The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded program sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA) that provides financial reimbursements to licensed or registered child care providers for serving nutritious meals and snacks to children in their care.

Click on any of the following links to get more information:
• How Does it Work?
• How Much Cash Will I Receive?
• Why Join the Food Program?
• USDA Meal Requirements
• Tax Advantages
• Claiming Your Own Children

What's Special about Providers Choice Food Program?
Request more Information about Providers Choice

How Does It Work?
The Food Program is absolutely free. That's right! There's no charge to participate. To be eligible in Minnesota, you just need to be a licensed child care provider whose meals meet the guidelines established by the USDA. These are meals that are much like the meals you are probably already serving.
You will receive a payment every month! You have two options for receiving your food reimbursement, by check or direct deposit. You also have two options for submitting menu and attendance records.
    1. At the end of the month, send in your Food Program information electronically using your computer
       and our customized C-K Kids Software – we give PCI providers this software for free!
                                                                                          OR
   2. At the end of the month, you can send us your information by mailing it to us on forms supplied to
       you by us.
Either way, it takes about 3 minutes a day to complete the information.

How much Cash Will I Receive?
If you're serving breakfast, lunch and a snack to just 6 children for 21 care days each month you can be reimbursed between $2,751 and $5,715 per year. And you'll receive a reimbursement check every month!

The amount you receive is based on a two-tier reimbursement scale. Whether you qualify for Tier 1 rates or Tier 2 rates is based on a variety of factors (such as the demographics of the area you live in, your personal income, or the income of the families you serve). Following are the current Tier 1 and Tier 2 rates for each meal. For more information on which Tier you are most likely to qualify for, contact us via email at provider@providerschoice.com or call us at (952) 944-7010 or 800-356-5983.

When will I receive my Food Program reimbursement?
If you are a member of Providers Choice, you'll usually receive your check between the 18th and the 20th of the month, provided your claim for reimbursement arrives in our office by the 5th of the month. If the 5th falls on a Saturday, then the claim is due on the 4th. If the 5th falls on a Sunday, then the claim is due on the 6th. You'll receive your check later in the month if PCI receives your reimbursement claim after these due dates.

Why Join the Food Program?
Participating in the Food Program is truly a win-win situation.

• Your kids win because they're eating nutritious meals and snacks.
• Your child care business wins because providing the Food Program
   attracts families to your child care home.
• You win because the financial reimbursements help your cash flow.

Find out why more than 5000 child care providers in Minnesota chose to participate with the Providers Choice Food Program.

USDA Meal Requirements
Get information on the Food Program meal pattern requirements. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to print the information.     Download Adobe Reader for free.
Meal Pattern for Infants
Meal Pattern for Children

Tax Advantages
Even though you receive reimbursement for the meals you serve, your food costs for those meals are a business expense. So you would only pay taxes on the amount of reimbursement that might be in excess of your food expenses. Bottom line: you will only have a monthly increase in your cash flow from the reimbursement. Many child care providers describe the reimbursement like getting a raise—you have to pay taxes on your raise but it's still a raise!

Here is a Tax Comparison Chart that points out the after-tax income benefits of participating on the Food Program.

Claiming Your Own Children
In addition to receiving reimbursement for your day 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.
• One of your enrolled day care children is eating the same meal you're claiming for your own child.

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