Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024
A.
Each institution shall submit to CYFD, at the time it applies for program
participation, a written policy statement concerning free and reduced-price
meals to be uniformly used in all child care and adult day care facilities
under its jurisdiction.
B.
Institutions are not approved for participation unless CYFD approves the free
and reduced price policy statement. CYFD provides the free and reduced price
policy statement with each initial application.
C. Each institution annually shall provide a
public release to the local media to inform the public of the program's
availability.
(1) For all institutions, other
than sponsoring organizations of day care homes, the public release shall
include the USDA income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-price
meals.
(2) The public release
issued by sponsoring organizations of day care homes shall include the USDA
income eligibility guidelines for reduced-price meals.
(3) The public release issued by all
institutions shall announce the availability of meals at no separate charge and
state that meals are available to all participants without regard to race,
color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
D. All institutions, other than sponsoring
organizations of day care homes, distribute applications for free and
reduced-price meals to the families of participants enrolled in the
institution.
(1) Sponsoring organizations of
day care homes distribute free and reduced-price applications to day care home
providers who wish to enroll their own children in the program and, upon
request, to parents of children in Tier 2 homes wishing to receive Tier 1
rates.
(2) Applications for free
and reduced price meals are made available by CYFD. Institutions shall complete
the applications according to 7 CFR Part 226.23(e)(1) and Parts 226.23(j), (k),
(l), (m) and (n).
(3) Completed
applications for free and reduced-price meals are valid for 12 months and shall
be completed annually.
(4) Free and
reduced price applications shall include:
(a)
names of all household members;
(b)
the signature of an adult member of the household;
(c) social security number of the adult
household member signing the application or an indication that the adult
household member does not possess one;
(d) household income received by each
household member, identified by source of income (such as earnings, wages,
pensions, support payments, unemployment compensation, and social security) and
total household income.
(5) For a child who is a TANF recipient or a
member of a food stamp or FDPIR household only the following is required:
(a) the name(s) and appropriate TANF, food
stamp or FDPIR case number(s);
(b)
the signature of an adult member of the household;
(c) the name(s) of the enrolled
child(ren).
(6) For a
child in a Tier II day care home who is a member of a household participating
in a federally or state supported child care or other benefit program with an
income eligibility limit that does not exceed the eligibility standard for free
and reduced price meals, the following is required:
(a) the name(s), appropriate case number(s)
(if the program utilizes case numbers), and the name(s) of the qualifying
program(s) for the child(ren), and the signature of an adult member of the
household; or
(b) if the sponsoring
organization or day care home possesses it, official evidence of the
household's participation in a qualifying program (submission of a free and
reduced price application by the household is not required in this
case).
(7) For a child
who participates in head start, only the official head start enrollment
document which certifies that the child is eligible based on income guidelines,
is required.
(8) For an adult
participant who is a member of a food stamp or FDPIR household or is an SSI or
medicaid participant, as defined in this section, only the following is
required:
(a) the name(s) and appropriate food
stamp or FDPIR case number(s) for the participants or the adult participant's
SSI or medicaid identification number, as defined in this section;
and
(b) the signature of an adult
member of the household.
(9) Additional documentation requirements for
Tier 1 classifications as required in 7 CFR Part 226.15(f).
E. Institutions shall distribute a
letter to households or guardians of enrolled participants in order to inform
them of the procedures regarding eligibility for free and reduced-price
meals.
