CACFP & At-Risk Programs

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Sponsorship

Empowered Community Outreach Services (ECOS) is a sponsoring organization for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Through CACFP sponsorship, ECOS supports eligible childcare providers and approved program sites with the administrative process required to participate in the program and receive reimbursement for eligible meals served to children in care.

ECOS provides administrative sponsorship, compliance support, claims support, recordkeeping guidance, monitoring, and communication with the Michigan Department of Education regarding CACFP participation.

What ECOS Does as a CACFP Sponsor

ECOS supports participating sites with:

  • Application support for eligible providers and program sites

  • CACFP enrollment and onboarding assistance

  • Required documentation and recordkeeping guidance

  • Claims submission support

  • Compliance guidance

  • Site monitoring and administrative oversight

  • Communication with the Michigan Department of Education regarding CACFP participation

At-Risk Afterschool Meals Sites:
ECOS also supports eligible At-Risk Afterschool Meals sites through CACFP sponsorship.

Participating sites are responsible for preparing meals onsite or arranging approved vended meals in accordance with CACFP requirements.

Important Clarification

ECOS does not prepare, cook, transport, deliver, or directly serve food as part of its sponsorship role. ECOS provides administrative sponsorship, compliance support, claims support, monitoring, and program oversight for participating sites.

At-Risk Afterschool Meals Site Sponsorship

An At-Risk Afterschool Meals site is an eligible afterschool, weekend, holiday, or school-vacation program that provides children and youth with access to nutritious meals and snacks in a safe, supervised setting during the regular school year.

At-Risk sites must include organized educational or enrichment activities. These activities may include homework help, tutoring, arts and crafts, mentoring, life skills, recreation, or other structured programming that supports children and youth.

Your organization may be eligible to participate as an At-Risk Afterschool Meals site if it:

  • Operates an afterschool, weekend, holiday, or school-vacation program during the regular school year

  • Provides organized education or enrichment activities

  • Serves children and youth age 18 or under at the start of the school year

  • Serves persons with disabilities, with no age limit where applicable under program rules

  • Is located in an eligible low-income school attendance area

  • Offers eligible meals and snacks at no cost to participating children

  • Meets applicable licensing, health, safety, and program requirements

  • Is able to maintain required CACFP records, including attendance, meal counts, menus, training documentation, monitoring records, and other required program records

Meal and Snack Reimbursement

Eligible At-Risk Afterschool Meals sites may be able to claim reimbursement for eligible meals and snacks served to participating children in accordance with CACFP requirements.

After school, eligible programs may generally claim one meal and one snack per child per day when served after school on regular school days. Eligible weekend, holiday, school-vacation, or early-release day programs may also qualify for allowable meal and snack reimbursement during the regular school year.

All meals and snacks must be served in a congregate setting and must meet applicable CACFP meal pattern requirements.

How ECOS Supports At-Risk Sites

As a CACFP sponsor, ECOS assists eligible At-Risk sites with:

  • Application and onboarding support

  • Required CACFP documentation

  • Claims submission support

  • Recordkeeping guidance

  • Compliance support

  • Site monitoring and administrative oversight

  • Communication with the Michigan Department of Education regarding CACFP participation

Interested in Becoming a Sponsored Site?

If you are a childcare provider or eligible program site interested in participating in CACFP and receiving reimbursement for eligible meals served, please contact ECOS to learn more about becoming a sponsored site.

If your organization operates an afterschool program with enrichment activities and may meet the eligibility requirements for CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals, ECOS can help you understand the sponsorship process and next steps.

Contact Empowered Community Outreach Services

Email: ndahdah@ecosmi.org

Please include your site name, contact name and phone number, email address, and a brief description of your site. An ECOS representative will contact you within 48 business hours regarding next steps.

Non-Discrimination Statement

ECOS participates in CACFP in accordance with applicable federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) (http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html) online, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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