Providing Meals in Afterschool

Frequently Asked Questions

General Information:

What is ASES?

ASES is the state funded After School Education and Safety Program.

How may I become part of the California Afterschool Network as an official member?

You may join the California Afterschool Network as a Newsletter subscriber or as a committee member. We currently have 6 committees. (Nutrition and Physical Activity, Rural Programs, Policy, Quality, Older Youth and English Learners) You may join at

Can you describe what a partnership with the Food Bank looks like? Do they provide the food or do they reimburse us?

Contact your local Food Bank to see if they want to be a Meal Program sponsor for you; they will contact the California Department of Education (CDE), Nutrition Services Division (NSD) to learn the requirements if they aren’t already a sponsor. They would be responsible for providing and delivering the food to your site, and they would submit claims for and receive the reimbursement. They are also responsible for monitoring program compliance and attending mandatory training. To find your local food bank, go to

If your current snacks are through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and not the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), can you directly apply through CACFP for both snack and meals?

Yes, the NSD actually prefers that you participate through CACFP if you want to serve both a snack and a meal. It streamlines the administration and recordkeeping requirements for the agency.

Is it possible to only offer the services on Saturdays and holiday breaks?

Yes, so long as the program meets all of the other program eligibility requirements. See pages 6 - 10 of the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Handbook (June 2011) and question #6 on page 11.

In schools, does this become part of our Coordinated Review Effort (CRE)? No. Your school(s) that are participating in the NSLP would still be subject to their regular CRE. The at-risk, afterschool meal program sites are subject to monitoring by the NSD once every three years under the provisions of the CACFP.

Is it currently being used in Riverside County? Where? (Bruno—can you clarify the question?) There are currently three agencies in Riverside County operating at-risk, afterschool meal programs under the CACFP.

Can we serve supper at some schools, e.g., middle schools and snacks at elementary schools? Yes, agencies that sponsor multiple sites may serve any combination of up to one meal and one snack per child per day at each approved site.

Are state funds paid on the supper meals? No. State meal reimbursement is only applied to Breakfast and Lunch.

If your school district is supportive, but the after school program doesn’t currently receive reimbursement for snacks from any federal meal program, how does the after school program apply? Can the after school program ask the school to provide supper through this new CACFP program even though they don’t have an existing snack program through the NSLP? Any agency/school district can apply for participation in the CACFP’s At-Risk, Afterschool Meal program. The school district should contact Laurie Pennings (see the CACFP Application Process section below) to begin the application process.

Are the snack reimbursement rates the same for the NSLP and CACFP programs? What differences are there between the two snack programs?

The reimbursements are the same. For the 2010-11 school year the reimbursements are $.74 per snack. You can find a matrix describing all available afterschool snack programs at the CDE Web site: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/as/snackfacts.asp

Will this presentation be available online or can I get a copy of the slides sent via email?

This presentation (including PowerPoint slides and recorded webinar presentation) is available at

Is the reimbursement based on the number of children served or the actual cost of the food?

It is based on the number of children served. You can access the current reimbursement rates at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/rs/index.asp.

For the 2010-11 school year, the reimbursements per meal are as follows:

Breakfast: $1.64

Lunch: $3.08

Supper: $2.92

Snack: $.74

Can extra (left-over) food be donated to charities and be protected under the Good Samaritan laws?

Yes, please see Memo CACFP 07‐2009 Excess Summer Meals (http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/Policy-Memos/2009/SP_29-2009_os.pdf)

If the district food service department is already claiming reimbursement through the Child Nutrition and Information Payment System (CNIPS), would they submit the CACFP claim using the same CNIPS account? (Note: CNIPS is the automated claim system that the NSD uses.)

There is a National School Lunch CNIPS module and a unique CACFP CNIPS module, which will be available once you apply for the program.

Which regulatory agency ensures food safety? Is it the local health department?

After school programs need to comply with the local health and safety requirements, which are generated by the local health department. After school programs can ask the school district’s Nutrition Services Director for clarification. Licensed child care sites must comply with the health and safety requirements of their licensure. (Most after school programs do not need to be licensed child care sites.)

Program Eligibility:

If a site is less than 50 percent free and reduced (F/R), may they qualify based on the percentage of a feeder school?

