Expenditure Reporting will be Required With Monthly Claims
Institutions and sponsoring organizations are required to track and maintain documentation of all CACFP expenses per record-keeping requirements. Effective for Fiscal Year 2022–23 (FY23) Sponsors will be required to report actual monthly expenditures with monthly claims.
Operating Expenses
- The Washington Integrated Nutrition System (WINS) will be updated to collect monthly operating expenses for CACFP.
- Sponsors will be required the total amount of Monthly Operating Expenses when submitting monthly claims.
- Sponsors will not be able to submit a claim until this required reporting is entered in WINS. Use the Financial Management and WINS Reference Sheet for more details.
*FDCH and Local Education Agency (LEA) Sponsors are exempt from reporting operating expenses
Administrative Expenses
- Sponsors that elect to use CACFP reimbursement for administrative expenses will continue to enter Monthly Administrative Expenses by budget line-item when submitting monthly claims.
- Sponsors will not be able to submit a monthly claim until this required reporting is entered in WINS.
Reminders
- All records to support a claim, including records of expenses must be kept on file for three years plus the current year. Use the Recordkeeping Requirements Reference Sheet for more details.
- Organizing expense records by month, including documentation will support having the required data necessary for submitting monthly claims. Use the Organizing CACFP Records Reference Sheet for more details.
- CACFP budgets and budget revisions must be approved by OSPI prior to incurring or paying any expense. It is important to monitor your budget and expenses monthly so you can submit a Budget Revision, if needed.
Expense Tracking Tools
For more details on this and other changes in FY23, watch the “What’s New in CACFP” recorded webinar
On June 24, 2022, Congress passed The Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 and moved the bill on to be signed by the president. We are anxiously awaiting details from USDA and will provide an update as soon as we have more information.
The CACFP renewal application will open on Friday, July 15 and must be completed and submitted by September 1.
All costs, including food, require prior approval before the cost is incurred. Therefore, budget submissions must be approved prior to the start of the fiscal year, no later than September 30, 2022. It may take up to 30 days to process and approve a complete application.
Sponsors may choose to submit their application for approval past the September 1 deadline but may not be approved in time to receive reimbursement for meals served during October 2022.
Requirements
- Update Sponsor Profile
- Sponsor Application
- Site application(s)
- Site calendar(s)
- Budget
- Management Plan (multi-site sponsors)
- Contract Fact Sheet if using a FSMC or Vendor
Resources
Sponsors who have had a gap in CACFP operation of a year or longer must reactivate their CACFP application in addition to the renewal requirements in to operate CACFP in FY23.
Questions? Please contact your CACFP Specialist.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released CACFP 10-2022: Questions and Answers Regarding the 2022 Infant Formula Shortage in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. This memo has not yet been posted to the USDA webpages, OSPI CNS will share a link to this memo after it becomes available.
This memo addresses questions related to infant formula use in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) during the nationwide formula shortage in 2022. This guidance applies local organizations operating the CACFP and relates to 7 CFR Part 226.
The ongoing infant formula shortage due to supply chain issues, which worsened due to a major formula recall in February 2022, has left many CACFP operators concerned about access to formula and their options for safely feeding infants in their care. This memo addresses program flexibility, infant formula availability, and how to feed infants in the CACFP during a formula shortage.
FNS will continue to monitor the situation and support CACFP operators and the families they serve during this unprecedented and evolving situation
Questions? Please contact your CACFP Specialist.
USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Farm to School Program released the revised Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs Guide, which provides an overview of federal procurement principles and covers topics related to sourcing and purchasing local foods for child nutrition program operators.
This guide highlights a variety of mechanisms sponsors can use to purchase local products while staying in accordance with federal procurement regulations.
Featured are examples of how to target local foods when conducting both formal and informal procurements, use the Geographic Preference option to enhance local purchasing.
To access the revised Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs Guide along with other local procurement resources for child nutrition program operators, visit USDA's Procuring Local Foods webpage.
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 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!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released updated Civil Rights Division (CRD) policy memos.
