Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2006/01/03/05-24683/child-and-adult-care-food-program-age-limits-for-children-receiving-meals-in-emergency-shelters
Timestamp: 2018-08-21 22:29:21
Document Index: 132574154

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Federal Register :: Child and Adult Care Food Program: Age Limits for Children Receiving Meals in Emergency Shelters
A Rule by the Food and Nutrition Service on 01/03/2006
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/05-24683 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/05-24683
Fax: Submit comments by facsimile transmission to: (703) 305-2879. Please address your comments to Mr. Eadie and identify your comments as “CACFP: Age Limits for Children in Emergency Shelters”.
E-Mail: Send comments to CNDProposal@fns.usda.gov. Please identify your comments as “CACFP: Age Limits for Children in Emergency Shelters”.
Keith Churchill, at telephone number (703) 305-2590.
In 2002, FNS added a definition of Emergency shelter to § 226.2 of the CACFP regulations. This definition was included in an interim rule entitled, “Implementing Legislative Reforms to Strengthen Program Integrity”, published in the Federal Register on June 27, 2002 (67 FR 43448). Based on this definition, a public or private nonprofit organization qualifies as an emergency shelter for purposes of Program participation if its primary purpose is to provide temporary housing and food services to homeless families with children. No comments were received on this definition.
A provision of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-265) extended the age limit, from 12 to 18, for residents of emergency shelters to be eligible to receive CACFP meals. Specifically, section 119(g) of Public Law 108-265 amended section 17(t)(5)(A) of the NSLA to remove the age limitations on residents of emergency shelters (15 years for children of migrant workers and 12 years for all other children) and extend the age limit for all children not more than 18 years. This provision was effective on October 1, 2004, pursuant to Start Printed Page 2section 502(b)(2) of Public Law 108-265.
This interim rule revises the definition of Children in § 226.2 of the CACFP regulations to specify that eligible participants in emergency shelters includes residents through age 18 and residents of any age with disabilities as defined by the State agency.
Yes. This interim rule revises the definition of Emergency shelter at § 226.2 of the CACFP regulations to:
The addition of the word “site” revises the current definition of emergency shelter to clarify the eligibility of emergency shelter sites, as mandated by section 17(t)(1)(B) of the NSLA (42 U.S.C.1766(t)(1)(B)). This revision codifies current policy. Sites of emergency shelters meeting the definition of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act as codified at 42 U.S.C. 11351, have been eligible to participate in CACFP since 1999. Within current CACFP requirements, the private, nonprofit organization that is sponsoring an emergency shelter site must apply to participate in the CACFP as a sponsoring organization, subject to all of the provisions governing the participation of sponsoring organizations described throughout the CACFP regulations, especially in §§ 226.15 and 226.16. An example of this type of arrangement would be a multi-purpose private nonprofit organization, like The Salvation Army, which provides many community services including the sponsorship of an emergency shelter for homeless children. In this situation, The Salvation Army would need to apply to participate as a sponsoring organization of the emergency shelter facility.
RCCIs provide residential care and other services for children with specific needs, often on a long-term basis. RCCIs are designated as schools in section 12(d)(5) of the NSLA (42 U.S.C. 1760(d)(5)). For this reason, meal benefits for RCCI residents are provided through the school nutrition programs if the RCCI meets the definition of School in § 210.2 of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) regulations. Examples of RCCIs that may participate in the NSLP include homes for the mentally, emotionally or physically impaired, homes for unmarried mothers and their infants, halfway houses, orphanages, temporary shelters for abused and runaway children, long-term care facilities for chronically ill children, and juvenile detention centers.
Participating emergency shelters will benefit from the increased level of reimbursement received for meals served to children from ages 13 through 18. This change should help to make their operation of CACFP more efficient, while allowing them to serve more meals that would be eligible for reimbursement. In addition, emergency shelters and sites providing temporary shelter and food services to Start Printed Page 3unaccompanied homeless children will now be eligible to participate in CACFP.
Emergency shelters must ensure that they claim reimbursement only for meals that meet the requirements for meals in § 226.20, including the meal patterns for children and adult participants. To improve the nutrition and satisfy the hunger of adolescent boys and girls, emergency shelters may need to serve additional foods and larger portions to children ages 13 through 18. The CACFP reimbursement received by emergency shelters for these meals must be used exclusively to support the nonprofit food service programs operated for children.
