CACFP Compliance Checklist for Childcare Centers
What's inside
- Daily point-of-service meal count procedures by age group
- Menu documentation requirements and how to handle substitutions
- Income eligibility form tracking and renewal timelines
- Monthly claim submission checklist and reconciliation steps
- Annual review preparation with a records-ready checklist
- Common CACFP violations and the specific practices that prevent each
- Record retention requirements for meal count and eligibility documentation
Downloaded by childcare directors across the US
TLDR
A practical CACFP compliance checklist covering daily meal counts, menu documentation, income eligibility files, and annual review preparation for childcare centers. CACFP reimbursements are worth thousands of dollars per year — losing them to a preventable paperwork violation is one of the most avoidable financial hits a childcare center can take.
How to Use This Checklist
Work through this checklist daily, weekly, and monthly. Keep a printed copy at each meal service site and in your administrative files. Items marked with a star (★) are the ones auditors check first — they are the highest-risk areas for findings.
Daily Checklist
Complete these tasks at each meal service (breakfast, AM snack, lunch, PM snack, supper where applicable).
Before the Meal
- Current menu is posted and matches today’s planned meal components
- All required meal components are available for the meal pattern and age group served
- Meal count sheet for today is prepared and available at the serving area
- Staff responsible for the meal count has been identified (this should not be the same person serving food)
During the Meal (Point-of-Service Count) ★
- Meal count is taken while children are seated and actively eating — not before, not after
- Count is recorded by classroom/age group, broken down as required by your state agency
- Each age group is counted separately: infant, toddler, preschool, school-age (as applicable)
- Only children who received all required meal components are counted
- Count is physically written on the form at the table — not recalled from memory later
- A second staff member witnessed or co-signed the count (required by some state agencies — verify your requirement)
After the Meal
- Menu as served matches the posted menu. If any substitution was made, document it on the menu form with the reason
- Infants: breast milk or formula and solid foods are documented separately per infant feeding records
- Meal count form is complete, signed, and filed in the daily records folder
- Any absent children removed from the count — do not count children who were not present ★
CACFP Compliance Checklist for Childcare Centers
CACFP compliance checklist for childcare centers. Covers daily meal counts, menu documentation, income eligibility files, and annual review preparation.
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Q&A
What are the most common CACFP violations in childcare centers?
The most common CACFP violations are meal counts filled in after the fact rather than at point-of-service, menus that don't match the food actually served, income eligibility forms that have expired or were never collected, and claiming meals for children who were absent. Each of these can result in disallowed claims, repayment demands, and in serious cases, program termination.
Q&A
How often do childcare centers get audited for CACFP compliance?
CACFP centers are subject to annual administrative reviews by their state agency, plus additional reviews if their claim patterns show anomalies. Administrative reviews check meal count records, menus, income eligibility forms, and site visit documentation. Centers that pass clean reviews are typically reviewed less frequently; those with findings get more frequent oversight.