Child and Adult Care Food Program
The CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program) provides cash reimbursement to child and adult day care providers for serving meals and snacks meeting USDA standards to participants enrolled in care.
Visit the links below for more information about
The Child Care Nutrition Resource System provides you with recipes, resources, and information on preparing nutritious meals and food safety. Day care providers who participate in USDA's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and receive reimbursement for meals served, will find the information useful.
Information for Child Care Centers interested in the CACFP
In order for a Child Care Center (or Centers) to be eligible, it/they must be operated by a non-profit corporation that has tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service (Federal) and it/they also must have non-profit corporate status with the State of Maine, which is done through the Secretary of State's office. In addition, the Center(s) must also be licensed through the State. They are incorporated in the State of Maine and For-profit child care centers may also be eligible for the food program if at least 25% of the children they serve are eligible for free or reduced lunch.
CACFP funds are received on a reimbursement basis and the amount determined via a monthly reimbursement claim form which lists the number of meals served as well as the number of children served in each of the following categories: Free, Reduced-Price or Paid. The organization receives a higher reimbursement rate for children whose households meet the income guidelines for Free, less for Reduced-Price and lesser for those in the Paid category.
These organizations who run Centers must meet CACFP regulations in terms of required food components, minimum required amounts, meal counts, CACFP enrollments that are renewed annually, etc. They must also meet CACFP training, monitoring, non-discrimination, record-keeping, etc. requirements.
If you operate a center and you are interested in the CACFP, contact the Child and Adult Care Food Program by calling (207)624-7924 or (207)624-7925.
Information for Family Child Care Homes interested in the CACFP
Family Day Care Home providers must also be licensed by the State of Maine in order to be eligible for participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Home providers must also be sponsored by a non-profit organization and meet requirements for meal components, minimum required amounts, meal counts, enrollments, trainings, etc.
Home providers are reimbursed through their sponsoring organization based on a "Tiering" system. Those eligible for Tier I rates based on household income, school data or census data receive a higher rate of reimbursement. In addition, those providers eligible for Tier I rates based on household income (which must be verified), may also claim their own children (12 years old and younger) if other day care children are present when the meal is served.
Those providers who are not eligible for Tier I rates may elect to receive the lower reimbursement for all of the children in their care (Tier II Lower) or they may choose to receive a possible "combination" of higher Tier I and lower Tier II rates based on applications that are given to the parents of all of the children in their care (Tier II Mixed).
Sponsors of Licensed and Legal Unlicensed Day Care Homes in Kennebec and Somerset counties
Sponsors are listed alphabetically by their agency name. The agencies serve a specified county or counties. Contact the agency or agencies serving your area to get more information about joining the food program.
Catholic Charities of Maine
Serving: Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, and York counties
Family Day Care
270 Minot Ave. Suite B
Auburn, ME 04210
Sonja Carvalho, FDCH Manager
786-0925 or 1-800-887-7443
Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation
Serving: Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Somerset, and Waldo counties
337 Maine Ave.
Farmingdale, ME 04344
Julie Shepard, CACFP Specialist
582-3110
Penquis
Serving: Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo, Knox, Somerset, and Lincoln counties
262 Harlow Street
PO Box 1162
Bangor, ME 04402-1162
Willow Leavitt, CACFP Specialist
793-3506