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FAQs

What is the Food Program?

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded program through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Family child care providers that sign up to participate, serve healthy meals and snacks to the children in their care and receive financial reimbursements.

How does the Food Program work?

To be eligible you just need to be a licensed family child care provider or child care center in Minnesota in good standing and serve meals that meet the USDA meal pattern guidelines. You will receive a payment for every month that you claim.

Why join the Food Program?

Everyone benefits from Food Program participation! Children receive nutritious meals and snacks while learning healthy habits. Your family child care small business grows through financial reimbursements and ongoing training and support.

Choosing Providers Choice as your Food Program Sponsor has many benefits including free yearly trainings, simple web-based software that saves you time, conferences to gather with other providers, menu support and access to recipes, meal plans, guides, and more.

Family Child Care FAQs

If you are serving breakfast, lunch and snack to 6 full-time children you could receive up to $8,000.00 per year in reimbursement.

Payment amount will depend on the type and number of meals you serve, the number of children in care and the tier determination. Tier determination is based on the area you live in, your household income or the income of the families you serve. Reimbursement rates are updated every July and are determined by USDA.

At the end of each month, you will submit your claim electronically to Providers Choice. Providers Choice submits claims weekly to the Minnesota Department of Education. Electronic claims received in the Providers Choice office by 3:00 PM on Thursday of the current week are typically paid the following week on Friday. Claims are processed in the order in which they are received.

Many foods are creditable and qualify to be served in the CACFP! Learn more

Absolutely! Providers benefit financially (even after taxes) on the Food Program. Food Program reimbursements are taxable income (federal and state), except for reimbursements for a provider’s own children (which as not taxable). The cost of the food served to children in care is tax deduction. For more information about the tax impact of Food Program participation visit Tom Copeland's Resource Directory

In addition to receiving reimbursement for your child care children, the USDA does allow reimbursement for your own children under these circumstances:

Your child is 12 years of age or younger
You remain within your license capacity
Your household income falls within the USDA Income Guidelines
An enrolled child is in attendance and eating the same meal you're claiming for your own child

USDA offers financial support to eligible child care providers who are starting a new child care business. Receive up to $300.00 toward the following expenses:

Supplies such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers
Minor alterations such as adding handrails, etc. as required by your licensor
Costs of fire and safety inspection, licensing fees and background checks

To apply for these funds the following requirements must be met:
Join PCI’s sponsorship of the Food Program
Qualify by income (Tier 1)
Get a signed statement of need from the licensor
Provide proof of purchase
Claim within six months of becoming licensed

Download the grant application form

Great! Click here to complete this short form. Someone from our team will reach out to discuss next steps. Completing the form does not commit you to participating on our program but allows you to learn more about how Providers Choice may be a good fit for your program.

 

Child Care Center FAQs

Any licensed non-profit center or any licensed for-profit center where at least 25% of the children in attendance each month are from low-income households. Eligibility is determined by having families complete the Providers Choice "Annual Family CACFP Enrollment form" which we provide.

Monthly payments for the meals and snacks you serve
Increase revenue without increasing the fees to parents
Attract families to your center because CACFP participation is an indicator of quality child care

Spend more time managing your center – let us manage the Food Program paperwork
Easily track attendance and meal counts online
We help you create nutritious menus and work with all caterers
We provide training and support to your employees and teachers
We review and submit your Food Program claims to the state

Centers currently participating with Providers Choice typically earn between $500 to $12,000 each month.

Payment amount will depend on the type and number of meals you serve, the number of children in care and the incomes of the families you serve. Rates are calculated based on completed Annual Family CACFP Enrollment forms. Reimbursement rates are updated every July and are determined by USDA.

Center claims are submitted at the end of each month and paid on a monthly basis. Claims are due by the 5th of the month following the month’s close. For example, once January is over, the claim is due to Providers Choice by February 5th. Claims are processed in the order in which they are received.

Providers Choice reviews the claim and all documentation and submits the claim to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). Once claims have been submitted to MDE, they are typically paid the following week on Friday.

Many foods are creditable and qualify to be served in the CACFP! Learn more

Great! Click here to complete this short form. Someone from our team will reach out to discuss next steps. Completing the form does not commit you to participating on our program but allows you to learn more about how Providers Choice may be a good fit for your program.