I am just starting out and would love to hear the pros and cons of participating in the meal program.

I am in a high cost of living area where the incomes are high so I doubt I would qualify for the highest tier but I think I would be crazy to not at least weigh the options.

If you participate in the program can you just do snacks and have the parents provide lunches or are you required to offer all meals?

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I probably won't be much help; I'm on Tier 1 so to me it's really worth it. Plus I love my sponsor that comes! She's amazing.
Pros
the reimbursement
food ideas
support

Cons
and yet another training you have to attend
quarterly visits
paper work

I would imagine you could just do snacks, if that's what you sign up for but you might find out it's not worth it. You may have to call your food program to check into it.

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Pros: $ for something I would be doing anyway.

Cons: A little extra paperwork, though not much.

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Pros you get a check and kids eat healthy.

I'm also on tier 1 with an amazing food rep lady.

Cons none.

I don't mind the minimal paperwork because I do it at point of service or at night. My visits last 10 mins.

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How is it decided if you are Tier 1 or Tier 2?

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When I was on it you were based on if either the area's median income or your household income qualified for Tier 1. I was on it for about a year. I left it because the group doing it was frankly a PITA to deal with. If they need info it was NOW, but if you asked a question or email you might get a response eventually. The final straw was their system kept randomly dropping entries, so you would put in stuff daily then one day POOF! the last 2 weeks were gone and you had to reenter it all. After telling them for several months about their issues I got dinged because they said I entered a month's stuff all at once instead of daily like I should. When I tried to explain that their system had lost the stuff and I reentered it I got an "oh well" out of them. They got told where they could put their computer after that one.

I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from it. Honestly if a different group covered this area I would probably reenroll. I just don't deal with idiots very well.

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I've had similar issues. I've been off and on it. Going on again soon. Mostly because I hate to leave money on the table. But I'm Tier 2 and the money is stinky.

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When I started on the FP, I was Tier 2 and found it wasn't worth my time. Just as I was about to terminate it, they switched my area to Tier 1.
Tier 1 is worth it. Tier 2 is a joke.
For the amount of work they require, everyone should be Tier 1.
I mean, it's nice to have an extra log of who was here and when. But my sign in sheets should be enough if I'm ever questioned on ratios or need help figuring out tax info.

I have a MAC, so need Crossover in order to run Minute Menu. So, essentially two programs to run one- and it's sloooow.

My rep is nice, but isn't much help with any questions I've had. She's also visited and written down wrong info on what I served. So, I need to double check what she writes otherwise my claim will be denied and if that happens twice, termination or suspension is on the horizon.

I can't stand how precise the infant requirements are too. But, I rarely enroll infants.

But... hey, any extra income helps too!

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Pros -

• Money now instead of at tax time.
• Claim own child (tax free income, if qualified)
• Training that I do not have to pay for or search out, plus the a free online class and a conference equal to 5 hours (7 out of 10 hours taken care of yearly via FP at no cost)
• Free stuff when I get perfect menus

Con -

• Must report to the FP when ever you close, like calling into work to say you will not be in.
• Buying different milk for different age groups. (getting dh to understand which milk he needs to help use first - based on what I need for the week and the exp date)
• Buying formula which, I never bought before in my life.

As for only serving snacks, yes you can do that. I told my rep that I was going to only claim breakfast and snacks because the parent wanted to supply the lunch. She did not want to agree with me but I reminder her that I was allowed to claim any 3 meals, which 3 I claimed should not matter as long as the children were fed. She said she would put a note in my account stating that the parent was supplying the lunch.

Honestly, after that family left, I switched back to supplying all meals, my hand book states that children that arrive before 9 get breakfast and after 9 snack but both meals will be the same except for the portions.

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Over here you can also get tier 1 if your local school qualifies or if the child's family qualifies for it.

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I have never been on the food program and don't plan to . It is better money wise to take the standard meal deductions at tax time than getting reimbursed from the food program .

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I was told you're allowed to do both.

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I am on tier 1, I think if we get bumped down to 2 I will quit- I absolutely hate entering all the info on the computer. It is only 10min of work but I hate it

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You are. I get both the food program and take the deductions. I am on Tier 1, so it's very beneficial.

That said, there are annoyances. We have new monitors and I'm not as fond of them as I was the old ones. I've had meals taken away because the DATE on the intake paperwork wasn't the first day of the month they started, because a child had left early so when they came to observe the meal (almost an *hour* after the meal had ended )they didn't see her and I had completely forgot about her so when I sent in the menu with her on it they took both breakfast and lunch away, etc. That said, the checks are very nice at the end of the month. Since my licensing rules about food pretty much mirror the food program ones, I get paid to do what I have to do anyway.

