers that claim meals under the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and children participating in child care centers that claim meals under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP).
All Child Nutrition bulletins can be located on OSPI's Bulletins and Memos webpage.
Questions? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist.
The CACFP Annual Training helps sponsors complete requirements and supports your renewal for the upcoming fiscal year! This year, OSPI CNS will release:
*Please note: FDCH and Unaffiliated Sponsors tracks will only be offered in Ellensburg.
For more details upcoming changes in FY23, watch the “What’s New in CACFP” recorded webinar.
Questions? Please email the Community Nutrition team!
Join the Farm to ECE Community of Practice call:Taking Farm to ECE Outdoors! This session will explore the intersections of Outdoor Nature Based learning and Farm to ECE.
Hear from presenters who have experience facilitating nature based activities and leave with resources to start your own!
Register for the Farm to ECE Community of Practice Call
Date: Tuesday, July 26
Time: 3–4 pm PT
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The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) is the only federally funded national center dedicated to applied research, education and training, and technical assistance for child nutrition programs.
Take a moment to review the Menu Planning Basics: A Guide for CACFP Operators in Child Care guide. This resource is available in English and Spanish!
Featured information includes:
- Meal pattern requirements
- Planning nutritious and appealing meals and snacks
- Menu planning templates
- Recipes
- Tip sheets
- And more!
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Additionally, the Cycle Menus for Child Care: Preschoolers guide features:
- Cycle menus for preschoolers ages 3 -5 years that may be adapted for different age groups
- CACFP meal pattern charts
- Introducing children to new tastes and textures
- Seasonal fruits and vegetables
- Ways to prepare and season fruits and vegetables
- Best practices
- Food safety tips
- And more!
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