Before you enter your monthly figures in TX-UNPS, check the records behind them. Start with the participants, work through the daily meal records, and then review the totals you plan to submit. Keep a separate check of the expenses charged to your food service.
Who this guide is for: Traditional Texas child care centers operating under their own CACFP agreement. At-risk afterschool programs, adult day care centers, day care homes, and emergency shelters have different requirements.
Requirement: When submitting a claim, your organization certifies that it is correct and that supporting records are available. Federal rules require enrollment and eligibility records, attendance, time-of-service meal counts, menus, financial documentation, and copies of claims, as applicable. [1, 2]
CACFP Solutions recommendation: Use the following sequence as a monthly working check. The sequence and tracker are our professional judgment, not a required TDA checklist or a certification of compliance.
1. Confirm the month, site, and person responsible
- Open the correct program year, claim month, and site.
- Check the operating days and meal services against your approved application and actual records.
- Identify who will prepare the figures, who will check them, and which authorized person will submit the claim.
For a for-profit child care center, also verify and document the monthly eligibility test. Federal rules require at least 25% of children in care—enrollment or licensed capacity, whichever is less—to qualify for free or reduced-price meals or receive Title XX benefits. Children receiving only at-risk meals are excluded from that calculation. [2]
2. Check enrollment and income-eligibility support
Compare the participant list with the documentation applicable to the month being claimed. Check new arrivals, withdrawals, required information, signatures, and the effective period of eligibility determinations. Enrollment and income eligibility are separate checks. [3]
Texas requirement: Section 4140 distinguishes these situations:
| Documentation status | Enrollment and eligibility mix | Meals |
|---|---|---|
| Complete eligibility information; incomplete enrollment | Include the participant in enrollment and the applicable eligibility category. | Do not claim until all required enrollment information is received. |
| Complete enrollment; incomplete eligibility information | Include the participant in the paid category. | Meals may be claimed in the paid category. |
| Both enrollment and eligibility information incomplete | Do not include the participant. | Do not claim the participant’s meals. |
Use TDA’s rules for the relevant period; do not backdate signatures or assume a form obtained now establishes earlier eligibility. [3]
3. Compare meal counts, attendance, and menus
Texas requires point-of-service counts and supporting meal records. [4] For the recording method, use our meal-count workflow.
Our monthly checking recommendation:
- Look for missing days, duplicate entries, or meals recorded when a child was absent or the center was closed.
- Check that claimed meal types and service times match the approved operation.
- Compare the menus and production records with what was actually served, including documented substitutions and applicable infant records.
- Investigate unusually repeated totals or counts that exceed attendance.
A discrepancy needs an explanation supported by records. Attendance alone does not establish which meals a child received. Do not reconstruct missing meal counts from attendance or memory.
4. Track gaps and document supported corrections
Keep a short list while you review. Our suggested columns are:
| Date / participant / meal | Issue | Evidence or action needed | Owner / status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identify the affected record. | Describe the specific gap. | Locate originals or legitimate copies; record the question to resolve. | Assign responsibility and record the result. |
Preserve originals and a clear explanation of any supported correction. If the evidence remains missing or its effect on the claim is unclear, ask TDA how to handle the affected item before certifying the claim. Do not change records merely to make totals agree.
5. Review expense support separately
Texas financial-management guidance requires source documentation for program costs. Gather receipts and invoices, payment evidence, payroll records, and applicable time-distribution documentation. Check costs against your approved budget and any required approvals. [5]
Our recommendation: Keep an expense-gap list alongside the meal-record list. Separate program and non-program purchases, identify missing receipts, and reconcile what was charged to the food service. A complete receipt packet does not establish meal eligibility; accurate meal counts do not establish that every expense is allowable.
If a service provider gives you a monthly report, review its discrepancies and expense questions before finalizing the packet.
6. Review the final figures, submit, and keep confirmation
Compare the final report with the checked records: operating days, attendance, enrollment categories, and totals by meal type. If you use an outside preparer, resolve unexplained differences rather than copying the report without review.
Texas requires claims by the 60th day after the claim month, subject to its stated deadline provisions. Set your working deadline earlier and check current TDA notices. Successfully submitted claims receive an “accepted” status and confirmation number. [4]
Next, follow how to file a claim and check payment in Texas UNPS. Keep the submitted claim, confirmation, checked report, supporting records, and correction notes together. Saving an entry is not the same as submitting it.
Need help connecting the records to your monthly claim?
CACFP Solutions can help organize monthly claim data and expense records within an agreed service plan. Your staff maintain accurate daily records; your authorized representative files the claim. See claims-processing and ongoing-support scope to decide whether it fits your organization.
Sources and scope
Checked October 8, 2026. Texas handbook sections below are the March 2026 editions. TDA’s current policy page and July 24, 2026 supplemental guidance were also inspected. Federal references use the official 2025 annual CFR edition; applicable newer guidance and your organization’s current TDA instructions control. The checking sequence, issue tracker, and organization tips are CACFP Solutions professional judgment.
- 7 CFR 226.15(c), (e): responsibility and records.
- 7 CFR 226.10(c), including (c)(4): claim certification and independent for-profit center eligibility.
- TDA Section 4100, especially 4136 and 4140: eligibility effective dates and documentation required for claiming.
- TDA Section 4300, especially 4310–4311 and 4330–4334: meal records, claim submission and deadlines.
- TDA Section 7000, especially 7100 and 7500: financial records and cost documentation.
- TDA current policy and handbook page, including supplemental guidance.