Our reputation as an organization dedicated to upholding the ethics and integrity of the Child and Adult Care Food Program for Day Home and Center Sponsors necessitates a certain amount of oversight and enforcement of program rules and regulations that ensure fairness between sponsors, integrity in program implementation and respect for program participants, both sponsoring organizations and program day homes and centers. Recruiting of day homes or centers that are already participating on the program under another sponsorship negates our Association’s standing as being dedicated to Ethical Provider/Facility Recruitment. Indeed, the original purpose of forming the Sponsors Association was to provide an outlet to create a positive environment in which sponsors would operate that would encourage (if not mandate) sponsors to operate within the confines of the rules and regulations governing the program. By joining the Texas CACFP Sponsors Association, an organization makes a commitment to abide by the bylaws and ethics of the Association (bylaws available at www.txcacfp.org).
The Texas CACFP Sponsors Association prohibits the intentional recruitment of centers or homes that are currently participating with another sponsor. By spending administrative monies to simply move existing providers from one sponsorship to another is not only self-defeating for the program in Texas, but will ultimately jeopardize the program as a whole. Attempts to recruit homes or centers, even during open enrollment periods should be directed at finding unregistered homes or centers not participating. Example: Mass communications to all providers in an area will result in contact with homes or sponsored centers already participating on the CACFP and would be considered intentional recruitment of providers currently participating on the CACFP. Violations of association ethics are considered an offense against the entire association and will be handled by the association board of directors when a formal complaint is filed by any member. Consequences of actions determined by the board to be intentional recruitment are outlined in the association bylaws which are accessible at www.txcacfp.org.
Notwithstanding our rights as private agencies, we affirm the need for all sponsors to administer the CACFP as a public trust. In joining the Texas CACFP Sponsors Association you are making a commitment to abide by our ethical recruitment standards. The guidelines of our ethics is a commitment to operate our respective agencies in compliance with all USDA and state rules, regulations and policies governing the administration of the program.
We commit our agency to the ethical recruitment guidelines of the Texas CACFP Sponsors Association and obligate our agency to conduct business in such a way that maintains the highest level of program integrity. To ensure our ethical commitment, our representation of our agency to providers/facilities and other sponsors will uphold all program rules and regulations and will not make statements that could be construed as supporting non-compliance with applicable rules and regulations.