AFTERSCHOOL SNACKS -- Questions and Answers,
Edition 3
-
Eligible
Programs
-
Area
Eligibility
- Applications
and Agreements
- Reimbursement
- Eligible
Children
- Meal
Service Requirements
- Reporting
- Monitoring
- Residential
Child Care Institutions
A. Eligible Programs
A1. What are the approval criteria
for afterschool care programs?
Under the NSLP, a school food
authority must operate the lunch component and the school district
must sponsor or operate an afterschool care program which:
- provides children with
regularly scheduled activities in an organized, structured
and supervised environment; and
- includes educational or
enrichment activities.
Under the CACFP, a public or
private nonprofit organization (including a school) must operate
an afterschool care program which:
- provides children with
regularly scheduled activities in an organized, structured
and supervised environment;
- includes educational or
enrichment activities; and
- is located in a geographical
area served by a school in which 50 percent or more of the
children enrolled are eligible for free or reduced price
school meals.
[* See Question A13 for
information on for-profit eligibility.]
A2. Are there any afterschool care
programs that may not be approved?
Yes. Organized athletic programs
engaged in interscholastic or community level competitive sports
only (i.e., youth sports leagues such as "Babe Ruth" and
"Pop Warner" baseball leagues, community soccer and
football leagues, area swim teams) may not be approved. However,
afterschool care programs which include supervised athletic
activity may participate provided that they are "open to
all" and do not limit membership for reasons other than space
or security or, where applicable, licensing requirements. For
example, an afterschool police athletic league program that uses
sports and recreational activities to provide constructive
opportunities for community youth could be approved to participate
in the CACFP at-risk afterschool snack service.
A3. Does the "open to
all" criterion apply to programs other than interscholastic
sports programs?
No. Afterschool care programs that
are designed to accommodate special needs or that have other
limiting factors, may be eligible to participate. They may
include, but are not limited to programs targeted to children who
have learning disabilities or programs for children who are
academically gifted.
A4. Is licensing required for an
afterschool care program?
Otherwise eligible afterschool
care programs do not need to be licensed in order to participate unless
there is a State or local requirement for licensing. If there is
no State or local requirement for licensing, then afterschool care
programs must meet State or local health and safety standards.
Organizations should check with their State and local health
departments to determine the requirements they must meet to
operate an afterschool care program in their community. Existing
afterschool care programs that have not had a meal service as part
of their program in the past should also check with State and
local health department officials to determine whether any
additional requirements apply as a result of the service of an
afterschool snack.
A5. Can a traditional child care
center already participating in the CACFP qualify for at-risk
afterschool snack reimbursements?
Yes. A child care center located
in the attendance area of a school in which at least 50 percent of
the enrolled children are eligible for free or reduced price meals
may qualify for CACFP at-risk afterschool reimbursements for free
snacks served to children who attend the center after their school
day has ended. Children who do not attend school would continue to
participate in the traditional CACFP meal service provided by the
center. Centers operating both the traditional and at-risk
components of the CACFP may only claim a total of 3 meals, or 2
meals and 1 snack, per child per day.
A6. Are programs that operate on
weekends eligible for reimbursement?
Under the CACFP at-risk
afterschool care provisions, snacks may be reimbursed if they are
served on weekends or holidays, including vacation periods (e.g.,
spring break), during the
regular school year only.
The afterschool snack component in
NSLP may only operate on days that school is in session. This may
include snacks served in afterschool care programs operated for
children attending summer school (Refer to Question A-7 for more
information), but does not include weekends, holidays, or school
vacations.
A7. Are programs that operate
during the summer vacation eligible for reimbursement?
Under CACFP, at-risk afterschool
snacks may not be reimbursed during summer vacation. Organizations
that wish to operate programs during the summer when school is not
in session may receive reimbursement for meals and snacks through
the Summer Food Service Program. In areas where schools operate on
a year-round basis (i.e., the regularly scheduled school year is
year-round), at-risk afterschool care programs may receive
reimbursement for snacks through the CACFP all year to the extent
these programs are set up to serve "on-track" children.