Important Updates
These memos clarify prohibitions against discrimination based on sex in all USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) programs and related implementing regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.
What this means: Child Nutrition Program operators and sponsors must not discriminate or deny access to programs based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Next Steps
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Effective Immediately: If not currently part of your organizational practices, update program discrimination complaint processing procedures to include complaints alleging sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.
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Effective Immediately: Process any complaints alleging sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination as complaints of prohibited sex discrimination. There will not be a grace period for accepting and processing discrimination complaints based on sexual orientation and gender identity in FNS programs.
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Before August 3, 2022: Update webpages and documents with the updated USDA Child Nutrition Programs Nondiscrimination Statement.
- The nondiscrimination statement is required on all documents referring to program access, program approval, and widely distributed documents. Examples include: items distributed to the public, landing page of web pages, student handbooks, brochures, letters to families, or press releases.
- Child Nutrition Program operators and sponsors are required to take reasonable steps to ensure program access and benefits to individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).
- The USDA is currently working to translate the updated nondiscrimination statement into additional languages. Please do not translate the nondiscrimination statement at this time.
- OSPI CNS will update documents previously translated with the updated nondiscrimination statement. Please keep an eye out for future CNS Updates.
Additional Details
- OSPI CNS is ordering updated And Justice for All Posters and will be distributing them over the coming months. Until you receive the updated posters, please continue using the 2019 And Justice for All poster.
- We understand many program operators and sponsors are preparing materials for the upcoming program year.
- If your organization has already printed materials that include the previous nondiscrimination statement, you are not required to re-print documents.
- If your organization has not printed materials, please use the updated versions as they become available on the OSPI CNS webpages.
- OSPI CNS will be updating reference sheets, materials, and webpages in the coming weeks.
Questions? Please email the Child Nutrition inbox so we may assist.
Operation of the Child and Adult Care Program (CACFP) is not transferable between businesses when ownership changes occur. Reimbursement to the previous owner will not be granted after the date of the ownership change.
The new owners must start the CACFP application process to become a CACFP Sponsor with the new:
- Business name
- Tax ID number
- Statewide Payee Number
The application process may take up to three months and in some cases longer. During this time claims may not be submitted for reimbursement by the new or previous program sponsor. New CACFP sponsors may begin claiming meals for reimbursement once the Child Nutrition Programs Unified Permanent Agreement has been signed by both OSPI and the CACFP Sponsor.
Funds Must be Returned to OSPI CNS if:
- Claims are submitted for reimbursement by the previous owner after an ownership transition occurs
- Emergency Operating Cost (EOC) funds were granted but not spent prior to the business transfer must be returned.
If your business is anticipating an ownership change please notify your specialist as soon as possible. Your CACFP specialist will assist you and the new business owner through this transition.
USDA’s Team Nutrition initiative will present a CACFP Halftime: Thirty on Thursdays webinar on “Breakfast Basics.” Registration for this free webinar is now available.
About this Webinar
This upcoming webinar show program operators how to plan nutritious and appealing breakfasts that meet Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal pattern requirements. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions to the presenters and to check their knowledge through interactive polling questions.
Register for the Breakfast Basics webinar (English)
Date: Thursday, July 21
Time: 11:00 – 11:30 am PT
Register for the Breakfast Basics webinar (Spanish)
Date: Thursday, July 21
Time: 12:00 – 12:30 pm PT
Additional Information
- Both webinars will be recorded and made available at a later date. All who register for the webinar will receive an email once the recording is available.
- Team Nutrition will provide certificates of participation to individuals who attend the entire thirty-minute webinar.
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Do you need an alternative format or accessibility tools to help you participate in this event? Participants who require a different accessibility tool to participate in this webinar, please email Sheila Kopczynski by July 6 for assistance.
- Interested in watching recorded Team Nutrition trainings on other CACFP Topics? Visit the CACFP Halftime: Thirty on Thursdays webpage.
Questions regarding the webinar? Please reach out to the Team Nutrition inbox.
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