All the most current resources you need to successfully operate the Child and Adult Care Food Program are available here. TDA keeps this page updated with any new policy updates and news, including the following:

• Handbook release notices with update summaries
• Form release notices
• Brand new policy updates that haven’t yet been updated within the handbooks
• FAQs and other resources, as required

Please bookmark this page and check back periodically.

November 6, 2024 - Updated Guidance on Fluid Milk and Fluid Milk Substitutions in the CACFP
USDA has released Policy Memo CACFP 01-2025, Nutrition Requirements for Fluid Milk and Fluid Milk Substitutions in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Questions and Answers. This memorandum updates and clarifies current guidance for fluid milk requirements in CACFP and includes a series of frequently asked questions and answers. This memorandum supersedes CACFP 17-2016, Nutrition Requirements for Fluid Milk and Fluid Milk Substitutions in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Questions and Answers, July 14, 2016.
In addition to the information included in previous memoranda, this memorandum specifically:

• • Clarifies who may sign medical statements, including State-licensed healthcare professionals and registered dietitians  (per Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Final Rule);
  • Provides technical updates on units of measurement for vitamins A and D in fluid milk substitutes;
  • Includes a table of the nutrition requirements for fluid milk substitutes;
  • Provides information related to temporary and ongoing unavailability of fluid milk;
  • Adopts standardized terminology such as “institutions and facilities;” and
  • Reorganizes information throughout the memorandum for clarity.

The full memo can be found at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/nutrition-requirements-fluid-milk-qas
TDA will be incorporating guidance from this memo in a future CACFP Handbook release.


November 6, 2024 - Updated Guidance on Offer Versus Serve and Family Style Meals in the CACFP
USDA has released Policy Memo CACFP 02-2025, Offer Versus Serve and Family Style Meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. This memorandum provides updated guidance on the use of Offer Versus Serve (OVS) in the adult day care and at-risk afterschool settings, as well as the use of family style meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). This memorandum contains two attachments that highlight frequently asked questions and answers and OVS examples for breakfast, lunch, and supper meal service. This memorandum supersedes CACFP 05-2017, Offer Versus Serve and Family Style Meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
In addition to the information included in previous memoranda, this memorandum specifically:

• • Updates terminology from “food component” to “meal component” per CACFP regulations;
  • Updates definitions listed under “Terms to Know;”
  • Includes two new questions clarifying policy regarding meals for supervising adults (#13) and meal accommodations (#14);
  • Includes an attachment with updated examples of OVS;
  • Adopts standardized terminology such as “institutions and facilities;” and
  • Reorganizes information throughout the memorandum for clarity.

The full memo can be found at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/offer-versus-serve-family-style-meals
TDA will be incorporating guidance from this memo in a future CACFP Handbook release.

November 6, 2024 - RELEASE: Updated Pre-Award Civil Rights Compliance Review Form
The Pre-Award Civil Rights Compliance Review Form must be completed by new Contracting Entities (CEs) in all Child Nutrition and Household Programs prior to being approved for participation. This form has recently been updated to clarify that visual observation to obtain estimated racial/ethnic data is not allowable in CACFP and SFSP. Note that it is not explicitly prohibited in any other program at this time. The form has also been updated with additional sources that a prospective CE may use to obtain the estimated data for the upcoming program year. The updated form is available in TX-UNPS and on each applicable program's Administration/Forms page.
 

November 6, 2024 - Crosswalk of 2 CFR 200 Updates Posted on SquareMeals
On October 25, TDA posted news on SquareMeals about updates to 2 CFR 200. While most updates are non-substantive in nature, some operators have requested to see a full list of the 560 changes to the regulation. Click here to see a USDA-provided crosswalk of all changes to 2 CFR 200.