Each site must be located within the attendance area of a school at which at least 50 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced price meals. The site may qualify using the schools that are in the attendance area. For example, if a middle school is less than 50 percent F/R, it can qualify if the closest feeder elementary school is at least 50 percent F/R. Please contact NSD if you need assistance.

Can you use Census Tract Data to qualify?

No, agencies participating in the CACFP must use the data reported from the schools to qualify.

My District is under provision 2; can we use this for the supper’s meal?

Provision 2 is the second year in a four year eligibility cycle. In the first year, schools perform an eligibility study to determine the number of F/R eligible students enrolled. The school then maintains this eligibility without performing further studies in the second, third, and fourth year.

As long as the eligibility study in the first year found that at least 50 percent of the enrolled students were F/R, then a school may be used to qualify sites for participation in the At-Risk, Afterschool Meal program.

If a school is 50 percent or more F/R lunch, can all after school children qualify for the meal?

Yes, if the school is 50 percent or more F/R, all children participating in the afterschool program qualify for the meal.

Are there age limits? We have a special needs school next door with adult students..

There are age limits: At-risk, after school programs may claim reimbursement for participants who are age 18 or younger at the start of the school year. Programs may also claim reimbursement for adult participants with documented disabilities as long as the majority of the children participating in the program are age 18 or younger.

What support can NSD offer in working with cafeteria staff that is not supportive of offering supper?

The NSD can provide names of other nutrition services programs that are currently using the program successfully. You could set up a peer-to-peer conversation with your nutrition services staff. You could also generate support for the program from others, such as the school principal, local families, other district staff, school board members, and community groups.

Can this program only be used to provide meals for our Saturday Academy programs?

Yes, so long as the program meets all of the other program eligibility requirements. See pages 6 - 10 of the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Handbook (June 2011) and question #6 on page 11

Currently, we have a CDC preparing meals for a 24/7 center. Would our 24/7 center be able to be in this program to claim M-F dinner and Sat and Sun meals?

Yes, so long as the program meets all of the other program eligibility requirements. See pages 6 - 10 of the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Handbook (June 2011) and question #6 on page 11

Can Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs) participate in this program?

A residential facility that provides services to children under court or State custody is not eligible. An RCCI may be eligible to participate in at-risk afterschool care program if it has non-residential care components and these components offer afterschool education and enrichment programs. However, children in the residential care program are not eligible for meals through CACFP.

CACFP Application process and requirements:

What is the application process?

For agencies already participating in the CACFP: a CACFP specialist can assist agency staff in submitting At-Risk, Afterschool program sites for approval. Once approved, the agency will claim these sites using the CACFP claims module in the CNIPS.

For agencies already participating in the NSLP: the agency will complete an addendum to their current agreement with the CDE. School staff will receive access to the CACFP module of the CNIPS, and will submit claims for the At-Risk, Afterschool program through this module.

For agencies not participating in either the CACFP or the NSLP: the agency will submit preapproval documents to the CDE and complete the application in the CNIPS. A CACFP specialist will review the application materials and conduct a preapproval site visit. Once approved, the agency will submit claims for reimbursement through the CACFP claims module in the CNIPS.

Who do we contact to start the process?

You can call Laurie Pennings by phone at 916-324-7133. She will direct your call to a Program Specialist.

Do we need to apply every year or just once?

The NSD now has permanent agreements; however, each year on October 1 you will need to provide updates of any changes to your program. The NSD contacts all agencies participating in the CACFP each year to explain the renewal requirements.

If a consortium grant has numerous school districts in it, does the consortium apply or does each individual district need to apply on its own?

Any agency can enter into an agreement with the CDE to sponsor At-Risk, Afterschool Meal program sites. The overall responsibility of operating the program in compliance with federal regulations falls on the agency that has entered into the agreement with the CDE; if a consortium applied for participation it would be the consortium’s responsibility to perform all required monitoring, ensure that appropriate staff attend mandatory trainings, and ensure that all approved sites remain in compliance with program requirements.

How does a school that is in NSLP join CACFP? To begin the application process, contact Laurie Pennings by phone at 916-324-7133.

How do we, as the district food service department, go about applying for the program? To begin the application process, contact Laurie Pennings by phone at 916-324-7133.

