Welcome To Karamu!
Welcome to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)! We are honored that you've chosen Karamu as your CACFP sponsor. Karamu’s Mission is to provide low-cost, high-quality services to our sponsored childcare providers and the children and families they serve. It is our sincere desire to make CACFP participation an enjoyable experience for you.

Below are a number of resources to help get you enrolled and participating on the CACFP. Section A provides some documents we'll need you to complete so we can get your facility approved for CACFP participation. If your Karamu representative has already completed your pre-operational sign-up visit, you can skip this section. Section B provides training resources that cover the fundamental requirements of the CACFP and section C provides the resources you need to claim meals for reimbursement. Please save this email and refer to it as needed. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 901.327.8401 or by e-mailing us at karamu@karamu.org. Thanks again!

Tony Corley
President || Director of Child Nutrition Programs
Karamu Nutrition Program Inc.
A. Pre-operational Documentation
The applications and forms provided here are used to get you started on the CACFP. Please be sure to download and carefully review the CACFP Agreement applicable to the state where you operate (Tennessee or Kentucky). Your Karamu representative will provide you instructions on which other forms to fill out in preparation for your pre-operational visit.
Kidkare / Minute Menu CACFP Management Software

Once you are officially approved for CACFP participation, you will receive access to Kidkare and Minute Menu - two software applications we provide free of charge to our sponsored facilities. Both applications provide you access to the same tools to manage your CACFP program. The primary difference is Kidkare is web based and runs on a variety of computer and mobile device while Minute Menu is a legacy desktop application which must be downloaded to a computer. We recommend you use Kidkare for maximum flexibility, but the application you use is entirely up to you. In fact, it isn't unusual for a provider to use both Kidkare and Minute Menu. For both applications, you will need to have reliable Internet access.

To access Kidkare, simply go to www.kidkare.com and log in with the username and password provided to you by your Karamu representative. To access and download Minute Menu, click here and then follow the instructions under the "Install Minute Menu CX" headline. Your login credentials for Minute Menu are the same as your Kidkare credentials.
B. Pre-operational Training Videos and Resources
The training videos, manuals, and handouts provided here will familiarize you with a few of the basic rules and regulations of the CACFP. We suggest you watch the videos and be sure to view the handouts and manuals. There are also several forms and posters provided that you will need to participate on the CACFP so please be sure to save this e-mail or bookmark this page for future reference.
CACFP Overview
1 Start here for an overview of the CACFP. (3:08)
2 The CACFP Reimbursement Process for Childcare Centers (10:21)
CACFP Meal Pattern Requirements
3 CACFP Meal Pattern Requirements for Children 12 months of age and older. (3:15)
5 Whole Grain Rich Grains Requirements
(2:28)
4 CACFP Meal Pattern requirements for Infants 0 through 11 months of age (6:26)
6 Ounce Equivalents Grain Serving Sizes
(9:04)
CACFP Attendance, Meal Counts, Key Documents
5 CACFP Attendance and Meal Counts for Childcare Centers (5:09)
6 CACFP Child Enrollments and Income Eligibility Applications (5:04)
CACFP Claim Review
7 CACFP Claim Edit Check Procedure for Childcare Centers (5:30)
Recordkeeping
8 CACFP Recordkeeping Requirements
(2:49)
9 Managing CACFP Purchase Receipts
(4:08)
Civil Rights
10 CACFP Civil Rights Requirements
(2:19)
C. CACFP Operational Procedures
Now that you are trained and approved for participation, let's get started claiming! Follow the instructions below each day that you claim meals on the CACFP. At the end of the claim month, be sure to submit your claim to us (along with all required supporting documents) before the 3rd day of the month following the claim month. If you have any questions at all during the month, please feel free to reach out to us at any time.
Step 1 of 4
Print & Post Your Children's Menus
Select the children's menus you will use for the month. You can create your own menus from scratch directly in Kidkare or Minute Menu (see video) or select from our pre-approved cycle menus provided below.

Cycle menus 1A, 2A, 3 and 4 can be used even if you are approved to serve more than one snack each day or approved to serve both lunch and supper.
Kids lunch box with cute cat sandwich_ muffin and mouse made from boiled egg. Back to school breakfast background - lunch box_ bottle of orange juice and banana. Top view. Copy space
Instructions For Completing Your Daily Menus

  • Print your menus and post them in a public area where parents can see them. (You must post a copy of your menus even if you claim and submit your menus online)

  • Prepare and serve meals in accordance with your posted menus. If you use one of our cycle menus and serve a substitute food item, your posted menus must be updated at the time of meal service to show the substituted items. If you complete your menus online, the online menus must be updated also to reflect the substitution.