October 25, 2024 - Waiver Approved to Allow Offsite Monitoring Flexibilities for Sponsors of Day Care Homes and Unaffiliated Child Care and Adult Day Care Centers
On October 23, 2024, USDA approved TDA’s request to allow offsite monitoring flexibilities for sponsors of day care homes, unaffiliated child care centers, and unaffiliated adult day care centers. Flexibilities would allow sponsors in good standing to conduct one of the three required site visits offsite, with a possible second site visit to also occur offsite for sites over 100 miles or over 2 hours away from the sponsor’s headquarters.

Before being able to use these flexibilities, TDA will require eligible CACFP sponsors to submit monitoring plans for review and written approval to include:

• The number and names of sites/providers the sponsoring organization intends to review offsite;
• List of providers over 100 miles from the sponsoring organization’s office, if intending to conduct a second offsite review;
• How the sponsoring organization will determine eligibility for this waiver and verify the site/provider is in good standing;
• An attestation affirming there is not a field office or available staff member within a 100 miles or 2 hours of travel time of an eligible site/provider if requesting a second offsite review;
• How virtual monitoring reviews will be conducted via video (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, Google Duo, etc.);
• How sponsoring organizations will address providers that miss their virtual review.
• How it will track, identify, and report which monitoring visits were done offsite; and
• An attestation stating that at least one onsite monitoring visit per home is unannounced and includes a meal service observation.

• Equipment threshold increased from $5,000 to $10,000. This means that as of October 1, 2024, only equipment purchases of $10,000 or more require a Capital Expenditure request.
• The single audit threshold has increased from $750,000 to $1,000,000. This means that any operator that expends more that $1,000,000 in Fiscal Year 2025 will need to conduct a single audit. Note that any operator that expended more that $750,000 in FY 2024 will also need a single audit.
• For the few operators using the de minimis indirect cost rate, the percentage of modified total direct costs used to derive the rate has increased from 10% to 15%, and the threshold of federal reimbursement factored into the modified total direct cost amount has been increased from $25,000 to $50,000.
• The aggregate amount of unused supplies (including computers under $10,000 each) that an operator can retain or sell at the time of closeout has been increased from $5,000 to $10,000. Note that if the amount is over $10,000, TDA will be entitled to a percentage of the fair market value of the supplies or the amount received in the sale of those supplies.

• Instructions for completing the Good Cause Transfer request form.
• Process flow chart explaining how requests are reviewed and approved/denied by TDA.
• How notices of approval/denial will be distributed to sites and sponsors.
• Observations, best practices, and requirements related to Good Cause Transfers.

• A sponsor denies a site access to the Program.
• A sponsor reduces the level of benefit a site receives under the Program, for example, the sponsor:
  • Will not allow sites to claim suppers or weekend meals because the sponsor does not want to monitor those meal services.
  • Requests and receives approval to withhold more than 15% of the meal reimbursement annually for allowable administrative costs thereby reducing the reimbursement received by the site. 
• Any other good cause as determined by TDA.

August 28, 2024 - USDA offers additional guidance and best practices for obtaining racial/ethnic data
On Monday, August 26, 2024, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) released memorandum CACFP 12-2024, SFSP 16-2024, Questions and Answers Related to CACFP 11-2021, SFSP 07-2021, Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data by Visual Observation and Identification in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program – Policy Rescission -Set 2. This memorandum offers guidance to help Program operators comply with the Federal requirement to collect race and ethnicity data from Program participants. Remember that visual observation is not allowable to determine this information. While TDA has a resource on the SFSP and CACFP Administration/Forms pages that will assist in collecting this information, operators may utilize alternate or additional methods as described in this policy memo.

• Texas Administrative Code, 4.1: General Procedures
• Texas Administrative Code, 4.25: Special Nutrition Programs
• Texas Administrative Code, 4.26: Food and Nutrition Division
• Texas Administrative Code, 4.26.E: Appeal Procedures for F&N

• FNS Instruction 796-2 Financial Management - Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
• Tip Sheet - Assessing Costs in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)