CACFP Administrative Manual Section 8.1

• Table of Contents
• Terms, Definitions, and Acronyms

Section 8.1 Meal Patterns

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) regulations specify the following meal patterns:

• Infant Meal Pattern—for infants from birth through eleven months

• Meal Pattern for Children and Adults—for children age one through eighteen and adults over eighteen years of age.

The CACFP meal pattern requirements are located on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) CACFP Nutrition Standards web page under Meal Patterns Tables.

All CACFP operators must comply with the CACFP meal pattern standards in order to claim meals for reimbursement. Refer to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) CACFP Meal Patterns web page for more information.

Accommodating Special Dietary Needs

Refer to the CDSS Meal Modifications in the CACFP web page for guidance on how to accommodate participants with special dietary needs and claim these meals for reimbursement in the CACFP.

Exemption from Serving Fluid Milk

Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 226.20(e) provides the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) with the authority to authorize CACFP operators to claim meals that are served:

• Without the fluid milk component or with an alternate form of fluid milk due to temporary emergency conditions.
• With an equivalent amount of canned, whole dry, or fat-free dry milk due to a continuing inability to obtain fluid milk.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Policy Memo CACFP 01-2024 Clarification of Allowable Flexibilities for Child Nutrition Programs Experiencing Milk Supply Shortages and USDA Policy Memo CACFP 01-2025 Nutrition Requirements for Fluid Milk and Fluid Milk Substitutions in the CACFP (page 8) provide additional guidance on this flexibility.

Access the CDSS CACFP Fluid Milk Exemption Request web page for the procedure to request a fluid milk exemption.

CACFP operators who have an approved fluid milk exemption must:
 

• Notify the CDSS within 10 business days after the exemption is no longer required.
• Retain the approval email sent by the CDSS CACFP Nutrition Team and provide the email to CDSS CACFP review staff upon request. CACFP operators must retain documentation for three program years plus the current program year for administrative review purposes and to support CACFP meal reimbursement claims for meals served without the fluid milk component.
• Continue to accommodate meal modifications for participants with a disability that affects their diet.

Access the CDSS CACFP Fluid Milk Exemption Requests web page for additional information.

504 Coordinator and Accommodation Procedures

The 504 Coordinator is responsible for addressing requests for accommodations and ensuring compliance with disability requirements related to meals and meal service. CACFP operators that employ 15 or more individuals must appoint a coordinator and establish grievance procedures that provide equitable resolution of complaints.

All CACFP operators are encouraged to implement procedures for parents, guardians, and participating adults to request modifications to meal service for participants with disabilities.

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References: 7 CFR, section 15b.3(i), 15b.3(k), 15b.26(d)(2), 226.20; CACFP 14-2017, SFSP 10-2017 Policy Memorandum on Modifications to Accommodate Disabilities in the CACFP and Summer Food Service Program, CACFP Bulletin 01-2020 Documentation Requirements for the CACFP Meal Patterns.

Questions: CACFPMealPatterns@dss.ca.gov

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