CACFP Meal Disallowances Due to Milk Shortages?

April 14, 2021
5:33 pm

CACFP Meal Disallowances and Milk Shortages

One common cause of CACFP meal disallowances and loss of CACFP reimbursement are issues related to milk shortages. Read these tips to solve these problems.

Provide Staff Education on Milk Amounts

The root cause of the problem is that the amount of milk served may seem excessive to the staff. Educating the serving staff on point of service measurements in accordance with CACFP guidelines is one of the most important ways to overcome the problem. Additionally, it’s tricky for staff to serve the correct amount of milk to each age group without a simple system in place that they can easily use. One idea is to utilize a cup system, with markings noting where to fill for each age group clearly displayed for the staff to see and to train the staff on it’s usage. Furthermore, the milk amount must be served in a single setting, whether or not the staff think it is appropriate.

Documentation of Milk Purchases

Make sure staff understands that adequate documentation must be provided for milk purchases to get reimbursement. A center has to document that they have purchased sufficient milk to cover the number of meals served. Without proper documentation, meals can be disallowed and reimbursement lost. Using CACFP software is an easy way to track receipts and compare the amount of milk purchases with the amount of milk needed. Are you looking for CACFP software? Schedule a meeting today to learn more about the software we offer! Book appointment now.

Stress the importance of all required meal components for reimbursement

From a financial perspective, it may not always be clear what the repercussions of inadequate milk purchases are. Staff may not understand that any meal that is lacking a required component can be disallowed, thus all reimbursements for that meal will be denied.

One way to explain this to the staff is to break down the ‘cost vs benefit’ equation.

A gallon of milk costs approximately $3.00
In that gallon of milk there are anywhere from 16-32 servings of milk, depending on age group being served (i.e. amount of milk required per serving).
Using breakfast as an example:
- A typical center serves 50 children
- Reimbursement for this meal is $75
- Receipts are required to document that you purchased 2-3 gallons of milk, the amount required to serve the minimum quantity of milk to each program participant.
- The cost of the milk is $6-9
- Resulting in a net gain of around $66.00 for the meal

To conclude, a center has to document that they have purchased sufficient milk to cover the number of meals served. If they don’t have the proper documentation, then meals can be disallowed and centers will lose CACFP reimbursement.

Have a system in place to track CACFP meal components.

Having an effective system in place to track milk amounts, having a system in place for logging milk purchases, and stressing the importance of all required meals components to staff can ensure your childcare center maximizes their CACFP reimbursement.

Learn how we can help with your Child Care Food Program.

Interested in learning more about how the CACFP can help your center? Book an appointment with us to discuss your options.

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