General Eligibility & Reimbursement
Q: Can I claim an infant under 6 months old who only drinks formula or breast milk?
A: Yes. Under Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) regulations, infants from birth through 11 months are fully reimbursable. A meal consisting only of breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula is 100% claimable, provided the infant is checked into attendance and the proper fluid ounces are offered. You can review the complete rule updates via the SquareMeals Infant Meal Pattern Guidance.
Q: What if a mother wants to breastfeed her baby at our child care facility?
A: You can absolutely claim the meal. TDA explicitly allows centers to claim reimbursement for a meal or snack when a breastfeeding mother comes directly to the day care facility or home and breastfeeds her infant on-site.
Q: Do I have to offer infant food if the baby is not ready for solids?
A: No. For infants ages 6 through 11 months, solid food items (such as infant cereal, fruits, vegetables, or meats) are only required when the infant is developmentally ready to accept them. If an infant is only consuming breast milk or formula, you only log the liquid component.
Formula Requirements & Parent Provisions
Q: What are the TDA rules if a parent wants to bring their own formula or breast milk?
A: Parents have the right to decline the facility’s offered house formula. You can still claim the meal if a parent supplies expressed breast milk or a creditable iron-fortified formula, as long as it is documented on their feeding record.
Q: Is there a limit to how many food items a parent can bring for a claimable meal?
A: Yes, and this is a critical rule on SquareMeals: A parent can only supply a maximum of ONE component for a meal to remain reimbursable.
- Example 1 (Claimable): The parent brings the formula, and your center provides the solid baby food.
- Example 2 (Non-Claimable): The parent brings both the formula and the pureed fruits. Because the parent supplied more than one component, you cannot claim this meal for reimbursement unless a documented medical exception is on file.
Q: What makes an infant formula “creditable” in Texas?
A: The formula must be regulated by the FDA and explicitly labeled as iron-fortified (containing at least 1 milligram of iron per 100 kilocalories). Specialty formulas (like soy-based or hypoallergenic types) require a signed medical statement to be claimed.
Infant Meal Patterns & Absolute Restrictions
Q: What does the TDA infant meal pattern look like?
A: Minimum required serving sizes are divided into two primary age tiers:
| Meal / Snack | 0 through 5 Months | 6 through 11 Months (When ready) |
| Breakfast | 4–6 fl oz breast milk or formula | • 6–8 fl oz breast milk or formula • 0–4 tbsp iron-fortified infant cereal OR meat/meat alternate • 0–2 tbsp vegetable, fruit, or both |
| Lunch / Supper | 4–6 fl oz breast milk or formula | • 6–8 fl oz breast milk or formula • 0–4 tbsp iron-fortified infant cereal OR meat/meat alternate • 0–2 tbsp vegetable, fruit, or both |
| Snack | 4–6 fl oz breast milk or formula | • 2–4 fl oz breast milk or formula • 0–½ oz eq bread OR 0–¼ oz eq crackers OR 0–½ oz eq infant cereal • 0–2 tbsp vegetable, fruit, or both |
🚫 The Absolute Juice Ban: Fruit juice, vegetable juice, and cheese spreads/foods are completely prohibited within the infant meal pattern. Serving any amount of juice to an infant will result in an immediate meal disallowance during a TDA audit. You can cross-reference the visual breakdown via the official TDA Infant Meal Pattern Reference Chart.
Mandated Forms & Logging
Q: What form must I keep on file for every enrolled infant?
A: You must have a completed and signed CACFP Infant Feeding Preference Form on file for every infant from birth up to their first birthday. This form documents whether the parent accepts or declines the center-offered formula and food components and must be updated as the child transitions to solids. You can download the official document here: TDA CACFP Infant Feeding Preference Form.
Q: How often do I need to log infant food production?
A: Infant Daily Meal Production Records must be completed daily. Because infant intake fluctuates constantly, entering these details retroactively at the end of the month is a compliance violation. Daily sheets are compiled monthly to support your reimbursement totals via the software.
System Setup (MyFoodCloud)
Q: How do I log individual infant menus on the software system?
A: Please see our step by step guide here. https://cacfpsolutions.com/docs/individual-infant-menus-in-myfoodcloud/