Under the NSLP, school food
authorities may claim reimbursement for lunches (and breakfasts
under the SBP) served during the summer months when operating a
summer school which is an integral part of the curriculum or an
extension of the local educational program. Such school food
authorities may also claim reimbursement for snacks served to
children in afterschool care programs during this period.
[*See Question A15 for
restrictions on afterschool care programs switching from CACFP to
SFSP.]
A8. May a school that does not
participate in the NSLP receive reimbursement for afterschool
snacks through the NSLP?
If the school food authority
operates the NSLP in any of the schools under its jurisdiction,
then all schools under the school food authority are eligible to
provide snack service under the NSLP. If the school is not under
the jurisdiction of a participating school food authority, it may
be eligible to serve snacks under the CACFP. Please consult with
the State agency.
A9. May a morning or afternoon
snack served in a Head Start Program be claimed under the NSLP
afterschool snack service?
No. Snacks served in the Head
Start Program may not be claimed for reimbursement under the NSLP
afterschool snack service because the Head Start Program is not an
afterschool care program. Afterschool snacks served to Head Start
participants are reimbursable only to the extent that they are
served after
regular school hours (i.e., after the Head Start Program) under
the auspices of an afterschool care program. Head Start Programs
may also participate under the traditional center component of
CACFP.
A10. Are the licensing provisions
under P.L. 105-336 also applicable to Outside-School-Hours Care
Centers (OSHCCs), or are they limited to afterschool at-risk
centers?
The licensing provisions apply to
both OSHCCs and afterschool at-risk centers. Therefore, otherwise
eligible OSHCCs or afterschool at-risk centers do not need to be
licensed in order to participate in CACFP unless there is a State
or local requirement for licensing. If there is no State or local
requirement for licensing, then OSHCCs and afterschool at-risk
centers must meet State or local health and safety standards. (See
Question A4.)
A11. What are the differences between
Outside-School-Hours Care Centers (OSHCCs) and afterschool at-risk
centers in CACFP?
Requirement |
OSHCCs |
Afterschool
At-Risk Centers |
Eligible
Institutions |
Public; private
nonprofit; or for-profit title XX centers |
Public; private
nonprofit; or for-profit title XX centers |
Licensing |
Licensing not
required unless there is a State or local requirement for
licensing. If there is no State or local requirement for
licensing, then centers must meet State or local health and
safety standards. |
Licensing not
required unless there is a State or local requirement for
licensing. If there is no State or local requirement for
licensing, then centers must meet State or local health and
safety standards. |
Determination of
Reimbursement |
Program may operate
in any area. Individual free and reduced-price applications
are taken to determine level of reimbursement (free, reduced
price, and paid). |
Program must be
located in a geographic area served by a school in which 50
percent or more of the children enrolled are eligible for
free or reduced price meals. All snacks are reimbursed at
the free rate. |
Age of Participants |
12 years of age and
under |
School-age children
up through age 18 (or 19 if the child turns 19 during the
school year) |
Type of Meals
Eligible for Reimbursement |
Breakfast, snack,
and supper (lunch may also be served if center meets
conditions in §226.19(b)(4)). |
Snack only |
Number of
Reimbursable Meals |
Maximum of 2 meals
and 1 snack per child per day (or, 2 snacks and 1 meal). |
Maximum of 1 snack
per child per day |
Meal Patterns |
CACFP meal patterns
in §226.20 |
CACFP meal pattern
for snacks in §226.20(c)(4) |
Meal Service
Periods |
School days,
weekends, and holidays; no weekend-only programs
(§226.19(b)(4)) |
School days,
weekends, and holidays during the regular school year. |
Time Restrictions
for Meal Service |
Three hours must
elapse between the beginning of one meal service and the
beginning of another, except that four hours must elapse
between the service of a lunch and supper when no snack is
served between lunch and supper. In addition, the service of
a supper must begin no later than 7 p.m., and end no later
than 8 p.m. Finally, the duration of the meal service is
limited to 2 hours for lunch and supper, and 1 hour for
other meals. (§226.19(b)(6)) |
Snacks must be
served after school (except on weekends and holidays, when
snacks may be served at any time of day). No other time
restrictions exist unless at-risk afterschool centers also
operate outside-school-hours care centers, in which case the
restrictions for outside-school-hours care centers apply
[see OSHCCs column, left, and §226.19(b)(6)]. |
A12. May schools that already
claim suppers under CACFP also claim afterschool snacks through
NSLP?
