REIMBURSEMENT RATES
JULY 1, 2005 - JUNE 30, 2006

$.63

Per snack per child per day.
All snacks claimed for reimbursement must follow the meal pattern and besupported by the required records.

Recordkeeping

Menu/Meal Count Record

Monthly menu/meal count on DSS Form 1674-2 with all components and quantitiesserved. Number of snacks served recorded daily.

Attendance Records

Record of all children present for afterschool program.

Receipts for Food and nonfood Costs

Itemized receipts, invoices, purchase orders, payroll, cancelled checks and bankstatements.

Additional Information

• Independent centers and sponsors or centers are reviewed at least once every four (4) years.
• Reviews of sponsors include reviews of 15 percent of their child care centers.
• Reviews are conducted for newly participating sponsoring organizations with five (5) or more child care facilities within the first 90 days of Program operations.

In addition to the administrative reviews, a technical assistance visit will be conducted by the ARASP staff within 90 days of approval to participate in the afterschool snack program.

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Q & A

ELIGIBLE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS

1. What programs are eligible to participate in ARASP?
    
   Under SCDSS, public or private nonprofit organizations (including a school), for-profit organizations, outside-school-hours care centers (OSHCC's), charter schools, residential child care institutions and juvenile detention centers which operate afterschool programs can participate in the afterschool snack program.
    
2. What are the approval criteria for afterschool care programs?
    
   Public or private nonprofit, OSHCC's, including traditional childcare centers, must:
    
   1. provide children with regularly scheduled activities in an organized, structured and supervised environment.
      
   2. include educational or enrichment activities.
       
   3. be located in a geographical area served by a school in which 50 percent or more of the children enrolled are eligible for free or reduced price school meals. Family Nutrition Programs (FNP) receives free and reduced price enrollment data on an annual basis and any program needing school data for purposes of qualifying for the afterschool snack program may contact our office.

   For-profit sites, including traditional child care centers, must:
    

   1. provide children with regularly scheduled activities in an organized, structured and supervised environment.
       
   2. include educational or enrichment activities.
       
   3. be located in a geographical area served by a school in which 50 percent or more of the children enrolled are eligible for free or reduced price school meals. Family Nutrition Programs (FNP) receives free and reduced price enrollment data on an annual basis and any program needing school data for purposes of qualifying for the afterschool snack program may contact our office.
       
   4. provide nonresidential child care services and receive reimbursement as an ABC Voucher center from the ABC Voucher Program administered by the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS). The site's enrollment or licensed capacity must be at least 25% ABC Voucher children during each month claimed for reimbursement.

   Charter Schools must:
    

   1. meet the definition of "school" as cited in Federal Regulation 210.2.
       
   2. meet the approval criteria for afterschool care programs as listed above.

   Residential Child Care Institutions and Juvenile Detention Centers must:
    

   1. participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast program (SBP).
       
   2. operate an afterschool care program with enrichment or educational activities.
       
3. Are there any afterschool care programs that may not be approved?
   
   Yes. Organized athletic programs engaged in interscholastic or community level competitive sports only (i.e., youth recreational leagues such as "Dixie Youth" and "Little League" baseball, football, community soccer and area swim teams) may not be approved. However, afterschool care programs which include supervised athletic activity may participate provided that they are "open to all" and do not limit membership for reasons other than space, security, and where applicable, licensing requirements. For example, an afterschool police athletic league program that uses sports and recreational activities to provide constructive opportunities for community youth could be approved to participate in the afterschool snack program.
    
4. Does the "open to all" criterion apply to programs other than interscholastic sports programs?
    
   No. Afterschool care programs that are designed to accommodate special needs or that have other limiting factors may be eligible to participate. They may include, but are not limited to, programs targeted to children who have learning disabilities or programs for children who are academically gifted.
    
5. Is licensing required for an afterschool program? 
    
   Eligible afterschool centers do not need to be licensed in order to participate. However, sites must meet local health and safety standards such as having health and fire inspections performed. Existing afterschool care programs that have not had a meal service as part of their program in the past should check with local health department officials to determine whether any additional requirements apply as a result of the service of an afterschool snack.
    
6. Are programs that operate on weekends eligible for reimbursement?
    
   Under the afterschool snack program, snacks may be reimbursed if they are served on weekends or holidays including vacation periods (e.g., Spring break) during the regular school year only. 
    
