The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded initiative that reimburses child care centers for serving nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children. Administered nationally by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and locally by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), CACFP helps improve the quality of care while easing the cost burden on families.
For Kansas child care centers, joining CACFP means not only improving daily nutrition but also making care more accessible for families in need. Here’s everything child care centers need to know to participate.
Eligibility requirements
To join CACFP, a center must meet specific organizational and licensing criteria:
- Be a public agency, a tax-exempt nonprofit, or a for-profit center that serves a qualifying percentage (at least 25%) of low-income participants or subsidized families.
- Child care centers must be licensed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).
Emergency shelters must have valid health and safety inspections.
How to apply for CACFP in Kansas
1. Prepare the application
The CACFP application involves submitting detailed information about your organization and child care sites. Here’s what you need to prepare:
- Sponsor application form: Basic info on your organization, federal EIN, and program contacts
- Center site applications: Individual forms for each site you plan to sponsor, including site name, address, license number, and operating hours
- Management plan: A written document outlining your organizational structure, policies, administrative procedures, and compliance strategies for CACFP
- Administrative budget: A detailed budget outlining your projected expenses and income related to CACFP, including staffing, supplies, training, and administrative costs
- Financial statements: Recent audit reports or financial statements proving financial stability
- Civil rights compliance statement: Assuring adherence to nondiscrimination requirements in CACFP meal service
- Training plan: How you will train staff on CACFP policies, meal patterns, and recordkeeping
2. Submit the application and documentation through KN-CLAIM
All applications and monthly reimbursement claims in Kansas must be submitted via KN-CLAIM, the KSDE’s online CACFP management system. Your application packet must include:
- Sponsor and site applications
- Administrative budget
- Copies of licenses for each site
- Verification of completed training for staff
- Previous audit or review results (if applicable)
KSDE will review your application to ensure completeness, financial viability, and administrative capability.
3. Accomplish mandatory training
Proper training is required to receive approval for your CACFP participation. Initial training must be provided to all staff involved in meal service, meal counting, recordkeeping, and claim submission.
Training topics include:
- CACFP meal patterns and portion sizes
- Civil Rights compliance
- Food safety and sanitation
- Accurate meal counting and documentation
- Use of KN-CLAIM for monthly claim submission
Sponsors must document all training sessions with attendance rosters, agendas, and training materials. Annual refresher training is also required to keep staff up to date on program changes.
4. Conduct pre-approval site visits
Before you can begin claiming meals for a new site, KSDE requires:
- An on-site pre-approval visit conducted by the sponsor or KSDE staff
- Review of the site’s readiness, including kitchen facilities, meal service plans, and staff training
- Completion of the Center Site Review form documenting compliance and readiness
- Approval from KSDE confirming the site is eligible and properly prepared to participate
Sites cannot claim CACFP reimbursements until the pre-approval process is complete.
Recordkeeping and documentation
CACFP requires rigorous documentation to ensure accountability, support audits, and validate reimbursement claims. Kansas’s CACFP Program Year runs from October 1 to September 30.
All records must be retained for at least three CACFP years plus the current year.
Here’s what centers must keep on file:
- Program documents such as the Permanent Program Agreement, training verification for staff, program reviews and audits, etc.
- Claim documentation, including enrollment forms, income eligibility forms, lists of participant names, etc.
- Attendance and meal count records
- Infant meal records
- Financial records, including daily menus, meal production logs, etc.
- Contracted meal provider’s signed contracts, certification forms, procedural agreements, etc.
Centers operating multiple sites must also document site visits and five-day reconciliations, while for-profit centers must maintain monthly eligibility documentation.
Reimbursement process
CACFP reimburses child care centers based on:
- Type of meal served (breakfast, lunch/supper, snack)
- Income eligibility category of the child (free, reduced-price, or paid)
For-profit centers follow a tiered reimbursement model depending on income and location. Each center must submit claims through KN-CLAIM, KSDE’s online system, and maintain financial documentation to justify each claim.
Ready to apply?
If your child care center is ready to provide nutritious meals while receiving federal reimbursement, applying for CACFP is a smart move.
To get started, contact Child Nutrition & Wellness at 785-296-2276 or visit www.kn-eat.org for forms, training resources, and program guidelines.
Meet CACFP standards with Ordo’s support
Meeting CACFP standards doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With Ordo as your food service partner, you can confidently serve nutritious, compliant meals without the added stress. Whether you’re applying for CACFP or already enrolled, we're here to help you nourish kids and stay compliant, so you can focus on providing exceptional care.
Ordo has become America's fastest-growing school food program, providing fresh meals made from scratch every day in our kitchens. Our chefs focus on cooking homestyle food that’s both nutritious and what students love. Healthy meals result in better student outcomes, and administrators who invest in their nutrition programs invest in their schools.
Our online platform automates compliance paperwork for reimbursable meals, tracks essential metrics like daily participation rate, and handles all payment and order processing. Ordo offers both vended meal service, where we deliver the food every day, and onsite food service management, where our chefs prepare food on campus.
We have served all types of schools, from preschools and daycare centers to private and public schools. We’ve worked with some of the top brands in early education and child care, including Bright Horizons, Primrose, and more.
If you’re interested in providing fresh, healthy food for your school, you can reach out to the school partnerships team here.