Yes. Schools that are already
participating and claiming suppers through CACFP also may claim
afterschool snacks through NSLP provided they meet the eligibility
criteria for an afterschool care program.
A13. Are for-profit centers
eligible to receive reimbursement for afterschool snacks through
CACFP?
Yes. For-profit centers may
receive reimbursement for at-risk afterschool snacks if:
- they meet all at-risk
afterschool eligibility requirements (e.g., area
eligibility; afterschool care program with
educational/enrichment activities); and
- they are eligible to receive
reimbursement as a proprietary title XX center through the
traditional child care component of CACFP.
Thus, if a for-profit child care
center meets the criteria for a Proprietary Title XX Center
set forth in the regulations, it may also receive reimbursement
for afterschool snacks through CACFP if it operates an afterschool
care program. To be eligible for CACFP reimbursement, a for-profit
center must provide nonresidential child care services for which
it receives compensation from amounts granted to the States under
title XX of the Social Security Act for at least 25 percent of its
enrolled children or 25 percent of its licensed capacity,
whichever is less, during the calendar month preceding initial
application or annual reapplication for Program participation. In
addition, in order to claim reimbursement in any calendar month,
the center must meet the 25 percent criterion in that month.
In determining a for-profit center’s
eligibility for afterschool snack reimbursement, only the
enrollment/licensed capacity of the traditional child care
component of the center should be considered in calculating
whether the center meets the 25 percent criterion. For example, a
for-profit child care center has 32 pre-school children enrolled
for care, and also operates an afterschool care program for
school-age children. The center would be able to claim
reimbursement through CACFP, for meals served under the
traditional child care component and for afterschool snacks, in
any month in which at least 8 of the 32 pre-school children are
title XX recipients.
A14. May 21st Century
Community Learning Center schools that have been claiming
reimbursement for snacks as Outside-School-Hours Care Centers
under CACFP now switch to NSLP?
Yes. Schools operating afterschool
care programs funded through the Department of Education’s 21st
Century Community Learning Centers (CLC) grants may switch from
CACFP to NSLP. However, 21st Century CLC schools
wishing to switch Programs must amend their agreement with the
State agency, and meet the eligibility requirements for NSLP.
Their agreement with the State agency must also be amended if they
want to continue operating under CACFP and expand snack service to
children through the age of 18.
A15. Question A7 states that
organizations receiving reimbursement for at-risk snacks through
the CACFP during the school year may participate in SFSP during
the summer months. Are there any restrictions on afterschool care
programs switching from CACFP afterschool snack service during the
school year to SFSP during the summer when school is not in
session?
Yes, there are restrictions.
Question A-7 applies to an organization which only serves
afterschool snacks to children under CACFP during the school year.
Such an organization could serve meals to all children through age
18 under SFSP during the summer months, subject to approval of
their SFSP application by the State agency.
However, a traditional child care
center that also serves at-risk afterschool snacks (i.e., the
center has enrolled pre-school children in care during the day,
but also serves at-risk afterschool snacks to school-age children)
must comply with FNS Instruction 782-4, rev. 2. This instruction
states that traditional child care centers may only claim some or
all of their meals under SFSP during the summer when there is a
substantial change in program activities or a significant increase
in enrollment. Thus, if a traditional child care center
substantially changes its activities or significantly increases
its enrollment during the summer months, it has the option of:
- claiming all meals served to
children through the age of 18 under SFSP; or
- claiming meals served to
children in formal child care during the summer under CACFP,
and claiming meals served to other children under SFSP.
