Health Happenings
CHINS CHILD & ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM
By Diane Martin
Health Educator for Ben Archer Health Center
The CHINS Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is federally funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Child Nutrition Program. This program provides CASH reimbursements to day care providers who care for children in their homes. This is a reimbursement for nutritious meals served to the children by the provider. Meals must meet USDA standards for nutrition and quality. Good nutrition in the early years of a child's life is extremely important for growth and development.
The childcare provider needs to serve a variety of food every day, to ensure that all the nutrients needed for physical growth and development are available to the children in their care.
A child care home provider must be at least eighteen years old. Anyone who cares for children in their home and provides them meals and snacks can receive reimbursement for them up to their 13th birthday. Providers can claim their own children based on their income, but must have one non-resident child present and being claimed at the same meal services.
CACFP's goal is to ensure that our children are receiving nutritious meals in a healthy and safe environment. With this goal in mind, CACFP will give a cash reimbursement for up to three meals per child each day. This depends on the hours that parents are working or going to school. A provider must keep daily records of what they serve the children at each meal and a record of the children's attendance. These forms are provided by our staff.
There are USDA nutritional requirements and other simple health and safety guidelines a provider must follow in order to qualify for these monies. Requirements and guidelines will be explained in complete detail upon initial contact. This cash reimbursement does not affect AFDC, Social Security, Unemployment or Food Stamps, which the home child care provider or a member of her/his family may be receiving. This is not considered taxable income. The reimbursements help supplement the cost of food purchased for the children in the provider's care.
CHINS program staff offer workshops for child care providers to train them in necessary procedures for participating in the Child & Adult Care Food Program. Participants are required to obtain six hours of training each application year in seven competency areas. CHINS program staff members make home visitations to provide training and technical assistance and to check for program compliance.
All children in participating homes must be offered the same meals without physical segregation of or other discriminatory action against any child and adult because of race, color, age, national origin, sex, handicap.
Call our office at 434-9588 or 1-866-434-9588 and ask how to get started to receive your cash reimbursement today, We serve Otero and Lincoln Counties.
Our office is located at: Children In Need of Services 501 24th Street, Alamogordo NM 88310.
Otero County Community Health Council
700 E. 1st St.
Suite 720
Alamogordo, NM
88310
(575) 443-8100
Fax (575) 437-2949
oterochc@tularosa.net
oteromch@netmdc.com