CACFP Administrative Manual Section 4.2

Child and Adult Care Food Program Administrative Manual Section 4.2 Determining Area Eligibility.

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Terms, Definitions, and Acronyms

Section 4: Day Care Home Reimbursement Determination

4.2 Determining Area Eligibility

Providers that are located in low-income areas qualify for Tier I reimbursement based on area eligibility.

School Data

A provider can be categorized as Tier I if the home is located within the attendance area of an elementary, middle, or high school at which at least 50 percent of the enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals (FRPM). The school must be the assigned elementary, middle or high school for the attendance area. In order to document a provider’s eligibility for Tier I reimbursement using school data, sponsors must perform the following procedure:

• Obtain current, official school boundary-identifying maps or lists of addresses, either electronically from the district’s website or in hard copy, located within a school’s attendance area. Match the provider’s address to the maps’ boundaries or lists. (If maps or lists are unavailable, contact school officials to verify the attendance area of the elementary, middle, or high schools that serve the provider. Request either a letter from school officials on school or district letterhead identifying provider addresses that fall within the school’s attendance area, or prepare a memorandum documenting phone contacts with school officials. Include the official’s name, title, and contact information. Date and sign or initial the memorandum.); and the percentage of enrolled students that are eligible for FRPMs at the appropriate school.

If more than 50 percent of enrolled students are eligible for FRPMs at the elementary, middle, or high school, then the home can be categorized as Tier I.

Census Data

The FNS provides current census data to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). Sponsors may use this data to make area eligibility determinations by accessing the FRAC CACFP Mapper Web page.

Duration of Area Eligibility Determination

Determinations of area eligibility for Tier I reimbursement, either by school or census data, are valid from the first day of the month in which they are made and are valid for five years, (i.e., 60 calendar months), from the original date of determination. For example, if a sponsor certifies a provider’s eligibility on March 29, 2017, the determination is valid effective March 1, 2017 to February 28, 2022.

A sponsor must retain documentation of the method used to make the determination of area eligibility for Tier I reimbursement.

Reference: 7 CFRSections 226.2, Tier I day care home (b), 226.4(e), 226.23(e)(1), 226.13(c), 226.15(e)(3), 226.15(f); MB CNP-02-2014 Census Data Release: Federal Fiscal Year 2014 and Use of School and Census Data, MB NSD-CACFP-07-2013 Free and Reduced-price Meals Data File, MB USDA-CACFP-05-2011 School Data Area Eligibility for Day Care Home Providers; and USDA’s Eligibility Guidance for Family Day Care Homes

Questions:Josh Siller-Michel | Josh.SillerMichel@dss.ca.gov | 279-234-3015