Impact of Guaranteed Income on CACFP Income Calculations

Overview

Guaranteed income programs traditionally provide unconditional, individual, regular cash payments intended to support recipients’ basic needs.  Guaranteed income programs may be operated by state, federal, or nonprofit entities and vary in their structure and target populations.

Impact on the Child and Adult Care Food Program

The receipt of income from a guaranteed income program may impact eligibility for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

For any CACFP participant or applicant who is not categorically eligible through other benefit programs (see below), CACFP operators must include income received from a guaranteed income program as household income on the meal benefit form (Form Id. CACFP 29).  This may result in a change in cost of participation for participants and may change the reimbursement tier for program operators.

Income from a guaranteed income program must be calculated as household income on the meal benefit form unless the CACFP participant[1] is categorically eligible for CACFP pursuant to 7 CFR 226.23(e)(1)(iv) based on the receipt of another benefit program.  If a CACFP participant receives any of the following benefits they are categorically eligible for CACFP and the income from a guaranteed income program should not impact CACFP eligibility:
 

• CalFresh: known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP
• FDPIR: the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
• CalWORKS: known federally as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF
• SSI: Supplemental Security Income
• MediCal/Medicaid

CACFP operators establishing categorical eligibility based on participation in qualifying benefits programs should still collect and record case numbers for those benefits programs.   

Questions

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact your assigned county specialist on the CACFP Contact List web page or email the CACFP Team at CACFPinfo@dss.ca.gov..