If a traditional child care center
did not substantially change its activities or
significantly increase its enrollment during the summer months, it
could only receive reimbursement through SFSP for meals served to
children who participate in the afterschool care program during
the school year. Such a center would receive free, reduced price,
and paid reimbursement through CACFP for all other children
enrolled for care (through the age of 12). Per FNS Instruction
782-4, rev. 2, the determination to either approve the institution
for participation in both the CACFP and SFSP or solely for the
CACFP should be based on the institution’s program objectives.
Child care centers and
outside-school-hours care centers which are licensed to
provide child care are advised to check with their State or local
licensing agency before expanding their meal service to include
SFSP during the summer months, or before switching entirely from
CACFP to SFSP for the summer.
A16. May a school food authority
which vends afterschool snacks to a private nonprofit sponsor
claim those snacks under the NSLP?
No. A school food authority that
vends afterschool snacks to a private nonprofit sponsor may not
claim those snacks under the NSLP. In order for the school food
authority to claim those snacks, the school food authority must
have an agreement with the State agency and must assume full
responsibility for meeting Program requirements. However, snacks
vended to a private nonprofit sponsor could be claimed by the
sponsor under CACFP.
A17. Must a school receiving
reimbursement for afterschool snacks "manage" the
day-to-day activities of the afterschool care program?
No. While the afterschool care
program must be sponsored or operated by a school or school
district, this does not mean that the school or school district
must carry out the day to day managment of the program. A school
or school district may contract with another organization to
manage the afterschool program on its behalf. However the school
food authority must retain administrative and fiscal
responsibility for the snack service. Furthermore, the school food
authority must be the party that enters into the agreement with
the State agency and must assume responsibility for meeting all
snack service requirements, including ensuring that snacks are
served in eligible sites.
A18. Are charter schools eligible
to participate?
Charter schools are eligible to
participate if they: (a) meet the definition of
"school", as cited in § 210.2, and (b) meet the
approval criteria for afterschool care programs specified in
Question A1.
B. Area Eligibility
B1. How does an afterschool care program site qualify as area
eligible?
For the NSLP and CACFP, an afterschool care program site
qualifies as area eligible if it is located in the attendance area
of a school (i.e., elementary, middle or high school) which has at
least 50 percent of its enrollment eligible for free or reduced
price meals. For example, if a high school with less than 50
percent free or reduced price school enrollment is located in the
attendance area of a middle school that has 50 percent or more of
the enrolled children eligible for free or reduced price meals,
then the high school’s afterschool care program would be area
eligible.
B2. How should organizations operating afterschool care
programs that want to participate through the CACFP obtain free
and reduced price school enrollment data?
These organizations should contact the State agency that
administers CACFP. The State agency receives free and reduced
price enrollment data on an annual basis for purposes of
administering the family day care home component of CACFP. Section
210.19(f) of the NSLP regulations requires each State agency that
administers the NSLP to annually provide to the CACFP State agency
a list of all elementary schools in the State in which 50 percent
or more of the enrolled children have been determined eligible for
free or reduced price meals. For middle school and high school
data, we recommend that the CACFP State agency coordinate with the
NSLP State agency to obtain a list of eligible schools. If that
information is not available at the State level, then
organizations should go directly to the appropriate school
district or private nonprofit school.
B3. Can school district wide data be used to establish area
eligibility, or must data from individual school buildings be
used?
Only data from the appropriate individual
school(s) may be used
to establish a site’s area eligibility.
B4. If a school district has mandated busing of students, can
free and reduced price school data be used to determine a site’s
area eligibility?
Yes. An afterschool care program located in an area which has
mandated busing of students should use free and reduced price
school data from the individual school building (elementary,
middle, or high school) in whose attendance area the afterschool
site is located.
B5. If schools have unassigned attendance areas (i.e., parents
can choose where to send their children from among several
schools), what data should be used to determine a site’s area
eligibility?