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You are, Tom has a post explaining the benefits and how you are farther ahead if you join then if you dont.

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I despise the minute menu program. I also consider quiting if loose tier one status.

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Oh okay thanks. I got scared for a second lol. It is so beneficial when you get to do both.

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Yeah, when you are Tier 1, it can be a nice amount. You have to do a little bit of work for it, but I can click some buttons at the end of my day for 5-10 minutes to get $700+ most months.
I don't agree with all of the nutritional requirements, but I deal with it.

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Thanks so much for sharing!!! These are really compelling reasons to at least give it a try.

I really hope I will qualify for Tier 1!!

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If you want to see if you qualify for tier 1. Look to see what tier your home elementary and jr high school are at. You can do that through a Google search. If your schools are at tier 1 meaning at least 50% of the children are on free or reduced lunch you qualify for tier 1.

You can also ask your parents to fill out financial documents provided by the food program to see if they are income qualified for tier 1.

I sadly don't qualify for tier 1 and either do my parents so the amount of paperwork sometimes sucks I hate the new kids are program.

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I would not have thought the infant requirements would be precise especially given that all infants need is mommy milk

One reason I was considering it is the "free" Minute Menu but I too have a Mac so that sounds less appealing.

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I am on Tier 1 and have NO idea how or why. None of the usual reasons for Tier 1 apply. I don't qualify based on income, my dck's probably wouldn't qualify, our school district doesn't have the number of reduced/free meals for us to automatically qualify, etc. They said it had something to do with the census for my road - but I live in a development with doctors, lawyers, etc.
A provider across town, who lives in what I would consider to be a "poorer" area doesn't qualify for Tier 1.

Just pointing that out as it's not as cut and dried and it seems.

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See I do nothing but infants & what the FP considers very young toddlers... my kids eat & sleep on demand & no offense to my great FP lady here, but I quit because there were more days I had to flip a meal or nap & she would show up expecting to see the littles w/food & bottles... not waking a sleeping kid and NONE of my parents believe in CEREAL at all (all BF until at least a year)... we start with veg lol

not worth the hassle even on tier one for me - I only have 2 kids out of the 4 that it makes any sense to even try right now & the one is gone half the time traveling

BTW, the only reason I qualify for tier one is the school area... my parents incomes are too much otherwise

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you sound like me!

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I agree....

I hate kidkare. more than half of the time it does not work and my FP agency is not supportive at all. I have to call on my own which sometimes can take a few days to resolve.

worst part is that my FP does this lock out in the KK program. so if I can't input my meal that day, I cant do it the next, therefore losing a full day of pay. Two months ago I was locked out of KK and no one could figure out how to get me back in for about 3 weeks, so I only got to claim one week. I was super mad.

It's a true love hate with me and the FP

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That's awful. I would be pissed! Ok - I am going to go log my meals for the day...here I go...ughhhhhhh

ok really Now I understand how the toddlers feel about picking up their toys

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Wow! I am debating an infant / toddler program only or a 2-5 year old program and IF I decide to go with the littles I would allow them to sleep and eat on demand and I would not wake a sleeping baby to feed them.

Sigh.

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I timed myself - it took 5min and I will get $750ish, its totally worth it. I am such a whiner

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It's not looking so good. The local elementary school which is on my same street has 14% reduced lunch and the middle school has 17%............ I suppose I can apply and see.

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My school district does not qualify me. So I had to submit my income and got turned down. Last year, I made 2x the amount I am making this year to date per week. I had to submit my last year tax forms and DH this year check stubs. My AGI for last year is less than the requirements. We are on WIC but not qualified for Tier one.
Does anyone know if I can appeal? or ask for more details?

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This has to vary from FP to FP. I have never had to wake kids up when they've come after a meal. Especially infants. Waking them just to show the FP I'm feeding them would actually go against regulations saying infants need to be fed/cared for "on demand." Maybe I've been pretty fortunate but our program is very flexible. As I've said, I have had a few annoyances, but nothing that makes nearly $500 "extra" a month not worth it.

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My FP rep has never had me wake sleeping babies to eat at my designated meal times, but I have heard how some reps are sticklers... kind of like some licensing reps I know.

My gripe about strict rules for infants was more geared towards the push for solids, proteins and cereal.
I hate infant cereal too and so do a lot of my families.

However, they are making some changes. I'm interested to learn if it will be more flexible and I do like only 2 age categories vs the 3 we have now.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/defaul...lstandards.pdf

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