Claiming Meals for School-age Children

This Management Bulletin (MB) notifies Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) agencies serving meals and/or snacks to school-age children approved for care under a preschool-age license of the required documentation for obtaining reimbursement for these children under the CACFP. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) CACFP Branch may disallow meals and/or snacks reported for school-age children if agencies do not adhere to this guidance.

Background

The CDSS, Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) may authorize child care agencies to care for a limited number of school-age children when issuing a Preschool-age Center license. While these child care agencies are authorized by CDSS CCLD to care for a specific number of school-age children, these agencies are not automatically approved by the CACFP to submit reimbursement for meals and/or snacks served to school-age children. Child care agencies that have a Preschool-age Center program type approved in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) are only approved to obtain reimbursement for preschool children.

Approval Needed for School-age Center Program Type

The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires the CDSS to report meals and/or snacks for school-age children participating in the CACFP separate from nonschool-age children. In order for agencies to report meals and/or snacks separately for the school-age children, they must obtain approval from the CDSS CACFP Branch through the CNIPS for a School-age Center program type. This means agencies serving both preschool children and school-age children should have two different program types listed in the CNIPS, even if they have only one license.

Agencies that are authorized by CDSS CCLD to care for school-age children, but do not have school-age children in care, do not need to obtain approval for a School-age Center program type.

To add a School-age Center program type in the CNIPS:

• Select Applications
  
  
• Select Application Packet-Center
  
  
• Select the current year
  
  
• Select on Site Application located on the lower left hand side of the Application Packet screen
  
  
• Select Revise
  
  
• Select the Program Type tab
  
  
• Under the Site/License Type section of this screen, select School Age Center as a program type in the drop down menu
  
  
• Under Licensing Type, select Department of Social Services/Community Care Licensing
  
  
• Under License Number, type in the same CDSS CCL License Number of the Preschool Age Center
  
  
• Select Next at the bottom of the page
  
  
• Scroll to bottom of page and select Next
  
  
• Select Finish at the bottom of the Site Information page
  
  
• Select Finish once more
  
  
• Select on Application Packet Center Sponsor at the top of the page (green bar)
  
  
• Select on Submit for Approval. If the submit for approval button is not clickable (red), please contact your CACFP specialist for assistance.
  

Meal Counts

After a School-age Center program type is approved in the CNIPS, the claim screen will include a separate area to report the number of meals and/or snacks for the school-age children. Agencies are required to take meal and/or snack counts for school-age children separate from the other children in care.

Enrollment and Average Daily Participation

Agencies must also report the number of children enrolled for care in the free, reduced-price and base categories, based upon their approved claiming method’s reporting criteria and Average Daily Participation separately for school-age and nonschool-age children.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact your county’s CACFP Specialist. A list of CACFP Specialists is available on the CACFP County Contacts web page or in the Download Forms section of the CNIPS Form ID CACFP 01. You can also contact the CACFP Office Technician by email at CACFPinfo@dss.ca.gov to be directed to your CACFP Specialist.

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