In areas with unassigned school attendance areas, afterschool
care programs located in school buildings should use the free and
reduced price enrollment data from that particular school for
purposes of determining area eligibility. We will work with State
agencies on a case-by-case basis to determine the area eligibility
of afterschool care programs operating in non-school sites in
areas with unassigned attendance areas. State agencies should
contact their regional office if they encounter this situation.
B6. Is there a particular month of school data that must be
used?
Under the NSLP, a site’s area eligibility must be based on
the total number of children approved for free and reduced price
meals as of the last day of operation for the most current
October, or another month at the State agency’s discretion. If
the State agency decides to choose another month, it must do so
for the entire State.
Under the CACFP, NSLP data collected in the most current
October, or another month selected by the NSLP State agency, must
be used to establish a site as area eligible.
For example, if a site applies for area eligibility in August,
1999, the most current October data would be October, 1998. If a
site applies for area eligibility in December, 1999, the most
current October data would be October, 1999.
B7. How long is a determination of a site’s area eligibility
valid?
Under the NSLP, the site’s area eligibility is valid for the
entire school year. For example, a determination of a particular
site’s area eligibility made on April 20, 1999, is valid for
snacks served for the remainder of school year (SY) 1998-1999,
i.e., from April 20, 1999 through June 30, 1999. Similarly, a
determination of a site’s eligibility made on August 30, 1999 is
valid for the remainder of SY 1999-2000, i.e., from August 30,
1999 through June 30, 2000.
Unlike the NSLP, a site’s area eligibility determination made
under CACFP is valid for three years from the beginning of the
month in which the determination was made. For example, a
determination of a particular site’s area eligibility made on
April 20, 1999, is valid for snacks served from April, 1999
through March, 2002. Additionally, whenever a determination of a
site’s eligibility is made, the most recent data available at
that time must be used. Thus, if an afterschool care program wants
to begin CACFP afterschool snack service in September, 2000, then
the most recent data available at that time would be data from
October, 1999.
B8. May afterschool care programs use private school free and
reduced price enrollment data to qualify as area eligible sites?
If an afterschool care program
site is located in a private school, then that site may use the
free and reduced price enrollment data for that private school, or
free and reduced price enrollment data for the public school in
whose attendance areas the private school is located, to qualify
as an area eligible site. However, since most private schools do
not have defined attendance areas, a public school may not use
private school free and reduced price enrollment data for purposes
of determining area eligibility unless the public school’s
afterschool care program is actually located in the private
school.
B9. How is reimbursement
determined when a school receives children from other schools for
the afterschool care program?
For area eligible afterschool care
program sites, reimbursement is based on the area eligibility of
the site, regardless of which schools the children attend. For
afterschool care program sites that are not area eligible (NSLP
only), reimbursement is based on the individual eligibility of the
children, regardless of which school they attend. Current
eligibility determinations made for the lunch and/or breakfast
service should be used for those children participating in an
afterschool care program.
C. Applications
and Agreements
C1. How do interested schools and organizations participate in
these programs?
The State agency must establish application procedures for
interested school food authorities/districts and organizations. At
a minimum, the application must enable the State agency to
determine whether the eligibility criteria for the NSLP or CACFP
(as specified in Question A1) are met. Additionally, the
application must identify all afterschool care program sites and,
for area eligible sites, provide documentation of the attendance
area within which the applicant sites are located. If the school
food authority or organization is approved, they must enter into
an agreement with the State agency which specifies the terms and
conditions of participation.
C2. For a school or organization that is already participating
in the NSLP or CACFP and now wants to provide afterschool snacks,
does its agreement with the State agency need to be amended?
Yes. Once the State agency approves the school food
authority’s or organization’s application to provide
afterschool snacks, the agreement with the State agency needs to
be amended to reflect this additional meal service and its
requirements. This amendment could be as simple as a letter
specifying the terms and conditions of expanded participation in
afterschool snack service.
D. Reimbursement
D1. What records are required to receive reimbursement for
snacks served October 1, 1998 or later?
In the NSLP, the following records must be maintained:
- For sites that are not area eligible, free and reduced
price applications for all children for whom free and
reduced priced snacks are claimed.