7. Are programs that operate during the summer vacation eligible for reimbursement?
    
   Afterschool snacks may not be claimed for reimbursement during summer vacation. Organizations that wish to operate programs during the summer when school is not in session may receive reimbursement for meals and snacks through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) administered by the SCDSS Family Nutrition Programs office. In areas where schools operate on a year-round basis (i.e., the regularly scheduled school year is year-round) afterschool programs may receive reimbursement for snacks all year to the extent these programs are set up to serve "on-track" children.
    
8. Must a school receiving reimbursement for afterschool snacks "manage" the day-to-day activities of the afterschool care program?
    
   No. The afterschool care program must be sponsored or operated by a school or school district. The school or school district does not have to carry out the day to day management of the program. A school or school district may contract with another organization to manage the afterschool program on its behalf. However, the school food authority must retain administrative and fiscal responsibility for the snack service. Furthermore, the school food authority must be the party that enters into the agreement with the SCDSS and must assume responsibility for meeting all snack service requirements including ensuring that snacks are served in eligible sites.
    
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ELIGIBLE CHILDREN

1. Are afterschool snack reimbursements restricted to children ages 13-18?
    
   No. Reimbursement may be claimed for snacks served to all children through the age of 18 in eligible afterschool care programs. Reimbursement may also be claimed for those children who turn age 19 during the school year.
    
2. Are afterschool care programs eligible to receive reimbursement for snacks served to preprimary children?
    
   Snacks served to children who are attending classes of preprimary grade in a school (e.g., Head Start, Even Start, or First Steps) and who are participating in an eligible afterschool care program after their regularly scheduled school program may be claimed for reimbursement.
    
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REIMBURSEMENT

1. What are the reimbursement rates for snacks served in afterschool care programs?
    
   Currently, the afterschool snacks are reimbursed at the free rate of .58 cents per snack per child. The reimbursement rates are adjusted annually every July 1. 
    
2. Can afterschool care programs that have been charging participants for snacks receive reimbursement for those snacks?
    
   In order to receive reimbursement for afterschool snacks in any month claimed for reimbursement, the afterschool program cannot charge participants for snacks. If participants have been charged, reimbursement may be provided only if each household is provided with a refund.
    
3. How is reimbursement determined when a school receives children from other schools for the afterschool snack program?
    
   For area eligible afterschool care program sites, reimbursement is based on the area eligibility of the site regardless of which schools the children attend.
    
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Residential Child Care Institutions

1. When determining the reimbursement status of residential child care institutions, should SCDSS consider the percentage of free and reduced price children enrolled in the institution or the percentage of free and reduced price children enrolled in the local public school?
    
   As schools, residential child care institutions will routinely receive free reimbursement for all snacks based on the fact that more than 50 percent of the enrolled children are eligible for free or reduced price school meals. In the unlikely event that a residential child care institution cannot qualify for the free rate for all snacks based on its enrollment, the residential child care institution could still qualify by using enrollment data from a school serving the area in which the institution is located. 
    
2. Can preschool children enrolled in a residential child care institution's afterschool care program have reimbursable snacks?
    
   Yes, just as in any other school.
    
3. Can a residential child care institution claim reimbursement for a snack served to a child who did not attend school that day (e.g., the child was ill)?
    
   It would depend on whether the child is participating in an approved afterschool care program on that day. If the child is participating in the approved afterschool care activity it doesn't matter that he may not have been in school. As with other schools, there is no requirement or expectation for tracking whether or not the child actually attended school on any given day.
    
4. If the afterschool care activities occur late in the afternoon and coincide with the evening meal service, may the residential child care institution claim that meal as a snack?
    
   No. The residential child care institution must serve the afterschool snack as an additional offering at some other time during the afternoon or evening in order to receive reimbursement. The snack can be served either before or after the supper.
    
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AREA ELIGIBILITY FOR REIMBURSEMENT PURPOSES

1. If a school district has mandated busing of students, can free and reduced price school data be used to determine a site's area eligibility?
    
   Yes. An afterschool care program located in an area which has mandated busing of students should use free and reduced price school data from the individual school building (elementary, middle, or high school) in whose attendance area the afterschool site is located. 
    
2. If schools have unassigned attendance areas (i.e., parents can choose where to send their children from among several schools) what data should be used to determine a site's area eligibility?
    
   In districts with unassigned school attendance areas the afterschool care programs located in school buildings should use the free and reduced price enrollment data from that particular school for purposes of determining area eligibility.
    
3. Is there a particular month of school data that must be used?
    
   Data for the NSLP as administered by the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDED) collected in the most current month October must be used to establish a site as area eligible. For example, if a site applies for area eligibility in August 1999, the most current October data would be October 1998. If a site applies for area eligibility in December 1999, the most current October data would be October 1999.
    
