April 28,
2003
Reimbursement
of Infant Meals in the Child Nutrition Programs
Regional Director
Child Nutrition Programs
All Regions
The child
nutrition programs reimburse child
care centers, family day care homes, emergency shelters, schools, and
residential child care institutions for the costs of serving
nutritious meals--including the costs of preparation and clean up of
meals--to infants. We are
revising program policy to recognize the non-food related cost of
serving infants by allowing
reimbursement for meals containing only infant formula, whether
supplied by the caregiver or by the parent.
Please
advise your State agencies that reimbursable meals for infants may
contain either breastmilk or
iron-fortified infant formula, or both, supplied by the caregiver or
by the parent. However,
to receive reimbursement, the caregiver must always offer the infant a
complete, developmentally appropriate meal.
Because we are
recognizing the labor involved in serving meals to infants, the meal
must be served and fed to the infant by the caregiver.
If you have
additional questions about the reimbursement of infant meals, please
contact Keith Churchill or Susan Ponemon.
STANLEY C. GARNETT
Director
Child Nutrition Division
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