Is there a stipulated time frame between meals and snacks???I've decided to claim all meals and snacks this year instead of just food costs...It seems like I will make out better tax wise.I serve breakfast 8:30-9ish and snack by 10:30, lunch is between 11:45 and 12:15 pm snack is usually 4ish (because I wait for my schoolagers so I'm only serving snack one time and not for an hour).Thanks all.As always!!!

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I do a minimum of 2-2.5 hrs between meals & snacks, but all my kids are under 2 years old; some food programs tell you that there can't be more than a set amount of hrs between, but it varies by state; I was going by AR rules when I moved here and the program monitor said I could serve 2 meals with 3.5-4 hrs between and then do afternoon snack 4 hrs later (after nap). I would see what state says ... and yes I claim all my meals because I serve more than what FP will reimburse

I do breakfast for kids arriving before 7am, 9am snack, 11-11:30 lunch, 2pm drink for early wakers, 3 pm snack, between 5:30-6pm dinner. I work 6:30a-6:30p daily

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New regs in MD are saying that children must be fed at least every 3 hours , depending on the amount of time in care per day.

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What is drink for early walkers?

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Early wakers means little mister 13 month old... he always wakes at least 30 minutes before the others so he gets a sippy with 2 oz of milk to hold him until snack. Sometimes they all wake early so I give everyone a drink then do snack at normal time; all my kids are 21 months or younger... the 2 littlest are still on demand bottle fed (both under 6 months) - I have 4 babies daily lol First arrives at 6:30am, last leaves at 6:30p (sometimes both the oldest are here for 6pm dinner)

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We have very similar schedules. I have 2 13m little boys and an almost 7m little boy. I feel like all I ever do is feed these little things! All of my little guys gets here at 7am and the last little guy leaves at 6:30pm. I usually feed him around 6pm, but didn't realize that I could write off all 3 meals.

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Here, too, although we are not required to wake them, thankfully. I could see a FP out there that would say "oh, that's more than 3 hours, you have to wake them"

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