This afternoon CDSS sent out a listserv expressing apologies and explanation of the delayed payments for October claims. Please see below. You can also access the email here or download the PDF of the letter here.
The CACFP Roundtable is here to continue to raise up concerns from the field to CDSS. We, Roundtable and CDSS, are all listening to you and want to continue to hear from you, samantha@ccfproundtable.org.
Dear Child and Adult Care Food Program Sponsors,
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) sincerely apologizes for the reimbursement delays of October claims for the Child and Adult Care Food Program as the transfer of authority was not approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture until mid-December. The delays are related to the transfer of authority from the California Department of Education (CDE) to CDSS to issue payments for the current federal fiscal year. The transfer of this authority from the CDE to the CDSS is a one-time event. The issue is now corrected and we do not anticipate any impact on future payments.
To remedy this issue as quickly as possible, the CDSS has been working with both the CDE and the California State Controller’s Office (SCO) to expedite the approval, processing, and issuance of warrants. The process resulted in the CDSS receiving the unpaid claims in two batches. The first batch of claims has already been mailed to the sponsors and the second batch of payments is scheduled to be processed by SCO on Friday, December 31st. We estimate that these warrants will be mailed to sponsors by January 3rd or 4th. Please check the Claims module in the Child Nutrition and Information Payment System or with your Food Program sponsor to identify which batching date your reimbursements are in.
Although this event was outside the control of the CDSS, we truly regret the confusion and financial strain experienced by sponsors and providers/sites. The CDSS continues to work with all of you and with other stakeholders to ensure that during this initial post-transition phase we are partnering to support our shared mission to meet the nutritional needs of those we serve.
If you continue to experience delays with your reimbursements or need additional information related to this, please email Community Nutrition Programs Section Chief Sean Hardin at sean.hardin@dss.ca.gov.
Jennifer Hernandez, Deputy Director
Family Engagement and Empowerment Division
California Department of Social Services