In § 226.4, a new paragraph specifies that emergency shelters must be reimbursed at the free rates for meals and snacks served;
In § 226.6, paragraph (d) is revised to specify that emergency shelters are exempt from licensing or approval requirements for child care centers but must meet applicable State or local health and safety requirements (note: the exemption from licensing/approval and compliance with health and safety standards are mandated by the NSLA, 42 U.S.C. 1766(t)(3) and (4));
In §§ 226.7 and 226.9, emergency shelters and sponsoring organizations of emergency shelters are excluded from the requirement to submit information about participants' income or eligibility for free, reduced price, or paid meals that the State agency uses to assign reimbursement rates to centers;
In § 226.11, emergency shelters are included in the requirement that State agencies may only reimburse centers for meal types specified in the program agreement;
In § 226.15, emergency shelters are excluded from the requirements to submit enrollment information of participants and from the requirements of determining their eligibility for free, reduced price, or paid meals and snacks;
In § 226.16, emergency shelters are added to the list of facilities that may be subject to a separate agreement and are included in the list of centers that must receive program payments from the sponsoring organization within five working days of receipt; and
In § 226.23, revisions are made to clarify that institutions that elect not to charge separately for meals, such as emergency shelters and sponsoring organizations of emergency shelters, do not have to include the income eligibility guidelines in media releases advertising free Program meals.
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Public Law 104-4, establishes requirements for Federal agencies to assess the effects of their regulatory actions on State, local, and tribal governments, and on the private sector. Under section 202 of the UMRA, FNS generally prepares a written statement, including a cost-benefit analysis, for proposed and final rules with “Federal mandates” that may result in expenditures to State, local, or tribal governments, in the aggregate, or to the private sector, of $100 million or more in any one year. When such a statement is needed for a rule, section 205 of the UMRA generally requires FNS to identify and consider a reasonable number of regulatory alternatives and adopt the least costly, most cost-effective, or least burdensome alternative that achieves the objectives of the rule.
This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice Reform. This rule is intended to have a preemptive effect with respect to any State or local laws, regulations, or policies which conflict with its provisions, or which otherwise impede its full implementation. This rule does not have retroactive effect unless so Start Printed Page 4specified in the DATES section of this preamble. Prior to any judicial challenge to the provisions of this interim rule or the application of the provisions, all applicable administrative procedures must be exhausted. In CACFP, the administrative procedures are set forth at 7 CFR 226.6(k), which establishes appeal procedures; and 7 CFR 226.22 and 7 CFR 3016 and 3019, which address administrative appeal procedures for disputes involving procurement by State agencies and institutions.
FNS has reviewed this interim rule in accordance with the Department Regulation 4300-4, “Civil Rights Impact Analysis” to identify and address any major civil rights impacts the rule might have on minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. After a careful review of the rule's intent and provisions, FNS has determined that there is no negative effect on these groups. All data available to FNS indicate that protected individuals have the same opportunity to participate in CACFP as non-protected individuals. Regulations at § 226.6(b)(4) require that CACFP institutions agree to operate the program in compliance with applicable Federal civil rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and USDA's nondiscrimination regulations under 7 CFR parts 15, 15a, and 15b. At 7 CFR 226.6(m)(1), State agencies are required to monitor CACFP institution compliance with these laws and regulations.
a. Amend the definition of “CACFP child care standards” by removing the words “§ 226.6(d)(2) and (3)” and adding in their place the words “§ 226.6(d)(3) and (4)”;
b. Revise the definitions of “Center”, “Children”, and “Emergency shelter”;
c. Amend the definition of “Child care facility” by adding the words “emergency shelter,” after the words “day care home,”;
d. Amend the definition of “Free meal” by adding in the first sentence the phrase “or to a child who is receiving temporary housing and meal services from an approved emergency shelter;” after the phrase, “a child who is a Head Start participant;”; and
e. Amend the definition of “Independent center” by adding the words “emergency shelter,” after the words “child care center,”.
f. Revise the first sentence of the definition of “Sponsoring organization”;
Center means a child care center, an adult day care center, an emergency shelter, or an outside-school-hours care center.
(d) Persons with mental or physical handicaps, as defined by the State, which are enrolled in an institution or a child care facility or residing in an emergency shelter serving a majority of persons 18 years of age and under.
