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Adult Care Component

Family tree iconWhat is the Adult Care Component of the CACFP?

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides reimbursement for nutritious meals and snacks served to eligible adults receiving care at adult day care centers.

What Organizations Can Participate?
Adult day care centers that have been certified to provide nonresidential adult day care. The center’s primary purpose must be to provide day care to adults to enable them to remain in their home or in the home of a family member, guardian, or other caregiver.

Centers must maintain an individual plan of care for every adult which provides a structured, comprehensive, community-based program of health, social and related support services.

Organizations must be one of the following:

  • Private Non-Profit: must have Federal tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service.
  • Public: must be part of an entity recognized as “public” by the State or Federal Government. This includes public schools, public universities and technical colleges, and Indian reservations.
  • For-profit: at least 25% of enrolled eligible adults are Title XIX or Title XX beneficiaries.

Organizations that cannot participate: sheltered workshops, vocational or substance abuse rehabilitation centers, social centers, residential programs, or other types of centers that do not have the primary purpose to provide day care to adults age 18 and older who are functionally impaired and/or 60 years of age or older.

Eligible Participants
  • Adults 60 years and older
  • Functionally impaired adults over 18 years of age
    • Functionally impaired adults are chronically impaired disabled persons who are physically or mentally impaired to the extent that their capacity for independence and their ability to carry out activities of daily living is markedly limited.

These adults live in private residences (which may be their own, that of a family member, guardian, or other caregiver, or in a group living arrangement if they are primarily responsible for their own care).

Adults who are NOT eligible to participate in the CACFP:
Institutionalized adults, or those who reside in:

  • Nursing homes
  • Community Based Residential Facilities
  • Licensed or Certified Adult Family Homes
Meal Service
Meal and snacks must meet CACFP meal pattern requirements: Adult Day Center Meal Pattern

Meals may include breakfast, lunch, supper, and snacks. Centers may only receive reimbursement for up to two meals and one snack or one meal and two snacks for each enrolled eligible adult each day.

Reimbursement
Programs receive reimbursement for claimed meals and snacks. Reimbursement is based on income levels of households. For the most current rates of reimbursement, refer to Guidance Memorandum 2: CACFP Reimbursement Rates.
  • Adult care centers cannot receive reimbursement from both the CACFP and Title III of the Older Americans Act for the same meal.
  • Sites cannot receive reimbursement for meals served to ineligible adult participants and/or other adults (ex. employees, community members, etc.)
  • Agencies must spend all reimbursement received on allowable CACFP costs.

Join the CACFP

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For information on joining the CACFP, check out the Join the CACFP page.

New Staff to the CACFP

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For information for new CACFP staff, check out New Staff Responsible for CACFP.