7 CFR § 226.19 - Outside-school-hours care center provisions.

§ 226.19 Outside-school-hours care center provisions.

(a) Outside-school-hours care centers may participate in the Program either as independent centers or under the auspices of a sponsoring organization; Provided, however, That public and private nonprofit centers shall not be eligible to participate in the Program under the auspices of a for-profit sponsoring organization. Outside-school-hours care centers participating as independent centers shall comply with the provisions of § 226.15.

(b) All outside-school-hours care centers, independent or sponsored, shall meet the following requirements:

(1) In accordance with § 226.6(d)(1), if Federal, State or local licensing or approval is not otherwise required, outside-school-hours care centers must meet State or local health and safety standards. When State or local health and safety standards have not been established, State agencies are encouraged to work with appropriate State and local officials to create such standards. Meeting these standards will remain a precondition for any outside-school-hours care center's eligibility for CACFP nutrition benefits. In cases where Federal, State or local licensing or approval is required, outside-school-hours care centers that are complying with applicable procedures to renew licensing or approval may participate in the Program during the renewal process, unless the State agency has information that indicates the renewal will be denied.

(2) Except for for-profit centers, outside-school-hours care centers shall be public, or have tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

(3) Nonresidential public or private nonprofit schools which provide organized child care programs for school children may participate in the Program as outside-school-hours care centers if:

(i) Children participate in a regularly scheduled program that meets the criteria of paragraph (b)(1) of this section. The program is organized for the purpose of providing services to children and is distinct from any extracurricular programs organized primarily for scholastic, cultural, or athletic purposes; and

(ii) Separate Program records are maintained.

(4) Outside-school-hours care centers shall be eligible to serve one or more of the following meal types: breakfasts, snacks and suppers. In addition, outside-school-hours care centers shall be eligible to serve lunches to enrolled children during periods of school vacation, including weekends and holidays, and to children attending schools which do not offer a lunch program. Notwithstanding the eligibility of outside-school-hours care centers to serve Program meals to children on school vacation, including holidays and weekends, such centers shall not operate under the Program on weekends only.

(5) Each outside-school-hours care center participating in the Program shall claim only the meal types specified in its approved application and served in compliance with the meal pattern requirements of § 226.20. Reimbursement may not be claimed for more than two meals and one snack provided daily to each child or for meals served to children at any one time in excess of authorized capacity. For-profit centers may not claim reimbursement for meals served to children in any month in which less than 25 percent of the children in care (enrolled or licensed capacity, whichever is less) were eligible for free or reduced price meals or were title XX beneficiaries.

(6) Each outside-school-hours care center must require key operational staff, as defined by the State agency, to attend Program training prior to the center's participation in the Program, and at least annually thereafter, on content areas established by the State agency. Each meal service must be supervised by an adequate number of operational personnel who have been trained in Program requirements as outlined in this section. Operational personnel must ensure that:

(i) Meals are served only to children and to adults who perform necessary food service labor;

(ii) Meals served to children meet the meal pattern requirements specified in § 226.20;

(iii) Meals served are consumed on the premises of the centers;

(iv) Accurate records are maintained; and

(v) The number of meals prepared or ordered is promptly adjusted on the basis of participation trends.

(7) Each outside-school-hours care center shall accurately maintain the following records:

(i) Information used to determine eligibility for free or reduced price meals in accordance with § 226.23(e)(1);

(ii) Number of meals prepared or delivered for each meal service;

(iii) Daily menu records for each meal service;

(iv) Number of meals served to children at each meal service;

(v) Number of children in attendance during each meal service;

(vi) Number of meals served to adults performing necessary food service labor for each meal service; and

(vii) All other records required by the State agency financial management system.

(8) An outside-school-hours care center may utilize existing school food service facilities or obtain meals from a school food service facility, and the pertinent requirements of this part shall be embodied in a written agreement between the outside-school-hours care center and the school. The center shall maintain responsibility for all Program requirements set forth in this part.

(c) Each outside-school-hours care center shall comply with the recordkeeping requirements established in § 226.10(d), in paragraph (b) of this section and, if applicable, in § 226.15(e). Failure to maintain such records shall be grounds for the denial of reimbursement.

(d) Unaffiliated sponsored outside-school-hours-care centers must enter into a written permanent agreement with the sponsoring organization. The agreement must specify the rights and responsibilities of both parties. At a minimum, the agreement must include the provisions set forth in paragraph (b) of this section.

(e) Independent outside-school-hours care centers must enter into a written permanent agreement with the State agency. The agreement must specify the rights and responsibilities of both parties as required by § 226.6(b)(4). At a minimum, the agreement must include the provisions described in paragraph (b) of this section.

[47 FR 36527, Aug. 20, 1982, as amended at 52 FR 36907, Oct. 2, 1987; 54 FR 26724, June 26, 1989; Amdt. 22, 55 FR 1378, Jan. 14, 1990; 56 FR 58175, Nov. 16, 1991; 61 FR 25554, May 22, 1996; 62 FR 23619, May 1, 1997; 64 FR 72261, Dec. 27, 1999; 67 FR 43493, June 27, 2002; 69 FR 53546, Sept. 1, 2004; 70 FR 43262, July 27, 2005; 72 FR 41603, 41610, July 31, 2007; 88 FR 57857, Aug. 23, 2023]