What child care centers need to know to apply for CACFP in Minnesota

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded initiative that financially supports child care centers in serving nutritious meals and snacks to children. By setting high nutrition standards, the program aims to promote healthy eating habits and lifelong wellness of its participants.

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In Minnesota, the CACFP is managed by the Division of Nutrition Program Services under the Minnesota Department of Education. If you're a child care provider in Minnesota, here's what you need to know about eligibility, the application process, and meeting program requirements.

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Eligibility requirements

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Child care centers must meet certain criteria to qualify for CACFP. Eligible institutions include:

• Public or private nonprofit child care centers, including Head Start programs and other licensed day care services
• For-profit centers that have at least 25% of enrolled children eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

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How to apply for CACFP in Minnesota

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1. Review the prerequisites

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Before you start the application, you must first complete the following prerequisite steps:

• Watch the Introduction to the CACFP video: Learn about the program’s benefits, responsibilities, and types of participating organizations.
• Familiar yourself with the CACFP Requirements Checklist: This document outlines the required tasks to comply with the program. Understand the annual, monthly, daily, and ongoing program requirements outlined in the Program Requirements Checklist.

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2. Complete the required training

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Training is mandatory for new applicants. Your principal staff who are responsible for managing CACFP must complete courses like:

• CACFP Sponsor Training Course
• Maintaining a Nonprofit Food Service Program
• Evaluating Compliance with the Performance Standards

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You can access these training courses through the MDE’s CACFP Training Platform.

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Upon completion, save your training certificates as they are required during the application process.

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3. Submit an intent to apply

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To begin the application process, complete the New Applicant Information Form. Once processed, you’ll receive access and login details for the Cyber-Linked Interactive Child Nutrition System (CLiCS), Minnesota’s online application portal where you’ll submit your application form and documents.

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4. Prepare and submit your application

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Log into CLiCS and create and save your application. To make the process easier, you can use the Child Care Center Enrollment Toolkit for step-by-step guidance.

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Afterwards, make sure to gather and upload all the required documents, including:

• Detailed budget worksheet
• Principal Identification Form
• Vended meal contracts (if applicable)
• Household income statements

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5. Pass the pre-approval visit

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After submitting your application, a Nutrition Program Consultant will schedule a pre-approval visit to confirm that your child care center is ready and equipped to operate under CACFP guidelines.

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6. Approval and start of CACFP

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Once approved, your center will complete an electronic Sponsor/State Agreement and receive a copy of the signed agreement, which will allow you to begin providing CACFP-supported meals. Congratulations! Your center can now begin participating in the program.

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However, if your application is denied, you’ll be notified in writing with the option to appeal or reapply.

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Recordkeeping and documentation

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To comply with CACFP regulations, your center should maintain accurate records from the very beginning. Here are the key documents you need to include:

• Meal counts and attendance: Record daily participant arrivals and departures and track meals served at the point of service. Additionally, include detailed records for infants under 12 months.
• Food production records: Keep detailed menus, recipes, receipts, and substitutions to ensure meal patterns meet USDA guidelines. To guide you, use MDE’s provided resources like the Food Production Record Template for consistency.
• Financial recordkeeping: Retain all receipts, invoices, and supporting documents for eligible expenses. Track monthly expenses and reimbursements with an Expense and Income Ledger.

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To make the recordkeeping process easier, organize these records systematically using the CACFP Filing System Guide and submit them monthly for reimbursement.

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Reimbursement process

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Participating child care centers must submit their claims for reimbursement online using CLiCS. Besides simplifying the application process, this portal also helps you track payments and submission dates, so you’re always on–time.

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Here are some important deadlines to keep in mind:

• Claims must be submitted within 60 calendar days after the claiming month ends.
• If the 60th day falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.

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Payments via CLiCS are issued every Friday at 8 p.m. Claims that are submitted within this window are typically transferred to your center by the following Friday.

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Annual participation renewal

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To renew your participation, update your application and upload all the necessary documents in CLiCS annually by the last week of August.

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Additionally, to comply with CACFP standards, your staff should undergo annual training to renew their certificates. This brushes them up on the program basics and regulations, such as food safety practices and record-keeping procedures.

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Ready to apply?

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Take the first step in improving the quality of child care services in Minnesota and apply for CACFP today. You can visit MDE’s Child and Adult Care Food Program for Centers website for valuable resources and guidance. For any questions or inquiries, contact the CACFP Applications Team via email at mde.fns@state.mn.us or call 651-582-8526 or 800-366-8922 (toll-free in Minnesota).

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Follow the steps we’ve provided above and remember that your commitment to the CACFP program positively impacts the children you serve for years to come!

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Meet CACFP Meal Standards with Ordo

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Figuring out the details of CACFP guidelines and requirements can be challenging, especially on top of your daily tasks in managing a child care center. But you don’t have to do it alone. With our food service solutions, Ordo handles everything—from menu preparation and compliance to delivering CACFP-approved meals on time and at no extra cost. We help ensure the children you care for receive high-quality meals every day, so you can focus on providing the best care.

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Ordo has become the fastest-growing school food program in America, providing fresh meals made from scratch every day in our kitchens. Our chefs focus on cooking homestyle food that’s both nutritious and what students love. Healthy meals result in better student outcomes, and administrators who invest in their nutrition programs invest in their schools.

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Students and parents can place their orders through their ordering app and choose from seasonal menus with 4 to 6 different options daily like Tex Mex Crunch Salad with Creamy Lime Dressing or Chicken Bacon Wrap with Pretzels, Carrots & Ranch.

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Our online platform automates compliance paperwork for reimbursable meals, tracks important metrics like daily participation rate, and handles all payment and order processing. Ordo offers both vended meal service where we deliver the food every day and onsite food service management with our chefs preparing food on campus. We have served all types of schools, from preschools and daycare centers to private and public schools. We’ve worked with some of the top brands in early education and child care, including Guidepost Montessori, Bright Horizons, Primrose, and more.

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If you’re interested in providing fresh, healthy food for your school, you can reach out to the school partnerships team here.