- Meal counts (total for sites qualifying for free
reimbursement for all children; meal counts by type for
other sites).
- Documentation for each day of a child’s attendance.
- Documentation of compliance with meal pattern requirements
and production records.
In the CACFP, the following records must be maintained:
- Total meal counts.
- Documentation for each day of a child’s attendance.
- Documentation of compliance with meal pattern
requirements.
D2. What are the reimbursement rates for snacks served in
afterschool care programs?
Under the CACFP at-risk afterschool care component, all snacks
are reimbursed at the free rate.
Under NSLP, snacks served in area eligible afterschool care
program sites are reimbursed at the free rate. Afterschool care
programs that are not area eligible receive free, reduced price,
and paid reimbursements depending on the eligibility status of
participating children.
The reimbursement rates are adjusted annually every July 1. For
the period of July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001, the
reimbursement rate is 55 cents for free snacks, 27 cents for
reduced price snacks, and 5 cents for paid snacks (reimbursement
rates are higher for Alaska and Hawaii).
D3. How does a child care center which uses claiming
percentages or blended rates claim free snacks for its at-risk
afterschool care component in CACFP?
All organizations participating in the at-risk afterschool care
component of CACFP must submit separate meal counts for
afterschool snack service. This includes child care centers that
are currently participating in CACFP and using claiming
percentages or blended rates. State agencies are responsible for
amending their reimbursement forms and payment systems to
recognize a separate entry for afterschool snacks.
D4. Can afterschool care programs that have been charging
participants for snacks receive retroactive reimbursement for
those snacks?
In order to receive retroactive reimbursement, afterschool
snacks must be made available to children free, at a reduced price
or paid, as applicable. If an otherwise eligible afterschool care
program has been charging participants for snacks, retroactive
reimbursement may be provided only if the program provides each
household with a refund.
D5. If a school is participating in Provision 2 or 3, can
base year percentages of the number of students eligible for free
and reduced price benefits be used to determine area eligibility
for snack reimbursement in subsequent years?
Schools implementing Provision 2 or 3 may use the percentage of
students eligible for free and reduced price meals in the
NSLP (not the School Breakfast Program) during the base year to
determine area eligibility for the duration of the provision. When
the school establishes a new base year, or drops the provision,
the new eligibility data must be used for determination of area
eligibility.
E. Eligible
Children
E1. Are afterschool snack reimbursements restricted to children
ages 13-18?
No. Reimbursement may be claimed for snacks served to all
children through the age of 18 in eligible afterschool care
programs. Reimbursement may also be claimed for those children who
turn age 19 during the school year.
E2. Are afterschool care programs eligible to receive
reimbursement for snacks served to pre-primary children?
Snacks served to children who are attending classes of
preprimary grade in a school (e.g., Head Start or Even Start) and
who are participating in an eligible afterschool care program
after their regularly scheduled school program may be claimed for
reimbursement.
F. Meal
Service Requirements
F1. Are point of service meal counts and production records
required?
Meal counts taken at the point of service are not required for
afterschool snack service though individual State agencies may
require them. However, accurate meal count records must be
maintained. Production records are required for programs operating
through the NSLP and documentation of compliance with the meal
pattern is required under CACFP.
F2. Must a certain amount of time elapse between meal services
when schools or organizations operate other nutrition programs in
addition to afterschool snacks under NSLP or CACFP?
In NSLP, there are no restrictions on the amount of time that
must elapse between meal services (e.g., lunch and afterschool
snack). State agencies may, at their discretion, establish
reasonable timeframes for the service of afterschool snacks in
their State.
In CACFP, there are no time restrictions for snack service
except for centers that serve meals and/or snacks as
outside-school-hours care centers and afterschool snacks as
at-risk afterschool care centers. These centers must abide by the
time restrictions for meal service set forth for
outside-school-hours care centers in §226.19(b)(6). (See Question
A11.)
F3. Is there any length of time tied into the conclusion of
school and the service of a snack?
No. There is no Federally mandated time limit between the end
of school and snack time, but the service of a snack must occur
during the operation of the school’s afterschool care program.