Do we apply through the CNIPS?

Agencies that are not currently participating in the CACFP must contact a CACFP specialist in order to start the application process. The specialist will request prescreening documents from the agency and will then assign agency staff a user ID and password for the CNIPS. The remainder of the program application is completed through the CNIPS.

Agencies that are already participating in the CACFP will use the CNIPS to add at-risk, afterschool sites to their existing application packet.

What if the school’s demographics change after you are operating the program, and the free and reduced rate falls below 50 percent. Will CACFP remove you from the meal program? Do you have to re-qualify each year based on F/R rates?

The F/R rates are valid for 5 years.

How long does the approval process typically take?

How long does it take for the sponsor’s application to be approved for this program?

The approval process varies significantly depending on the agency type and whether an agency is already participating in a Child Nutrition program with the NSD. Typically, the application process for agencies that are not participating in the NSLP or the CACFP takes between four to six weeks. For agencies already participating in the NSLP or CACFP, this timeframe is usually reduced.

We have 39 schools all in different districts; can we apply as a whole or as districts? As long as your agency has the authority to assume responsibility for operating the At-Risk, Afterschool Meal program at all of your sites, you may apply as one entity. Each district also has the opportunity to apply separately if they would prefer to be responsible for operating the program individually.

Do Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HAACP) plans have to be in place for the program? The CACFP regulations do not require HAACP plans for At-Risk, Afterschool Meal; program sites. Approved sites that are licensed for child care by a state or local agency must comply with the health and safety requirements of their licensure. Sites that are exempt from licensure must comply with the applicable local health and safety requirements, generally from the local health department.

Program Implementation:

Are portion sizes larger for high school?

No, for ages 6 and over portion sizes are the same. The program may offer more than the minimum requirement, but the reimbursement will remain the same.

In addition to the components, is there also a calorie requirement or total fat, total saturated fat, etc?

The CACFP regulations do not include requirements for calories, total fat, or saturated fat. ASES and 21st CCLC after school programs must comply with the additional nutrition standards for snacks, but these standards do not apply to supper. If this changes, we will notify all programs. For more information on the nutrition standards, go to http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/as/afterschoolnutstan.asp

Is there a requirement for the length of a program to allow a program to serve both snacks and meals?

What is the length of the program to support both lunch and snacks?

No, but please note that States may establish meal time restrictions that must be approved by the FNS Regional Office. See questions 1 and 2 on page 29 of the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Handbook (June 2011).

What if your kids are lactose intolerant? Are milk alternatives allowed?

Do you have to offer milk specifically? Or can it be a different milk product?

Normally, agencies may only claim reimbursement for meals that include fluid milk. There are some exceptions. For example, if a child is lactose intolerant, the agency may claim meals served to that child that do not include milk as long as the agency has a Medical Statement, signed by a physician, on file for the child. For more information, contact Laurie Pennings by phone at 916-324-7133.

If the school food services department provides the meal, would the food services department provide staffing for the meal service or do you recommend having after school providers do that? There are no requirements regarding who serves the meals. They may be served by staff from the food service department or by the after school program staff.

Are the meals claimed through the CNIPS?

Yes.

Can students prepare meals in a cooking club?

The NSD will ask the USDA for clarification on this question.

How do we get reimbursed through a non-NSLP?

Meals are reimbursed through the CACFP claims module in the CNIPS to the sponsoring organization.

Can food grown in the school garden or from the school’s produce market or harvest of the month club be used for the meals?

Yes, as long as the local health department allows this, FNS considers this acceptable. For the CACFP sponsors using school gardens, you will need to contact the local health department to see if they have any guidelines.

If you had a small program and a local restaurant was the approved vendor, could the youth go to the restaurant to eat the meal?

The NSD will ask the USDA for clarification on this question.

Can you elaborate on the vendor opportunity for meal preparation? Agencies may enter into a contract with any food service vendor to provide meals and/or snacks for an At-Risk, Afterschool Meal program. The NSD has standard contracts that should be used as they include provisions that are required by federal regulation.

How does the reimbursement process work?

Each month the agency submits meal count data via the CACFP claims section of the CNIPS. This meal count data is used to determine the amount of reimbursement the agency will receive.