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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>If I Have To Then Shouldn't You Have To Look At It Small Vent About The Food Program
familyschoolcare 12:47 PM 09-25-2012
So my food program person has informed me in the past that I must put in my daily attendance and meals every day the day it takes place. I was having issues sharing the lap top with my teenagers that need it so they can do their homework. I have actually asked if I could just do the daily in put the next day before 7:00 Am when I get up and he said no it must be done they day of because they need to be able to see the meal pattern. Alright whatever I have been inputting it every day the day off got a smart phone so I could do it while my teenagers are doing their homework. Alright the rules are the rules. Now the part that makes me a little mad is that today while I was shopping someone from the food program came by and attempted an unannounced visit at 12:10 Pm. If they would have just looked at the meal pattern they would have realize that I have not served lunch since Aug 17th and that all the children enrolled are in school. Therefore, no reason to show up at 12:10 you will not see anything but me.
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daycare 12:55 PM 09-25-2012
Originally Posted by familyschoolcare:
So my food program person has informed me in the past that I must put in my daily attendance and meals every day the day it takes place. I was having issues sharing the lap top with my teenagers that need it so they can do their homework. I have actually asked if I could just do the daily in put the next day before 7:00 Am when I get up and he said no it must be done they day of because they need to be able to see the meal pattern. Alright whatever I have been inputting it every day the day off got a smart phone so I could do it while my teenagers are doing their homework. Alright the rules are the rules. Now the part that makes me a little mad is that today while I was shopping someone from the food program came by and attempted an unannounced visit at 12:10 Pm. If they would have just looked at the meal pattern they would have realize that I have not served lunch since Aug 17th and that all the children enrolled are in school. Therefore, no reason to show up at 12:10 you will not see anything but me.
lol gotta love it....funny how they tell us all the time do this do that and then they don't even do it themselves........

Wow your food program is strict. I was told that I can do it the next morning if I forget, but I can't have more than one day of missing information at a time or I will not get credit..

what did they say when you told them that??
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DCBlessings27 12:56 PM 09-25-2012
My food program lady doesn't have to see food at every visit. She came last week, and she didn't need to see food that time. Could it have been a situation like that? Mine also saves the non-food visits usually for the end of the food program year. We renew in October, so my lady had last Friday as her deadline--that's what she told me.

Does your program use Minute Menu or something similar? Mine doesn't use it, so I can do my menus by 7am if I want. I just send the file to my program at the end of the month. I guess I could be in trouble if my lady came at 7am, and I hadn't updated though for the day before.
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Willow 01:03 PM 09-25-2012
Mine have to be logged by midnight too.

Having wonky internet issues living out in the boonies I've been on paper menus for a couple of years now to avoid non-compliance.


Add to the rigidity of that though I have to report to my food rep if I'm not going to be home during regularly scheduled daycare hours. If I don't, and a rep shows up, I'm toast! Doesn't matter if I have no kids scheduled at that time or not! They can come any time during daycare hours and I have to be available unless I notify them otherwise.
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harperluu 01:06 PM 09-25-2012
The food program is the bain of my existance. I've always felt like we should have more rights than we do. Why is it, that they can show up whenever the heck they feel like it and licensing is only allowed one unannounced visit per year?

I've had them show up when we have a water day activity planned. No, you can't hang out in my house without supervision and I'm not taking 8 wet kids in for 15 min.

I've had them show up when we've been out for a walk and gotten marked for that because I wasn't in my house chillin' waiting for them to show up (unnannounced).

How do they have the right to tell us what type of milk to serve (2% vs skim or 1%)?

Why do they get flustered by a provider that cares for drop-in children. They act like I'm doing something sneaky when 5 of the kids only come when their provider is on vacation or ill.

I strongly dislike the whole premise of the food program and all their rules. I feel like they can just go unchecked, without consequence. It drives me crazy whenever they pull up and shove themselves inside my storm door so I have to crane my neck to see who it is. Like I'd open the door to just some random person. I have the right for you to stand outside the storm door like a normal person and wait for me to check to see who it is and then open the door.

Haha. I guess they annoy me more than I think.
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familyschoolcare 01:18 PM 09-25-2012
I did call and meantion that if they whanted to do an unanauced visit during the school year which is right now then there best bet is to come for afternnon sanck because that is the only tie I serve food. I also said twe often go the the park after snack so we might not be here then and it takes me more than 1 hour to do the pick ups because I pick up from three different school so we are ostl liekly not here then either. The motice I got did not say anything about a negative consiquence on my part. Just that they could hae saved themselves sometime if they had bothered to look before planning on stopping at my house.
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Country Kids 01:34 PM 09-25-2012
I alway thought when they did an unannounced visit it was to be at different times of the day. Mine has come for the same meal 3 times! They only made one announced visit and called on the way here-.

Then I served 15 min early last month and they made a unannounced call and was all mad because we were eating 15 min early. Well I was trying to get to an appt. and wanted to have the kids laying down for my sub when I left.
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daycare 01:35 PM 09-25-2012
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
I alway thought when they did an unannounced visit it was to be at different times of the day. Mine has come for the same meal 3 times! They only made one announced visit and called on the way here-.

