Home » Services » Children's » CHILD Services » Services for Childcare Providers » Family Day Care Network » Infants

Infants

Meal Pattern Chart for Infants
Child and Adult Care Food Program
Meal Pattern For Infants

	Breakfast	Lunch/Supper	Snack
Infants Birth through 3 months	4 to 6 fluid ounces (fl oz) breast milk (1, 2) or formula (3)	4 to 6 fl oz breast milk (1, 2) or formula (3)	4 to 6 fl oz breast milk (1, 2) or formula (3)
Infants 4 months through 7 months	4 to 8 fl oz. breast milk (1, 2) or formula (3) 0-3 tablespoons (Tbsp.) infant cereal (3, 4)	4 to 8 fl oz. breast milk (1, 2) or formula (3) 0-3 Tbsp. infant cereal (3, 4) 0-3 Tbsp. fruit and/or vegetable (4)	4-6 fl oz. breast milk (1, 2) or formula (3)
Infants 8 months through 12 months	6 to 8 fl oz. breast milk (1, 2) or (IFIF) formula (2) 2-4 Tbsp. Iron Fortified Infant Cereal 1-4 Tbsp. fruit and/or vegtable	6 to 8 oz. breast milk (1, 2) or (IFIF) formula (2) 2-4 Tbsp. (IFIC) infant cereal and/or 1-4 Tbsp. meat, fish, poultry, egg yolk or cooked dry beans or peas or 1/2-2 oz. cheese or 1-4 oz. cottage cheese or 1-4 oz.cheese food, or cheese spread (6) 1-4 Tbsp. fruit and/or vegtable	2 to 4 fl oz. breast milk (1, 2) or (IFIF) formula or 100% fruit juice (4) 0-1/2 slice bread or 0-2 crackers (3)

It is recommended that breast milk be served in place of formula from birth through 11 months.

For some breastfed infants who regularly consume less than the minimum of breast milk per feeding, a serving of less than the minimum amount of breast milk may be offered, with additional breast milk offered if the infant is still hungry.

Infant formula and dry infant cereal shall be iron-fortified.

A serving of this component shall be optional.

A serving of this component must be made from whole-grain or enriched meal or flour.

At least one of these items must be served for lunch and supper

Fruit juice must be full-strength and may be served in place of formula or breastmilk to children ages 8 through 11 months of age for snack only.

Questions and Answers in the CACFP

Q. What is the definition of an infant in the CACFP?
A. We interpret an infant to be a child who has not had his/her first birthday.

Q. What is the obligation to offer formula at my facility?
A. Under the infant meal pattern, infant formula is a required component and, as such, must always be offered by the facility unless breast milk provided by the mother is served in its place.

Q. Am I required to meet the unique formula needs of every infant in my center/home?
A. No. While we urge facilities to make every effort to satisfy the unique formula needs of each infant with a formula, which meets Program requirements, we recognize that this may not always be practical due to operational and fiscal constraints.

Q. If a parent declines to use the formula offered at my facility and chooses to provide his/her own choice of formula for the infant may the meal be claimed for reimbursement?
A. Yes. Parent provided formula meals are now reimbursable if the provider prepares and serves it.

Q. Can breastmilk be served and claimed for reimbursement if no other menu components are supplied?
A. Yes. Meals containing breastmilk only are reimbursable provided that there are no other required menu components for the infant.

Q. If a mother comes to the day care home or center to nurse her infant, is the meal reimbursable?
A. No. Although we strongly support all efforts for mothers to breastfeed their infants, we believe that the caregiver must provide some type of service in order to be reimbursed for a meal. In the case of breastfed infants, CACFP reimburses the facility for the cost of preparing the bottle and feeding the infant. When a parent nurses her own child, the services for which the center or the provider would receive reimbursement are not being performed.

However, the meal would be reimbursable for infants over 3 months of age who are developmentally ready for solid foods, if at least one other component is supplied by the center or provider.

