New CACFP Applicants

Programs > Child and Adult Care Food Program > New Applicants

TYPES OF Contracting Entities (CEs)
Adult Day Care Centers	Public or private nonprofit adult day care facilities which provide structured, comprehensive services to nonresidential adults who are functionally impaired or aged 60 and older, may be eligible to participate in CACFP as independent or sponsored centers.
Child Care Centers	Eligible public or private nonprofit child care centers, outside-school-hours care centers, Head Start programs, and other institutions which are licensed or approved to provide day care services may be eligible to participate in the CACFP, independently or as sponsored centers.
Day Care Homes	A family or group day care home must sign an agreement with a sponsoring organization to participate in the CACFP. Day care homes must be licensed or approved to provide day care services.
Afterschool At-Risk Programs	Eligible At-Risk programs must be organized primarily to provide care for children after school or on the weekends, holidays, or school vacations during the regular school year; provide organized regularly scheduled education or enrichment activities; and be located in an attendance area of school where at least 50 percent or more of the children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) plays a vital role in improving the quality of day care and making it more affordable for many low-income families.

CACFP serves nutritious meals and snacks to eligible
children and adults who are enrolled for care at

participating child care centers, day care homes, and adult day care centers. CACFP also provides meals to children residing in emergency shelters, and snacks to youths participating in afterschool care programs.

New CACFP/SFSP Applicant Review Process

Step 1 Eligibility (typical time of completion: 7 to 10 days)
1. Complete the Intake Form located on www.Squaremeals.org.
2. Intake Form is received by TDA.
3. TDA conducts the eligibility check on the organization and the contact individual within five (5) business days (excluding TDA and federal holidays.

The organization eligibility check comprises:

Verification of standing with the Secretary of State (SOS) *If organization is required to be registered with the SOS.
Verification of standing with the State Comptroller’s Office
Verification of standing with IRS *If organization is a non-profit organization with a 501c3 tax exempt status.
That the organization does not appear on the National Disqualification List (NDL).
That the organization does not appear on the Texas Excluded List (TEXSL).
That the organization does not have any ongoing adverse actions with TDA.

The contact individual eligibility check comprises:

Background check to ensure individual has not been convicted of any financial integrity crimes within the last seven years.
That the individual does not appear on the National Disqualification List (NDL).
That the individual does not appear on the Texas Excluded List (TEXSL)

That the individual does not have any ongoing adverse actions with TDA.

Step 2 Viability (typical time of completion: 30 to 45 days)
1. Upon a successful Eligibility check, the organization is sent a link to complete the Financial Viability form. The form will comprise a Financial Viability checklist and provide the opportunity to upload the required financial documentation.

To demonstrate financial viability and financial management, the CE must document it has adequate financial resources to operate the Program daily, has adequate sources of funds to continue to pay employees and suppliers during possible periods of temporary interruptions in Program payments, and/or can pay debts when fiscal claims have been assessed against it.
The financial viability review is conducted to ensure that an organization has an adequate financial position by assessing the organization’s financial documentation. An organization’s financial position must demonstrate that it can cover using non-Program funds the expense of temporary interruptions in Program payments for a minimum of three months for CACFP and/or one month for SFSP.

Only funds that come from non-Food program sources will be considered for the Financial Viability Review.

Organizations MUST provide a minimum of ONE YEAR of bank statements that illustrate business operations.

2. Once the organization has been determined to be financially viable, it must complete the required CACFP Training located on www.Squaremeals.org.

Proof of training completion shall be emailed to FinancialViabilityReview@texasagriculture.gov.
Upon receipt, TDA will respond with a Form FND-135. The form is to request access to the online application system, TX-UNPS.
Upon receipt of the completed FND-135, the Contracting Entity Profile will be created in the online application system. Once the form is processed by TDA, the applicant will receive login credentials to access TX-UNPS.

Step 3 Capability and Accountability (typical time of completion: 45 to 90 days)
This phase of the review comprises the online application review in TX-UNPS. The review is conducted in two phases:

First, the application will be reviewed for completeness. Once the application is submitted to TDA, it will be assessed to determine that all information is complete and all required supporting documentation has been submitted. Any missing items noted will require the application to be returned to request the missing items.
Once the application has been determined it is complete, the second phase will be the review for accuracy. At the time the application is determined complete, a determination of approval or denial must be made within 30 calendar days. If during this time, that the review is still ongoing during this 30-day period, the application may be withdrawn. However, the review may resume upon request of the applicant. Once the application has been determined both complete and correct, the final phase of the review will be conducted.

Step 4 Visit Prior to Approval (VPA) (typical time of completion: 10 to 14 days)
The Program Eligibility Support (PES) group, commonly known as the applications group, will conduct the first three steps of the review. Once those steps have been successfully completed, PES will reassign the application to the Community Operations (ComOps) group. ComOps will conduct an onsite review to determine that all VCA requirements reviewed during the application phase are accurate and that the applicant is VCA compliant to operate the program. Upon completion of this phase of the review, the final approval of the application will take place.

Download the Quick Reference for CACFP for more information!

READY TO GET STARTED?

Before You Apply

Visit this page to complete the intake form to provide TDA with information about your organization.

After submission of the intake form, your organization will receive a confirmation email at the address you provide. TDA will review the intake form and determine if your organization is subject to a financial viability review. Organizations that are subject to the financial viability review will be sent the financial viability packet via email. Organizations that are not subject to the financial viability review will be sent the next steps in the process.

Please Note: Before an application will be reviewed by our internal teams, you MUST complete the required trainings. If you do not complete the required trainings and an application is pre-submitted it will NOT be reviewed.

After the above step is completed, please proceed with following the below instructions.

When You're Ready To Apply

After you have followed the instructions in the "Before You Apply" section of this page, please visit TX-UNPS and follow the specific program instructions by selecting one of the options below:

- Day Care Home Sponsors
- Independent Centers
- School Food Authorities
- Sponsoring Organizations
- Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Sponsors

If you need assistance or a paper application, please contact TDA at (877) TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325).

Assistance available in English and Spanish. Please call 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325) for help. Additional translations services available as well.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. Mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.