  • At the end of the month, enter and submit your menus in Kidkare / Minute Menu or send your completed menus to us via e-mail, fax, Dropbox, or uploading to our online claim certification tool along with your receipts.

Note: See video below for instructions on entering your children's menus into Kidkare. Minute Menu users, click here for instructions on entering your children's menus into Minute Menu.
Recipe Sources

Note: When you serve a dish that can satisfy more than one component of the meal pattern requirement, you must submit a copy of the recipe with your monthly claim documents.
Step 2 of 4
Print & Post Your Attendance & Meal Count Worksheet
You can print your attendance & meal count worksheet from either Minute Menu or Kidkare by following the instructions provided here.
Printing Monthly Attendance & Meal Count from Minute Menu

  • Log into your Minute Menu account

  • From the Reports menu at the top of the page, select Attendance and then select Weekly Attendance & Meal Count Report

  • In the date drop-down box, select the first day of the claim month you are preparing for. For example, for the January 2022 claim, you would select January 1st, 2022.

  • Select "entire month".

  • Click on the Run Report button to download a PDF copy of the Attendance & Meal Count Form. Print a copy.
Printing Monthly Attendance & Meal Count from Kidkare


  • Click on Reports on the left side of the page.

  • In the "Select Category" drop-down box, select Meals and Attendance

  • In the "Select A Report" drop-down box select Weekly Attendance + Meal Count Report

  • In the date drop-down box, select the first day of the claim month you are preparing for. For example, for the January 2022 claim, you would select January 1st, 2022.

  • In the "single week" drop-down box, select "entire month".

  • Click on the Run button to download a PDF copy of the Attendance & Meal Count Form. Print a copy.
Instructions For Completing Your Daily Attendance

  • The attendance & meal count form must be updated at the time of meal service whether you enter it directly online or choose to record it on paper first and enter it into the computer later. Failure to have documented attendance & meal count at the time of meal service (whether on paper or online) is grounds for meals to be disallowed.

  • Even though you are claiming online, it is a best practice to document your attendance & meal count on paper first and then enter it into Kidkare or Minute Menu on a regular basis throughout the claim month. By doing this, you will have documented time-of-service attendance & meal count even if your computer is not accessible.

  • NOTE: If you prefer not to complete your attendance and meal count on paper prior to entering online, that's perfectly ok; just be sure you update your attendance & meal count in Kidkare or Minute Menu at the time of meal service in accordance with CACFP regulations. We recommend you consider using Kidkare (instead of Minute Menu) to record your attendance and meal count since Kidkare is web based and can be accessed by multiple teachers simultaneously using a computer, laptop, or mobile device. This makes it very easy to update your claim at the time of meal service - especially for larger centers with multiple classrooms.
Step 3 of 4
Print & Post Your Infant Menus
Serving Infants
If you are serving infants, you can create your own infant menus from scratch by printing out a copy of our Do it Yourself Infant Menu Template or you can create your own infant menus directly in Kidkare (see video), or you can choose to use the Pre-approved Infant Cycle Menu provided here. (Click link to download)
Instructions For Completing the Infant Menu

  • At the top of each menu page, enter the names, ages, and infant formula brand served for each infant. If an infant is served mother's breast milk, write "breast milk" instead of a formula brand.

  • Post your infant menus in a public area where parents can see them. (You must post a copy of your menus even if you claim and submit your menus online)

  • Prepare and serve meals in accordance with your posted menus. If you use our infant cycle menu and serve a substitute food item, your posted menus must be updated at the time of meal service to show the substituted items. If you complete your infant menus online, the online menus must be updated also.

  • At the end of the month, enter and submit your infant menus in Kidkare / Minute Menu or send your completed infant menus to us via e-mail, fax, Dropbox, or uploading to our online claim certification tool along with your receipts.

Note: See video below for instructions on entering your infant menus into Kidkare. Minute Menu users, click here for instructions on entering your infant menus into Minute Menu.
Forms and Other Resources for Feeding Infants
bottle of milk and jar of porridge - baby food
Step 4 of 4
Submit Your Monthly Claim To Karamu By The 3rd
You must submit your claim for reimbursement by the 3rd day of the month following the close of the claim month. For example, your January claim is due by February 3rd. An e-mail reminder to submit your claim on time is normally sent on the last working day of the month.
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