Q. If a day care home provider breastfeeds her own infant, is the meal eligible for reimbursement?
A. Yes, a day care provider who nurses her own infant may claim reimbursement for the meal as long as she is eligible to claim reimbursement for meals and snacks served to her own child. In this case, the meal is reimbursable because the provider (mother) is actively engaged with the child. Thus, unlike a mother who comes into a center or home to breastfeed an infant, the provider is being reimbursed for her services – the time and effort she expends breastfeeding her own infant.

As with any other claim for meals served to the provider’s own child, the infant must be eligible for Tier 1 rates of reimbursement, enrolled in the day care program, and participating in the program during the time of the meal service. At least one other nonresident child must also be enrolled in the day care program and participating in the meal service.

Q. What type of formula must be offered to be reimbursable in the CACFP?
A. A formula which meets Program requirements is either: 1) a formula which meets the regulatory definition of infant formula in Section 226.20; and 2) a formula which does not meet the regulatory definition of infant formula but for which a medical statement has been provided. Following is a list of formulas, which do not require a medical statement.

Milk-Based Infant Formulas

Carnation Good Start with Iron

Enfamil with Iron

Gerber Baby Formula with Iron

Similac with Iron

Lactofree

Soy-Based Formulas

Alsoy

Gerber Soy Baby Formula

Isomil

Isomil SF

ProSobee

"Follow-up" Iron-Fortified Formulas, only when served to infants at the ages indicated below:
Only when served to infants 4 months of age or older (these formulas require a medical statement if served to infants less than 4 months of age. These formulas are specifically designed for infants 4-12 months of age and older who are eating cereal and other baby foods):

Carnation Follow-up Formula with Iron (milk-based)

Carnation Follow-up Soy Formula (soy-based)

Only when served to infants 6 months of age or older (these formulas require a medical statement if served to infants less than 6 months of age):

Enfamil Next Step Toddler Formula (milk-based) – This formula is designed as an alternative to cow’s milk for the older infant or toddler and is not being marketed as an alternative to Enfamil or other iron-fortified infant formulas which are designed for infants from birth to 12 months.

Enfamil Next Step Toddler Formula (soy-based) – This formula is designed as an alternative to cow’s milk for the toddler with milk sensitivities.

Q. When an infant receives both breastmilk and formula is the meal eligible for reimbursement?
A. Yes, a meal served to an infant under 12 months of age which contains some amount of breastmilk and some amount of formula is reimbursable as long as the total number of ounces offered to the infant meets, or exceeds, the minimum amount for the milk component as specified in the CACFP infant meal pattern.

Q. Can a Family Day Care Home (FDCH) provider claim her own infant when formula furnished to her by the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program is the only food item served?
A. Yes. A FDCH provider can claim her own infant when only formula or breast milk is given to the infant. The formula may be either store bought or provided by WIC.

Q. A mother would like her 5-month old infant to receive breastmilk, which she provides, and solid foods, which are listed as options in the meal pattern. Because the infant is developmentally ready for solid foods, whose responsibility is it to provide them?
A. If an infant is developmentally ready for one or more solid food items and the parent or guardian requests that the infant be served solid foods, the components are no longer considered as options and should be served to the infant to provider him/her with the optimal nutrition he/she needs to develop and grow. The center or provider is responsible for purchasing and serving them to the infant.

Q. Is a meal reimbursable if the parent or guardian provides the majority of the meal components for infants older than 3 months?
A. In addition to medical or special dietary needs, parents may choose to provide one or several of the meal components under the CACFP infant meal pattern for infants older than 3 months. Because we recognize that parents or guardians are often most in touch with their child’s individual dietary preferences, we believe the CACFP infant meal pattern can accommodate those preferences. In such a case, the center or provider would still be required to provide at least one of the components in at least the minimum quantities specified in the meal pattern in order for the meal to be reimbursable. Centers and Sponsoring Organizations also need to ensure that the parent or guardian is truly choosing to provide the preferred component(s), and that the center or provider has not solicited (requested or required) the parent or guardian to provide the components in order to complete the meal and reduce cost to the center or provider.