New Income Eligibility Guidelines Set for New York State's Child and Adult Care Food Program
ALBANY, N.Y. (September 22, 2015) - The New York State Department of Health has updated its income eligibility guidelines for children receiving meals through New York's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
CACFP is funded through the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and continues New York's commitment to promote the health and well-being of its residents. All children and adults who attend programs that participate in CACFP receive the same meals at no separate charge. The program prohibits any discriminatory action because of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability against any child or adult attending a CACFP-participating program.
"The CACFP program aligns perfectly with the goals of the Department of Health, which seeks to promote the health of all New Yorkers," said Commissioner of Health Dr. Howard Zucker, MD, JD. "With the support of the federal government, we are able to provide nutritious meals to children and adults who may not otherwise enjoy healthy and nutritious food."
In 2014, New York received more than $231.8 million in federal USDA funds for this program. More than 1,400 sponsoring organizations representing 14,000 licensed or registered center-based or family day care sites participate in CACFP statewide. On average, day care providers serve approximately 590,000 meals to children and adults at CACFP-participating facilities in New York State each day.
Participating programs include:
- Child care centers, including Head Start centers and outside school hours programs serving children up to 12 years of age;
- Community-based adult day care centersthat are approved by federal, state or local authorities to provide day care services to adults with disabilities;
- After-school programsproviding educational or enrichment programming for children up to 19 years of age;
- Homeless sheltersproviding meals to children living with a parent or guardian; and
- Family day care programsincluding licensed, registered and legally exempt home-based caregivers serving children up to 12 years of age.
The level of support for free or reduced-price meals is based on household income as follows:
Income Eligibility Guidelines for Center-based Care
| Household Size | Family income equals or is below: | Family income is between: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Meals | Reduced Meals | |||||
| Year | Month | Week | Year | Month | Week | |
| 1 | 15,301 | 1,276 | 295 | 15,301-21,775 | 1,276-1,815 | 295-419 |
| 2 | 20,709 | 1,726 | 399 | 20,709-29,471 | 1,726-2,456 | 399-567 |
| 3 | 26,117 | 2,177 | 503 | 26,117-37,167 | 2,177-3,098 | 503-715 |
| 4 | 31,525 | 2,628 | 607 | 31,525-44,863 | 2,628-3,739 | 607-863 |
| 5 | 36,933 | 3,078 | 711 | 36,933-52,559 | 3,078-4,380 | 711-1,011 |
| 6 | 42,341 | 3,519 | 815 | 42,341-60,255 | 3,519-5,022 | 815-1,159 |
| 7 | 47,749 | 3,980 | 919 | 47,749-67,951 | 3,980-5,663 | 919-1,307 |
| 8 | 53,157 | 4,430 | 1,023 | 53,157-75,647 | 4,430-6,304 | 1,023-1,455 |
| For each additional family member | +5,408 | +451 | +104 | +7,696 | +642 | +148 |
A list of sponsoring organizations and participating programs may be obtained by contacting the New York State Department of Health at 1-800-942-3858.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.)
If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form , found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.
Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish).
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
