Need help filing your claim or checking your payment?
Filing your CACFP claim is how you request reimbursement for the month. But entering the numbers is only part of the job. You also need to submit the claim, confirm its status, and know where to look for payment information.
This guide brings those steps together for Texas child care centers using TX-UNPS. Other CACFP program types may have different claim fields.
Before You Start: Have Your Monthly Figures Ready
Select the correct program year and claim month. Have your monthly records and totals available so you can enter and check the figures without switching between unfinished reports.
The child care center claim report reviewed for this guide includes:
| Information | Figures shown on the claim report |
|---|---|
| Attendance | Operating days, total attendance, average daily attendance, and number of shifts |
| Enrollment | Participants in the free, reduced-price, and paid categories, plus total enrollment |
| For-profit eligibility | Licensed capacity, free/reduced eligibility, and subsidized-child information |
| Meals and snacks | Breakfast, AM snack, lunch, PM snack, supper, and evening snack totals |
Use the records supporting your claim to check these figures. A claim report shows what was reported; it does not replace the underlying records. Some fields may be calculated by UNPS rather than entered manually.
Know Your Filing Deadline
The federal outside deadline is 60 calendar days after the last day of the claim month; state agencies may set shorter deadlines. TX-UNPS help describes a 60-day limit for original claims and upward adjustments. Check the current claiming notices in UNPS and file promptly rather than waiting until the last day. [1, 2]
If you have missed the deadline, contact TDA about the applicable exception process. Do not assume that saving a late claim makes it eligible for payment.
How to File Your Claim
- Open Claims on the blue menu bar.
- Select Claim Entry – Centers.
- Select the claim month.
- Choose Add Original Claim. If UNPS displays a site list, select Add beside the applicable site.
- Enter the claim figures and select Save.
- Review the information. Return to the entry screen if you need to correct anything.
- Check the Certification box and select Submit for Payment.
Saving is not the same as submitting. UNPS runs additional checks when you select Submit for Payment. If it identifies errors, correct them and complete submission. [2]
How to Check Your Claim
Return to the claim month and review the status. In CACFP Solutions' operational explanation, Accepted means the submitted claim has been accepted by the system; Processed means TDA has processed it for payment. Neither status, by itself, confirms that money has reached your bank.
Open Summary to review or save the submitted claim information. UNPS help states that the summary becomes available after submission without errors. [2]
The claim report can show separate dates for:
- Date Received: when the system received the claim.
- Date Accepted: when the claim was accepted.
- Date Processed: when TDA processed it.
Those dates can differ. Check the labels rather than treating every date as a payment date.
When Does TDA Process Claims?
TDA's published CACFP guidance identifies Tuesday and Thursday as claim-processing days. [3]
CACFP Solutions practical guidance: Once your claim is accepted, watch for the next processing run. If Tuesday's run has already passed, the next regular run is Thursday. If Thursday's run has passed, the next regular run is Tuesday.
| If your accepted claim misses… | The next regular processing day is… |
|---|---|
| Tuesday's run | Thursday |
| Thursday's run | The following Tuesday |
These examples explain the sequence, not a guaranteed turnaround. Check current TDA notices for processing cutoffs, holidays, or interruptions.
Processing and payment issuance are separate steps. CACFP Solutions' operational guidance is that TDA issues payment within 5–7 days after processing. TDA's published quick reference describes approximately 5–7 business days before payment issuance. Check the Warrant Issue Date for your payment, then your bank for the actual deposit. [3]
How to Find Your Payment Amount and Issue Date
Open Claims → Payment Summary. The list shows payment batches for the selected year. Select a payment record to open its details. [4]
The Payment Summary List reviewed for this guide displays:
| Field | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Schedule Number | The identifier for that payment batch |
| Processed Date | When TDA processed the claim for the batch, rather than when you entered it |
| Warrant Issue Date | The payment issue date, as explained by CACFP Solutions |
| Earned Amount | The earned amount shown for the batch |
| Adjustments | Any adjustments shown |
| Distribution Amount | The amount shown for distribution |
CACFP Solutions practical guidance: To answer “How much am I getting?”, look at the Distribution Amount. To answer “Has payment been issued?”, check the Warrant Issue Date. Then check your bank for the actual deposit.
A processed date with a blank warrant issue date does not show that payment has already been issued. A warrant issue date is also different from confirmation that the deposit is available in your bank.
Need to Correct a Claim?
Before processing, use Modify to update the claim. After processing, use the revision option available for the claim, such as Add Revision or Revise. Review the corrected figures, save, certify, and submit again. Revised claims must be processed again. [2]
TX-UNPS help applies the 60-day submission limit to upward adjustments. It allows downward adjustments after that period. Contact TDA if a correction increases reimbursement after the submission deadline. [2]
Need Help With Your Claim?
Not sure what to enter, what a status means, or where your payment stands? Email help@cacfpsolutions.com and tell us where you are getting stuck.
Our CACFP specialists can help you work through the records and filing steps. TDA handles official payment and system decisions.
Sources and Scope
Prepared October 6, 2026. Texas child care center examples; follow current TDA instructions and notices for your organization.
- 7 CFR § 226.10(c), (e), Program payment procedures — 2025 annual CFR edition.
- TX-UNPS CACFP Help: Claim Entry.
- TDA CACFP Quick Reference, “Filing a Claim,” printed page 12. This is an older reference still publicly available; check current notices for changes.
- TX-UNPS CACFP Help: Payment Summary.
Status and warrant-date interpretations are identified above as CACFP Solutions operational guidance.