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What is the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)?

• The CACFP is federally funded by the Food and Nutrition Services of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Department of Public Health and Human Services is the State agency which administers the Child and Adult Care Food Program in Montana.
• The program plays a vital role in assuring the nutritional quality of meals and snacks served to eligible children and adults, and making care more affordable for many low-income families.
• The CACFP provides cash reimbursement for serving meals to enrolled participants that meet Federal nutritional guidelines, outlined in the CACFP meal pattern.  Participating institutions may be approved to claim up to two reimbursable meals (breakfast, lunch, and supper) and one snack, or two snacks and one meal, to each eligible participant, each day.
• The State agency:
  • provides consultative, technical and managerial personnel to administer the program in the state
  • provides sufficient training and technical assistance to institutions
  • monitors program performance
  • facilitates the expansion of the program
  • ensures effective operation of the program by participating institutions
• The program currently serves participants in Montana statewide in all counties and all Indian Reservations. Each day in the United States, 3.2 million children receive nutritious meals and snacks through CACFP.

The CACFP encourages participating institutions to:

• Offer a wide variety of nutritious foods.
• Use fresh foods and locally grown foods when possible.
• Develop menus and recipes that include cultural considerations.
• Serve meals that follow the US Dietary Guidelines.
• Serve meals family style.
• Support breastfeeding or use of breast milk for infant feeding, or serve iron-fortified infant formula. Milk is served with meals for children age one and above.

Who is Eligible for CACFP meals?

• Children age 12 and under
• Migrant children age 15 and younger
• Adults who are 60 or older, or who are physically or mentally impaired to the extent that limits their independence and ability to carry out activities of daily living
• Youths through age 18 in afterschool programs in needy areas

What institutions qualify for the program?

Applicants must be: a Licensed Child Care Center, Head Start Program, Adult Day Care Center, After School Program, or Homeless Shelter serving children.  CACFP encourages other institutions to inquire.

• Non-profit programs must provide proof of non-profit status.
• For-profit programs must have at least 25% of their attendance during each month be of participants with income eligibility in either a Free or Reduced category.  These categories are based on USDA’s Income Eligibility Guidelines.

What Type of Institutions Participate in CACFP?

• Child Care Centers: licensed or approved public or private nonprofit child care centers, head start programs, and for-profit centers serve meals to large numbers of children.  Day Care Centers must sign an agreement with the state agency to participate in CACFP.  Centers must be licensed with the Montana DPHHS Quality Assurance Division to provide day care services.  Reimbursement for meals served in centers is based upon income eligibility. 
• Day Care Homes: family day care homes of 6 children or less and group day care homes of 12 children or less that receive nonresidential day care in approved private homes.  A family or group day care home must sign an agreement with a sponsoring organization to participate in CACFP. Day care homes must be registered with the Montana DPHHS Quality Assurance Division to provide day care services. Reimbursement for meals served in day care homes is based upon eligibility for Tier I rates (which targets higher levels of reimbursement to low-income areas, providers, or children) or lower Tier II rates.
• Outside School Hours Care Centers (OSHCC): centers provide meals and snacks to school-age children and youth.
• Special After School Snack Programs (SASS): centers in low-income areas provide free snacks to school-age children and youth during the school year.
• Homeless Shelters: emergency shelters provide residential and food services to homeless children.
• Adult Day Care Centers: public, private, non-profit, and some for-profit adult day care facilities provide structured, comprehensive services to functionally impaired nonresident adults.

How are Meals Reimbursed?

The meal reimbursement rates are federal rates that are published annually.  Participating institutions receive reimbursement for meals on a monthly basis.  Reimbursements are based on the number of meals served to enrolled children, multiplied by the appropriate reimbursement rate for each breakfast, lunch, supper, or snacks they are approved to serve. The State Agency receives, approves, and processes claims. Monthly reimbursement payments can be directly deposited into a bank account.

Center participants must qualify on the basis of household income eligibility. 

Day Care Homes must be qualified by sponsoring organizations who will categorize providers as Tier I or Tier II homes based on school or census data or provider’s household income.  Income information is kept confidential at all times.

For additional information, contact the Montana CACFP:

Child and Adult Care Food Program
PO Box 202925
Helena, MT 59620-2925
(406) 444-4347
In-state Toll free:  1-888-307-9333

Mary A. Musil, MS, RD, Program Manager
mmusil@mt.gov