Resolve, To Enhance the Administration of the Child and Adult Care Food Program by Creating Clear Guidelines for Organizations and Streamlining the Application Process

Whereas,  the Child and Adult Care Food Program is a federally funded nutrition program within the United States Department of Agriculture that is administered in the State by the bureau of child and family services within the Department of Health and Human Services; and

Whereas,  the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program provides reimbursement for nutritious meals and snacks served to eligible infants and children in qualifying child care centers, family day care homes, emergency shelters and after-school care programs for at-risk students and to eligible adults receiving care in qualifying nonresidential adult day care centers; and

Whereas,  in order to provide such services and receive reimbursement, qualifying care facilities must complete lengthy applications and comply with numerous requirements, prohibitions and guidelines; and

Whereas,  certain facilities encounter difficulty navigating the application process and meeting the requirements, thus reducing the number of facilities that qualify to provide these critical services; now, therefore, be it:

Sec. 1. Review and revise application; guidelines. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services shall review the application and reapplication procedures and forms required for an organization to apply to participate in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program and shall:

1. Streamline the application and reapplication forms;

2. Provide access to the forms through the department's publicly accessible website; and

3. Enable online completion and submission of all forms required for an organization to participate in the program, including but not limited to the application and reapplication forms.

Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

summary

This resolve requires the Department of Health and Human Services to review the application and reapplication procedures and forms required for an organization to apply to participate in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program, and it directs the department to streamline the application and reapplication forms; provide access to the forms through the department's publicly accessible website; and enable online completion and submission of all forms required for an organization to participate in the program, including but not limited to the application and reapplication forms.