Child and Adult Care Food Program; Improving Management and Program Integrity

This interim rule incorporates in the Child and Adult Care Food Program regulations the changes proposed by the Department in a rulemaking published on September 12, 2000. These changes result from the findings of State and Federal Program reviews; from audits and investigations conducted by the Office of Inspector General; and from amendments to the Richard B. Russell National School Act enacted in the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act of 1994, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act of 1996, and the William F. Goodling Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998. This rule revises State agency criteria for approving and renewing institution applications; certain State- and sponsor-level monitoring requirements; and Program training and other operating requirements. Additional statutory changes resulting from enactment of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 and the Grain Standards and Warehouse Improvement Act of 2000 were addressed in a separate interim rule published on June 27, 2002. The changes in this interim rule are primarily designed to improve Program operations and monitoring at the State and institution levels and, where possible, to streamline and simplify Program requirements for State agencies and institutions.