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Who's Hungry?!

Food Program

Kids Count participates in New York State's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). By recording the number of meals served, we receive a monthly reimbursement for the snacks provided. This helps to keep our costs lower and enables us to offer more affordable child care.

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The food program requires families to sign a form every year stating that their child attends Kids Count. There is an optional space to indicate family income. When families who are deemed "low income", according to the state's guidelines, supply their family income information, the state reimburses Kids Count at a higher rate than if no income amount was reported. Irrespective of your family's income, reporting your income on the food program form is optional. Kids Count will be reimbursed a small amount for every student who returns the form, regardless of income.

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What is CACFP anyway?

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CACFP – Child & Adult Care Food Program, a department of the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) *By definition: CACFP provides aid to child and adult care institutions and family or group day care homes for the provision of nutritious foods that contribute to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children, and the health and wellness of older adults and chronically impaired disabled persons.

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What does it mean for Kids Count?

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- CACFP reimburses Kids Count for food related expenses.

- Reimbursement is contingent upon state inspections by licensed representatives

- Inspections are rigorous and include the following criteria:

            * Menu approval

            * Numerical evaluation of attendance records

            * Food receipt inspections/approvals

            * Food preparation methods inspections/approvals

            * Food delivery methods inspections/approvals

            * Food label inspections/approvals

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What is reauired by Kids Count?

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*All five components must be individually offered daily

                        - Milk, fat free or low fat (1%) – 1 cup

                        - Vegetables/Fruits – Two vegetable and/or fruits – 1 cup total

                        - Grains/Breads – Bread or roll or pasta – 1 cup

                        - Meat/Meat alternative – Lean meat – 2 ounces

                                                                    Cheese – 2 ounces

                                                                    Egg – 1 whole

 

  • Foods that do NOT qualify: this list is not cumulative. These are foods that we may have used in the past that have been removed from our menus as main items since we have been certified through CACFP. We still use things like ketchup and maple syrup as extra additions to menus: Examples include Soy milk, almond milk, ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, bacon, American cheese, non-approved chicken nuggets/patties, hot dogs, cream cheese, peanut butter (due to allergy constraints), pepperoni, pre-packaged pizza, boxed macaroni and cheese, non-approved sausage, tempeh, tofu, ketchup, corn chips, fruit juices, honey, jelly, jam, popsicles, pop tarts, potato chips, popcorn, potatoes, tapioca.

                                                                

  • All Kids Count snacks are considered “supper” by the USDA.

  • All Kids Count snacks are served family style per USDA requirements

  • Kids Count is reimbursed based on number of paid, free and reduced meals served per day. Paid, reduced and free status is determined by required CACFP form that each family fills out at the beginning of every year.

  • $.29 per meal/per child = paid

  • $2.67 per meal/per child = reduced

  • $3.07 per meal/per child = free

  • Kids Count is reimbursed at approximately 70%. All reimbursement is reinvested into the next month’s snack expenses.

***Kids Count does not limit the number of servings per child. All left over food must be thrown out so children are permitted to have seconds. If you prefer your child have only a set amount of food in order to leave room for dinner at home or otherwise, please speak to your child about this. We do regulate portion size per the USDA and any serving after a first serving will be portion sized or less.***

 

 

If you’d like more information on CACFP or the USDA, please refer to the following website:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/child-and-adult-care-food-program

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