CACFP Administrative Manual Section 1.2

Table of Contents
Terms, Definitions, and Acronyms

Section 1: Program Eligibility

Section 1.2 Responsible Principals

Per Title 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) , Section 226.2, a responsible principal is defined as:

• A principal, whether compensated or uncompensated, who the state agency or FNS determines to be responsible for an institution's serious deficiency;


• Any other individual employed by, or under contract with, an institution or sponsored center, who the state agency or FNS determines to be responsible for an institution's serious deficiency; or


• An uncompensated individual who the state agency or FNS determines to be responsible for an institution's serious deficiency.

Responsible principals are ultimately responsible for the administration of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and are accountable for their agency’s serious deficiencies. Agencies and unaffiliated sites under the sponsorship of a Sponsor of Unaffiliated Centers (SOUC) are required to submit a list of responsible principals to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), before those responsible principals can participate in the program. Responsible principals vary depending on the agency’s business entity type. The CDSS has determined the following agency representatives to be responsible principals:

• Public, School Food Authority (SFA): Superintendent, Chief Business Officer or accountant, and school food service director. Public, non-SFAs: Highest agency official.


• Private, nonprofit agencies : Executive director and board chair


• Private, nonprofit Day Care Home (DCH) agencies: All board members


• Private, for-profit agencies: Owner(s)

Agencies must provide the CDSS with the name, date of birth, and mailing address for all responsible principals annually, and during the program year if the responsible principal list changes for an agency or SOUC site. For all agencies (except for public agencies), the mailing address must be an address separate from the agency’s site or business address(es).

Responsible principal information is gathered for the CDSS to:

1. Ensure that responsible principals are not on the National Disqualified List (NDL), which lists individuals who have been disqualified from participating in the CACFP; and


2. Provide the USDA with a list of responsible principals (to include name, date of birth, and mailing address) terminated from the CACFP.

Further guidance on the serious deficiency process will be addressed within Section 15 of this manual.

References: 7 CFR , sections 226.2 and 226.6(b)(1)(xii); USDA Guidance for Management Plans and Budgets Handbook.

Questions: A list of program specialists that can assist is found on the CACFP Contact List.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Esta institución es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.