CACFP Administrative Manual Section 14.1

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Section 14.1 Recordkeeping for Centers

Accurate recordkeeping and proper documentation are extremely important for agencies participating in the CACFP because they are the basis for all claims for reimbursement, audits, and administrative reviews.

Centers must retain all records for a minimum of three years after the end of the program year to which they pertain or until audit and administrative review issues are resolved. For example, agencies must keep records for Program Year (PY) 2022–23 (October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023) until at least October 1, 2026. These records may then be disposed of only if there are no unresolved audit findings, administrative review issues, or the center’s program is not under investigation. In the event of an earthquake, flood, or fire, or other disaster type event, evidence of enrollment documentation, eligibility, and meal counts is required. Centers must keep these records even if they are illegible from water, fire, or other type of damage. If the documents are completely lost, centers must have a record of the disaster to document their loss, such as an insurance or police report. If the records are lost or damaged, centers must immediately notify their sponsor, and the sponsor must immediately notify their assigned CACFP Specialist.

Failure to maintain records to support claims may result in the disallowance of the meals and result in the center or center sponsor’s repayment to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for any reimbursement received.

There are several different types of records that must be maintained for the CACFP:

• Administrative records
• Financial records
• Meal records
• Participant records
• Procurement records

The following list includes records that centers must maintain. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of required records. For more information, please contact your CACFP Specialist. A list of CACFP Specialists by county is on the CACFP Contact List web page.

Administrative records include:

• Center license status or documentation for license-exempt sites (i.e., annual health permit and fire inspection)
 
• Training records:
  • CACFP annual center staff training log
  • Certificate of Completion for the CDSS annual mandatory training
 
• CACFP job descriptions
 
• Civil rights records which may include:
  • Complaint log
  • Compliant procedures
  • Procedure to collect racial and ethnic data
 
• For Center sponsors only:
  • Edit checks
  • Household contacts, if applicable
  • Monitoring review reports
  • Preapproval visit documentation
  • Sponsor-to-site preapproval visit documentation

Financial records include:

• All financial records as required by the FNS 796-2, Revision 4 and Title 2, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200
 
• Copies of all documentation to support the claims for reimbursement
 
• Invoices, receipts, and allocation plans for costs charged to the CACFP
 
• Personnel activity reports
 
• Receipts from all program payments received from the CDSS

Meal records include:

• Meal count records
• Required meal records documenting meal pattern compliance

Participant records include:

• ADC centers only: Plan of care for functionally impaired participant
 
• Attendance records or sign-in and sign-out sheets
 
• Eligibility rosters—does not apply to ARA centers
 
• Enrollment records—does not apply to ARA centers, SA centers, and emergency shelters
 
• Meal Benefit Forms (or automatic eligibility documentation for CC/SA centers) for all participants claimed at the free or reduced-price reimbursement category—does not apply to ARA centers and emergency shelters

Procurement records include:

• Bids and solicitations, if applicable
• Contracts (i.e., food service vending agreements)
• Procurement Code of Conduct
• Procurement procedures
• Quotes, if applicable
• Receipts and invoices for all purchases

References: 7 CFR, sections 226.6(b)(1)(xviii)(C)(3), 226.10(d), 226.11(e), 226.15(e), 226.16(e), 226.17(c), 226.17a(o), 226.19(c), 226.19a(c); 2 CFR, sections 200.334, 200.403(g); FNS Instruction Financial Management – CACFP 796-2 Rev. 4; CACFP Bulletin: Training Requirements in the CACFP; USDA ADC Handbook, USDA At-risk Afterschool Care Handbook, and USDA Independent CC Centers 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.