|
Homeless Children Nutrition Program Helping Shelters Get Help With Meals and Snacks |
| Emergency
shelters which serve homeless children and their families can participate
in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
To participate in CACFP, an emergency shelter must provide residential and food services to homeless children and their parents or guardians. It must be a public or private nonprofit institution. Unlike most other CACFP facilities, a shelter does not have to be licensed to provide day care. However, it must meet any health and safety codes that are required by state or local law. A homeless shelter or a temporary residential site sponsored by a shelter, or another public or private nonprofit agency, is eligible to participate in CACFP. A shelter may complete an application and sign an agreement with the State administering agency, or it may participate as a facility under an existing CACFP sponsoring organization.
Each residential child 12 years of age and younger may receive up to three reimbursable meals each day, on weekdays and weekends. Migrant children age 15 and younger and children with disabilities, regardless of their age, may also receive CACFP meals and snacks at the emergency shelters where they reside. Residential children who receive their meals at the shelter are automatically eligible for free meals and snacks. There are no application forms for their parents or guardians to fill out. All reimbursable meals and snacks are served in group settings, at no cost to the child or to the child’s parents or guardians. Homeless shelters receive payments for serving meals and snacks, which meet Federal nutritional guidelines, to eligible children. The maximum payment rates are based on the numbers of meals and snacks served at the free rate for day care centers. Shelters also receive commodities or cash-in-lieu of commodities for each CACFP lunch or supper they serve.
|
If you have any questions about these materials or want more information on how shelters can participate in CACFP, contact Matt Sharp at matt@cfpa.net.