Sponsoring organization means a public or nonprofit private organization that is entirely responsible for the administration of the food program in: (a) One or more day care homes; (b) a child care center, emergency shelter, outside-school-hours care center, or adult day care center which is a legally distinct entity from the sponsoring organization; (c) two or more child care centers, emergency shelters, outside-school-hours care centers, or adult day care centers; or (d) any combination of child care centers, emergency shelters, adult day care centers, day care homes, and outside-school-hours care centers. * * *
3. In § 226.4:
b. Redesignate paragraphs (c) through (j) as paragraphs (d) through (k), respectively, and add a new paragraph (c); and
c. Revise the first sentence of newly redesignated paragraph (h)(2).
(a) Availability of funds. For each fiscal year based on funds provided to the Department, FNS must make funds available to each State agency to Start Printed Page 5reimburse institutions for their costs in connection with food service operations, including administrative expenses, under this part. Funds must be made available in an amount no less than the sum of the totals obtained under paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), and (i) of this section. However, in any fiscal year, the aggregate amount of assistance provided to a State under this part must not exceed the sum of the Federal funds provided by the State to participating institutions within the State for that fiscal year and any funds used by the State under paragraphs (i) and (k) of this section.
(c) Emergency shelter funds. For meals and snacks served to children in emergency shelters, funds will be made available to each State agency in an amount equal to the total calculated by multiplying the number of meals and snacks served in the Program within the State to such children by the national average payment rate for free meals and free snacks under section 11 of the National School Lunch Act.
(2) The rates for meals, including snacks, served in child care centers, emergency shelters, adult day care centers, and outside-school-hours care centers will be adjusted annually, on July 1, on the basis of changes in the series for food away from home of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Department of Labor. * * *
a. Revise the heading of paragraph (d) and add a new second sentence to the introductory text;
b. Redesignate paragraphs (d)(2) and (d)(3) as paragraphs (d)(3) and (d)(4), respectively, and add a new paragraph (d)(2); and
c. Amend newly redesignated (d)(3)(i) by removing the reference “(d)(3)” and adding in its place the reference “(d)(4)”.
(d) Licensing/approval for institutions or facilities providing child care. * * * Emergency shelters are exempt from licensing/approval requirements contained in this section but must meet the requirements of paragraph (d)(2) to be eligible to participate in the Program. * * *
(2) Health and safety requirements for emergency shelters. To be eligible to participate in the Program, emergency shelters must meet applicable State or local health and safety standards.
5. In § 226.7, revise paragraph (f) to read as follows:
(f) Rate assignment. Each State agency must require institutions (other than emergency shelters and sponsoring organizations of emergency shelters or day care homes) to submit, not less frequently than annually, information necessary to assign rates of reimbursement as outlined in § 226.9.
6. In § 226.8, remove the reference “§ 226.4(h)” in the first sentence of paragraph (b), the first sentence of paragraph (c), and the first and second sentences of paragraph (d), and add in its place the reference “§ 226.4(i)”.
7. In § 226.9:
(a) * * * However, only free rates for meals and snacks as described in § 226.4(i)(2) must be assigned for emergency shelters. * * *
(b) Except for emergency shelters, the State agency shall either:
(2) Establish claiming percentages, not less frequently than annually, for each institution on the basis of the number of enrolled participants eligible for free, reduced price, and paid meals. Children who only participate in emergency shelters must not be considered to be enrolled participants for the purpose of establishing claiming percentages; or
8. In § 226.11, amend the first sentence of paragraph (a) by adding the words “, emergency shelters,” after the words “adult day care centers”.
9. In § 226.15, revise the first two sentences of paragraph (e)(2) to read as follows:
(2) Documentation of the enrollment of each participant at centers (except for outside-school-hours care centers and emergency shelters). All types of centers, except for emergency shelters, must maintain information used to determine eligibility for free or reduced price meals in accordance with § 226.23(e)(1). * * *
10. In § 226.16:
a. Amend paragraph (f) by adding the words “emergency shelters,” after the words “adult day care centers,”; and
b. Amend the first sentence of paragraph (h) by adding the words “, emergency shelters,” after the words “adult day care centers”.
11. In § 226.23:
a. Revise the second sentence of paragraph (d); and
b. Amend the first sentence of paragraph (e)(1)(i) by adding the words “(other than emergency shelters)”“ after the word “institutions”.
(d) * * * All media releases issued by institutions, except for sponsoring organizations of day care homes, emergency shelters, and other institutions that elect not to charge separately for meals, shall include the Secretary's Income Eligibility Guidelines for Free and Reduced-Price Meals. * * *