F4. Is there a particular time of day that CACFP at-risk
afterschool care centers must serve snacks during weekends and
holidays?
No. Although snacks served on weekdays when school is in
session must be served after the child’s school day has
ended, snacks served through CACFP on weekends or holidays may be
served at any time of day.
F5. Are point of service meal counts required?
No. Afterschool care programs in NSLP and the at-risk component
of CACFP must maintain a roster or sign-in sheet which documents
the total number of children in attendance in the afterschool care
program. The roster or sign-in sheet is not intended to be
used to identify which individual children receive snacks; rather,
it is intended to establish the maximum number of snacks that can
be claimed on a given day, and to document that a site has an
eligible afterschool care program (i.e., organized, supervised,
and regularly scheduled). Please note that accurate counts of
snacks served must be maintained to support claims for
reimbursement. (See Question F1)
F6. Is there an offer versus serve option for afterschool
snacks?
No. There are four components to the snack meal pattern. The
school or institution must serve at least two of the required
components to each child.
F7. May USDA commodities be used in snacks?
Yes. Afterschool care programs operating under NSLP or CACFP
may use USDA commodities in their afterschool snack service.
Please note, however, that the school or organization will not
earn additional entitlement commodities as a result of serving
afterschool snacks. The amount of entitlement commodities earned
will continue to be based solely upon the number of reimbursable
lunches (and suppers, in CACFP) served to children.
F8. Is the afterschool snack to be included in the week's SMI
nutrient analysis?
No.
G. Reporting
G1. What data must State agencies submit for the FNS-10 and
FNS-44 forms?
The FNS-10 and FNS-44 have been revised to permit reporting of
afterschool snacks. The revisions permit collection of data
regarding the number of afterschool snacks served, by type, and,
for the month of October, the number of sites offering afterschool
snack service.
H. Monitoring
*H1. What are the monitoring requirements for sponsors
receiving reimbursement for snacks in afterschool care programs?
In CACFP, sponsors of sites participating as afterschool care
centers must review their sites at least six times each year. At
least one of these reviews must be made during each site’s first
four weeks of Program operations, and not more than three months
may elapse between reviews. These are the same monitoring
requirements that are currently in place for sponsors of
outside-school-hours care centers (§226.16(d)(4)(iii)). [Note: On
January 11, 1993, we issued a policy memorandum which permits schools
operating OSHCCs to reduce their monitoring visits to each of
their facilities to three times each year. This policy is still in
effect for OSHCCs, but does not apply to at-risk afterschool
care centers in CACFP unless they are operated by schools.]
In NSLP, each afterschool care program must be reviewed by the
school food authority two times per year (§210.9(c)(7)). The
school food authority must make the first review during the first
four weeks of snack service each school year. (Refer to August 11,
1999 memorandum for additional information.)
In both Programs, these reviews must assess each site’s
compliance with counting and claiming procedures, and the snack
meal pattern. We will address these monitoring requirements
further in the regulation implementing afterschool at-risk snacks.
H2. What are the State administrative review requirements for
school food authorities and organizations?
When conducting an administrative review of a school food
authority for NSLP, State agencies are required to conduct a
review of the lunch service. If a follow-up review is required and
the State agency did not evaluate the certification, meal or milk
count method, and meal or milk service procedures for the SBP, the
SMP and snack service in afterschool care programs (§210.18(i)(4)(iv))
during the administrative review, it must do so for those schools
selected for the first follow-up review.
In CACFP, State agencies must comply with §226.6(l) in
conducting reviews of afterschool care centers. For purposes of
these reviews, afterschool care programs should be considered to
be child care centers. Therefore, State agencies must
annually review 33.3 percent of all institutions. Included as
institutions are those organizations that have agreements with the
State agency to operate afterschool at-risk centers. In addition
to the 33.3 percent requirement, the current regulations require
that State agencies ensure that:
- Independent centers and sponsors of centers are reviewed at
least once every four years;
- Reviews of sponsors include reviews of 15 percent of their
child care centers; and
- Reviews are conducted for newly participating sponsoring
organizations with five or more child care facilities within
the first 90 days of Program operations.
