Course categories


Available courses

pde-160 logoCourse Description: The Hearing Officer training course responds to USDA's recommendation to train all administrative review (Hearing) officers on appeal processes for the CACFP.  For agencies not able to provide direct training, this course will assist with training hearing officers through testimony or documents submitted for review. 

Course Description: This course focuses on Day Care Homes (DCH). The course addresses responsibilities of a DCH Sponsor, DCH Eligibility Status, required documentation for a DCH, and more.

pde 610Course DescriptionAll CACFP sponsors must maintain a nonprofit food service program. This course includes two lessons that cover the evaluation of program revenue and expenses, financial recordkeeping and controls, and expectations with operating a nonprofit CACFP.

pde 611Course DescriptionThis course focuses on CACFP recordkeeping for Child Care, Head Start, and Pre-K Counts programs. The course addresses program eligibility, operational requirements, enrollment, participant eligibility, and miscellaneous recordkeeping requirements. 


pde 612Course DescriptionThis course focuses on CACFP recordkeeping requirements At-Risk programs. The course addresses program eligibility, operational requirements, meal patterns, and miscellaneous recordkeeping requirements.

pde 612Course DescriptionThis course focuses on CACFP recordkeeping requirements for Outside School Hours programs. The course addresses program eligibility, operational requirements, participant eligibility, and miscellaneous recordkeeping requirements. 

pde 614Course Description: This course focuses on CACFP recordkeeping requirements for Emergency Shelter programs. The course addresses program eligibility, operational requirements, eligible age ranges, and miscellaneous recordkeeping requirements. 

pde 615Course DescriptionThis course focuses on CACFP recordkeeping requirements for Adult Day Care programs. The course addresses program eligibility, operational requirements, enrollment, participant eligibility, meal pattern flexibilities, and miscellaneous recordkeeping requirements. 


Course Description:“Financial Viability” will provide an overview of the CACFP Performance Standards and focus on the requirements specific to financial viability. Participants will learn various ways to demonstrate and evaluate financial viability as well as identify the appropriate records to maintain. 

Lesson 1 - Introduction and Performance Standards
Lesson 2 - What is Financial Viability?


pde 608Course DescriptionOffer vs Serve (OVS) is an option for Adult Day Care Centers and some At-Risk Afterschool Programs. This course details what is required when implementing OVS and how this may influence meal planning and documenting reimbursable meals. 

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Course Description: This course will discuss the definition, purpose and components of a management plan. Participants will learn how to evaluate, monitor, revise and submit the management plan. Participants will also discuss the CACFP performance standard and share best practices.

Course Description: In this course, participants will learn the purposes, components and principles of internal controls. Participants will demonstrate how to document, assess and monitor internal controls as well as identify common program areas where internal controls are essential.


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Course Description: This course will discuss the importance of the CACFP budget and how it relates to the management plan and the CACFP performance standards. Participants will obtain an overview of the federal cost principles and how they relate to the CACFP budget. Participants will also learn the key steps for creating a CACFP budget and receive best practices for developing and monitoring a CACFP budget.

Lesson 1 - CACFP Budget Basics
Lesson 2 - Creating a CACFP Budget


Hours: 4

Course Description: This course is designed for returning Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) sponsor staff, will review the regulations and procedures of the CACFP, and assist sponsors with regulatory compliance.

Course Description: CACFP Regulations require that all new and participating CACFP institutions meet and maintain compliance with the three Performance Standards; Financial Management and Viability, Administrative Capability, and Program Accountability.  This course is designed to guide CACFP institutions to better understand the importance of the Performance Standards, the reason that they were developed, and the criteria used to determine compliance.

The CACFP Sponsor Remediation Training is an online course designed to provide training for those who are in the CACFP program. The training includes important topics such as Civil Rights, Meal Service Planning, Recordkeeping, Financial Management, Documentation, and Responsibilities, Maintaining a Nonprofit Food Service Program and Program Oversight. 

The CACFP Corrective Action Training is an online course designed to provide corrective action training for those who are in the CACFP program.

pde 609Course DescriptionPDE 609 reviews monitoring requirements, staffing, completing monitoring reports, and conducting the five-day reconciliation.

pde 607Course DescriptionCACFP sponsors may need to modify planned meals in order to accommodate participants with disabilities or special dietary needs. PDE 607 summarizes the responsibilities sponsors have when accommodating participants’ meal requests. The course also discusses medical statements, meal pattern requirements, and accommodating non-disabling special dietary needs.