4. How long is a determination of a site's area eligibility valid?
    
   A site's area eligibility determination is valid for three years from the beginning of the month in which the determination was made. For example, a determination of a particular site's area eligibility made on April 20, 1999 is valid for snacks served from April 1999 through March 2002.
    
5. May afterschool care programs use private school free and reduced price enrollment data to qualify as area eligible sites?
    
   If an afterschool care program site is located in a private school, that site may use the free and reduced price enrollment data for that private school. Or the site may use the free and reduced price enrollment data for the public school in whose attendance areas the private school is located to qualify as an area eligible site. However, since most private schools do not have defined attendance areas a public school may not use a private school's free and reduced price enrollment data for purposes of determining area eligibility unless the public school's afterschool care program is actually located in the private school.
    
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APPLICATIONS/AGREEMENTS

1. How do interested schools and organizations participate in the afterschool snack program?
    
   An interested organization must contact the SCDSS Family Nutrition Programs office to obtain information concerning the afterschool orientation and training sessions. Attendance at a training session is mandatory prior to receiving an application package. 
    
2. For a school or organization that is already participating in CACFP and now wants to provide afterschool snacks, does its agreement with the State agency need to be amended? 
    
   Yes. The school or organization must complete a new application packet for the After- school Snack Program with the SCDSS Family Nutrition Programs office. The new application will reflect the requirements to participate in the at-risk afterschool snack program.
    
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MEAL SERVICE REQUIREMENTS

1. Are point of service meal counts and production records required?
    
   Meal counts taken at the point of service are required for afterschool snack programs. Each site must maintain a roster or sign-in sheet which documents the children attending the afterschool care program. Accurate meal count records and attendance records must be maintained but production records are not required. SCDSS has a Menu and Meal Count form to record the type of snack served, the serving size and the total number of children served. Documentation of compliance with the meal pattern is required. ABC Voucher providers must maintain the Master Roster, attendance record and the ABC Voucher remittance advice as well as the Menu and Meal Count form.
    
2. Must a certain amount of time elapse between meal services when schools or organizations operate other nutrition programs in addition to afterschool snacks?
    
   There are no time restrictions for snack service except for centers that serve meals and/or snacks as outside-school-hours care centers and at-risk afterschool centers.
    
3. Is there any length of time tied into the conclusion of school and the service of a snack? 
    
   No. There is no State or Federal mandated time limit between the end of school and snack time. The service of a snack must occur during the operation of the afterschool care program.
    
4. Is there a particular time of day that afterschool care centers must serve snacks during weekends and holidays?
    
   No. Snacks served on weekends or holidays may be served at any time of day. 
    
5. Is there an offer versus serve option for afterschool snacks?
    
   No. There are four required components in the snack meal pattern. The afterschool program must serve at least two of the required four components to each child (see attached meal pattern).
    
6. May USDA commodities be used in snacks? 
    
   Yes. Afterschool care programs may use USDA commodities in their afterschool snack service. Please note: The school or organization will not earn additional entitlement commodities as a result of serving afterschool snacks. The amount of entitlement commodities earned will continue to be based solely upon the number of reimbursable lunches (and suppers, if applicable) served to children.
    
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MONITORING REQUIREMENTS

1. What are the monitoring requirements for sponsors receiving reimbursement for snacks in the at-risk afterschool program?
    
   Sponsors of sites participating as afterschool care centers must review their sites at least three (3) times each year. At least one of these reviews must be made during the site's first four (4) weeks of program operations and not more than three (3) months may elapse between reviews. These reviews must assess each site's compliance with counting and claiming procedures and the snack meal pattern.
    
2. What are the SCDSS Family Nutrition Programs administrative review requirements for participating organizations?
    
   Afterschool care programs are considered to be childcare centers and will be reviewed annually as a part of the 33.3 percent annual requirement of all institutions. Administrative reviews are conducted to ensure that participating organizations are operating eligible afterschool care programs (i.e., programs that provide children with regularly scheduled activities in an organized, structured, and supervised environment), serving creditable snacks, and maintaining the required records. Administrative reviews for afterschool programs will be conducted as follows:
    
   • Independent centers and sponsors of centers are reviewed at least once every four (4) years.
   • Reviews of sponsors include reviews of 15 percent of their child care centers.
   • Reviews are conducted for newly participating sponsoring organizations with five (5) or more child care facilities within the first 90 days of Program operations.

   In addition to the administrative reviews, a technical assistance visit will be conducted by the ARASP staff within 90 days of approval to participate in the afterschool snack program.