Then I served 15 min early last month and they made a unannounced call and was all mad because we were eating 15 min early. Well I was trying to get to an appt. and wanted to have the kids laying down for my sub when I left.
honestly for me it is a Love HATE relationship........ lol
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DaisyMamma 03:14 PM 09-25-2012
LOL
That's what they get!!!
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providerandmomof4 05:08 PM 09-25-2012
Seriously, I am soooo exasperated with my food program 98% of the time....I had an unannounced visit last Friday at 8:40 am. I load up five kids to take my children to school (across town) along with dropping my grown daughter at cosmo school. Good thing I have a minivan-hehe! Anyway, it's pretty much choas at that time of morn. I tell her that if we have a visit right now that everyone is going to be late. She says that she has 14 appt that day and cannot do it any other time! I just put on my happy face and printed off my menus for her, while my kids gave her the evil eye the entire tire. Still, I couldn't help thinking, "um, really, this is bs!" Oh, and btw...everyone was late. The first time my kids have been late to school the entire year, and probably the last...unless she does this again!
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Childminder 07:42 PM 09-25-2012
Oh my! You all sound like the food program is such a pain. I have the best food program lady in the business! She stops by whenever, whether a meal is due or not and always calls to set up the really early breakfast or late dinner visit. One time she came in and as usual it was all hugs and chit chat and one dcb3 wanted to know if we were sisters. While it could be possible I suppose, she is a young black girl and I am an OLD white woman. lol

She never asks to see paperwork any longer, she will just get it off the minute menu site. I always mark down the meals at the end of the day on my attendance sheet but never enter on the computer till month end. Just go on once for a couple hours make my menu for the next month and submit.
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wahmof3 04:37 AM 09-26-2012
Originally Posted by Childminder:
Oh my! You all sound like the food program is such a pain. I have the best food program lady in the business! She stops by whenever, whether a meal is due or not and always calls to set up the really early breakfast or late dinner visit. One time she came in and as usual it was all hugs and chit chat and one dcb3 wanted to know if we were sisters. While it could be possible I suppose, she is a young black girl and I am an OLD white woman. lol

She never asks to see paperwork any longer, she will just get it off the minute menu site. I always mark down the meals at the end of the day on my attendance sheet but never enter on the computer till month end. Just go on once for a couple hours make my menu for the next month and submit.
Same here my food lady rocks!!
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crazydaycarelady 06:17 AM 09-26-2012
I was told I have to input my info daily too, but like OP I have teenagers using my computer. I have started doing it sometimes during the day while my kids are at school. A lot of times I am inputting the info before the meal has been served but they have never said anything.

I have issues with the FP too but the thing that really bugs me is the two tiers and people getting paid different amounts based on the school they live closest too. Sucks if you are on the lower Tier but your friend (who makes just as much if not more than you) and lives down the street is getting the higher tier.
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Blackcat31 07:26 AM 09-26-2012
Originally Posted by Childminder:
Oh my! You all sound like the food program is such a pain. I have the best food program lady in the business! She stops by whenever, whether a meal is due or not and always calls to set up the really early breakfast or late dinner visit. One time she came in and as usual it was all hugs and chit chat and one dcb3 wanted to know if we were sisters. While it could be possible I suppose, she is a young black girl and I am an OLD white woman. lol

She never asks to see paperwork any longer, she will just get it off the minute menu site. I always mark down the meals at the end of the day on my attendance sheet but never enter on the computer till month end. Just go on once for a couple hours make my menu for the next month and submit.
Same here! My food program rep is AWESOME!! I love her and she is fantastic with the whole process as well as being a great lady herself! She is always super respectful of the DCK's and whatever they may be doing at the time of her visit. She always takes the time to talk with them and give them stickers and stuff. She almost always brings a book for the topic of the month and will read to the kids if she has time.

I also record my meal info and attendance on paper an will record on line later whenever I have the time. Sometimes not until the very end of the month and other times sooner....just depends but she has never said I have to do it any other way. She said as long as I have each days info done before the next day, all is good. Submitting it on-line is NOT a requirement for us here...just something we can do it if we choose to go that route.
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sharlan 07:33 AM 09-26-2012
That's why I refuse to use the food program.
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sharlan 07:36 AM 09-26-2012
Originally Posted by providerandmomof4:
Seriously, I am soooo exasperated with my food program 98% of the time....I had an unannounced visit last Friday at 8:40 am. I load up five kids to take my children to school (across town) along with dropping my grown daughter at cosmo school. Good thing I have a minivan-hehe! Anyway, it's pretty much choas at that time of morn. I tell her that if we have a visit right now that everyone is going to be late. She says that she has 14 appt that day and cannot do it any other time! I just put on my happy face and printed off my menus for her, while my kids gave her the evil eye the entire tire. Still, I couldn't help thinking, "um, really, this is bs!" Oh, and btw...everyone was late. The first time my kids have been late to school the entire year, and probably the last...unless she does this again!
I missed an important dr's visit because of mine, one time. That's when I quit and vowed I would never restart it.
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daycare 08:13 AM 09-26-2012
I do have to say that my food lady is super sweet, she is kind and patient, but in the end, she is not the one who makes the final decision. Her boss does and I cant say the same for her boss.

again, its a love hate relationship....
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bunnyslippers 08:56 AM 09-26-2012
I just quit my food program. I used to have a very low key coordinator, and she retired. My new woman was a huge pain in the neck. I just decided it isn't worth it for the pathetic amount of money I was making (I was at the top tier, so made next to nothing).
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