The SFSP Corrective Action Training is an online course designed to provide corrective action training for those who are in the SFSP program.

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Course Description: This course will cover: How to access the Daily Meal Count Form and submit claims through PEARS, the importance of accurately completing the Point of Service Daily Meal Count Form, and how to complete it, what, if any, eligibility documents are needed, how to claim reimbursement for meals served, and claim status and Payment Schedules.

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Course Description: This course prepares SFSP sponsors to begin purchasing goods and services for their food service program in accordance with federal procurement regulations. This training will provide an introduction into the different methods of procurement, strategies for local purchasing, and methods to purchasing meals.

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Course Description: This course covers: The definition of SFSP; Who may be a sponsor; The time frames when the SFSP may operate; The various types of sites in SFSP and the qualifications and distinctions of each type of site ;How children may qualify to receive free meals; The forms needed to prove eligibility of the children and when they are used; Information about public notifications and media releases; and Tips for increasing attendance and directives to add sites.

Course Description: This course covers: The importance of accurate meal counts; How to accurately count reimbursable meals at open and enrolled sites and camps; Site sponsor responsibilities and the required documentation; and How to complete all sections of the Daily Meal Count Form.

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Course Description: This course covers: The Difference Between Open, Enrolled Sites and Camps, Eligibility Documentation for Camps, The Collection of Racial and Ethnic Data, The Point of Service Daily Meal Count Form, Family Style Meal Service, Claim Reimbursement and Documentation

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Course Description: This course will cover: Participant Eligibility Documentation, the Household Income Application, and Sponsor Responsibilities.

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Course Description: This course will cover: the importance of record keeping; the basics of the Administrative Review; the Administrative Review Handbook, Forms and Training Records; Menu Documentation; The Daily Meal Count Form; Commodity, Site Visit and Cost Documentation; Procurement Documentation; Expense Documentation - both administrative and operating costs.

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Course Description: In this course, we will cover the SFSP meal patterns, serving sizes, food components and food items, the food components and the required product documentation.

pde 606Course DescriptionPDE 606 builds on information covered in PDE 603 The CACFP Meal Pattern but focuses on specific requirements for infants. Topics include creditable infant meals, infant meal components, serving sizes, and recordkeeping requirements.

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Course Description: This course will review your role as an SFSP sponsor to modify meals for children with disabilities in your program, how to accommodate disabilities in the SFSP and options to meet special dietary needs that are not related to a disability.

Course Description: Program institutions and facilities receiving federal financial assistance are required to comply with federal civil rights laws to ensure all Child Nutrition participants have equal access to all benefits and services.  This course will review Civil Rights regulations, and provide all information necessary to ensure that your program is in compliance with these requirements.

Course Description: Income Eligibility Forms (IEFs) are required to determine the free, reduced-price, and paid eligibility categories for CACFP participants. This course reviews IEF requirements, demonstrates determining IEFs, and discusses annual update requirements.

Course DescriptionPDE 602 covers the enrollment process for applicable programs, completed Enrollment Forms, and annual update requirements. 


Course Description: One of the hardest parts of planning a CACFP menu is understanding if a food is creditable or not and how much you need to serve. In this brief overview, participants will learn about tools to guide them to determine if a food is creditable to the CACFP meal pattern, and how much they need to serve to be in compliance.


pde 604

Course DescriptionSubmitting a claim for CACFP reimbursement requires detailed recordkeeping and preparation prior to the submission. PDE 604 reviews requirements related to point of service meal counts, attendance documentation, the edit check process, consolidation, and claim submission. 


pde 605

Course DescriptionPDE 605 expands on PDE 603 The CACFP Meal Pattern and goes into further detail on crediting foods in the CACFP. The course discusses Child Nutrition labels, Product Formulation Statements, and standardized recipes. 



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Course Description: This course prepares sponsors to begin purchasing goods and services for their food service program in accordance with federal procurement regulations. This training will provide an introduction into the different methods of procurement, strategies for local purchasing, and methods to purchasing meals.