In conducting these reviews, State agencies should ensure that
schools and organizations are operating eligible afterschool care
programs (i.e., programs that provide children with regularly
scheduled activities in an organized, structured, and supervised
environment).
I.
Residential
Child Care Institutions
I1. Are all residential child care institutions including
juvenile detention centers eligible for the afterschool snack
provision or just residential child care institutions which also
have a day care component?
Any residential child care institution that participates in the
NSLP/SBP may participate as long as the residential child care
institution operates an afterschool care program with enrichment
or education activities like those described in our January 14,
1999, memo.
I2. When determining the reimbursement status of residential
child care institutions, should the State agency consider the
percentage of free and reduced price children enrolled in the
institution or the percentage of free and reduced price children
enrolled in the local public school?
As schools, residential child care institutions will routinely
receive free reimbursement for all snacks based on the fact that
more than 50 percent of their enrolled children are eligible for
free or reduced price school meals. In the unlikely event that a
residential child care institution cannot qualify for the free
rate for all snacks based on its enrollment, the residential child
care institution could still qualify by using enrollment data from
a school serving the area in which the institution is located.
I3. Can afterschool care programs operated by residential
child care institutions claim reimbursement for snacks served
during weekends, holidays and school vacations?
Congress intended this provision to apply to snacks served in
schools after an educational activity. If no regularly scheduled
education activity is taking place, as is generally the case on
weekends, holidays and vacations, reimbursement cannot be claimed
for snacks served on those days. In this respect, residential
child care institutions are subject to the same provisions as any
other school. They may not claim reimbursement for snacks
served on weekends, holidays or vacation periods unless the snack
is served during an activity that takes place after an education
activity that is determined to be an integral part of the
curriculum or an actual extension of the local education system.
This limitation on snack eligibility differs from the general
authorization of reimbursement for lunches and breakfasts served
in residential child care institutions due to the special nature
of the afterschool snack benefit.
I4. Can preschool children enrolled in residential child
care institution afterschool care program have reimbursable
snacks?
Yes, just as in any other school.
I5. Under the current lunch/breakfast program regulations,
residential child care institutions may be reimbursed for meals
served to children who have not yet reached their 21st
birthday. However, children who turn 19 during the school year may
continue to participate in the snack program rather than becoming
ineligible immediately upon reaching their 19th
birthday. Is this inconsistency intentional?
The age requirements for participation under the afterschool
snack provision are somewhat different from those established for
the NSLP and SBP in general. The law limits participation in the
snack provision to children 18 years old and under. However, to
reduce paperwork and ease administrative burdens on local
administrators, Congress, in the conference report, authorized
schools to continue receiving reimbursement for snacks served to
children who become 19 during the school year ending the following
June 30. This provision applies to residential child care
institutions as well as all other schools. It must be emphasized
that, under no circumstances, can a residential child care
institution continue to be reimbursed for snacks served to
children after the school year in which they become 19, and
students continue to become ineligible for reimbursable lunches or
breakfasts as soon as they reach 21.
I6. Can a residential child care institution claim
reimbursement for a snack served to a child who did not attend
school that day (e.g., the child was ill)?
It would depend on whether the child is participating in an
approved afterschool care program on that day. If the child is
participating in the approved afterschool care activity, it
doesn’t matter that he may not have been in school. As with
other schools, there is no requirement or expectation for tracking
whether or not the child actually attended school on any given
day.
I7. If the afterschool care activities occur late in the
afternoon and coincide with the evening meal service, may the
residential child care institution claim that meal as a snack?
Congress intended the afterschool snack to be an additional
food benefit that, in all likelihood, would not otherwise be
available to children. Therefore, if a residential child care
institution already has a scheduled evening meal service, as would
generally be the case, it would have to serve a separate snack as
an additional offering at some other time during the afternoon or
evening in order to receive reimbursement. The snack can be served
either before or after the supper.
Back to the top
|