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Thegrayghost1966 12:55 PM 01-03-2014
I am beginning to think the food program isn't worth it. I only have one daycare child, a toddler (he's 1). I have a new baby starting this Monday. The toddler's mother is a teacher so I won't have him when mom isn't working. I just realized that my afternoon snack is at 2. All this time I was thinking it was at 3. I serve breakfast at 7:45am (he arrives at 7) and lunch at 10:45 am. He takes a nap and it can be 3 hours long and sometimes doesn't fall asleep till 12 or 12:30. I transport my kids to school so therefore, am not home from about 8:15 to 9:15 and he often falls asleep in the car so I can't force him to take a nap right after lunch in order to serve him a snack at 2. Suggestions anyone?

BTW, I am only eventually keeping 3 children. I will have 2 with the new one starting Monday and another baby that isn't due till April. I originally was limiting my daycare to just 2.

Stephanie
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Leigh 12:56 PM 01-03-2014
Is the time of your snack your only issue? Simply call your sponsor and tell them that you are changing snack time to what works for you.
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Thegrayghost1966 01:16 PM 01-03-2014
I thought there could be no more than 3 hours between meal times?
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SilverSabre25 01:23 PM 01-03-2014
I think 10:45 is an awfully early lunch. If I were you I think I would do one of two things:

1. ask that he comes to your house having already eaten. Then serve a snack at 9:30 (that has all the components of breakfast so you can claim it as breakfast). Serve lunch at noon, nap at 12:30, and snack at 3:30.

2. serve breakfast a bit earlier, like 7:30. Then have a (SMALL!) morning snack around 9:30--something like a few crackers and a cup of milk or something. Then lunch at noon, nap at 12:30 and snack at 3:30. You won't get to claim that morning snack, so make it cheap.
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Blackcat31 01:31 PM 01-03-2014
Are you required to give EXACT times for your meals and snacks?

I solved my issues (similar to yours) by having my meal times overlap with one another.

For example:

Breakfast is served 7:00-9:00
AM snack is served 9:00-11:00
Lunch is served 11:00-2:00
PM snack is served 2:00-4:00

My food program agency/rep is super supportive and helpful about this and understands that kids don't always live by EXACT times and aren't always hungry at the exact same times everyday

She always tells me the point of the food program is to support providers in making healthy meals and to support and encourage kids to eat healthy.

That's kind of hard to do if the program rules are so rigid...kwim?

HTH
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Leigh 01:32 PM 01-03-2014
Originally Posted by Thegrayghost1966:
I thought there could be no more than 3 hours between meal times?
I'm not sure about that. 2 hours minimum between meal and snack, 3 hours minimum between meals if no snack served, is what I understand. I suggest phoning your sponsor and working out a solution with him/her.
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Thegrayghost1966 02:32 PM 01-03-2014
Ok, so it is no more than 3 hours between main meals and 2 hours between main meal and snack. My husband comes home at 11:00 for lunch so that is why I picked an 11:00 lunch. They give you 15 minute window so the last time she paid a visit it was about 10:35ish. Honestly, some days we might not eat till a little after 11:00 depending on what I am making.

I just almost feel like for only having 1 on the food program and being in a Tier II, it just isn't worth it for me. The paperwork has far outweighed what they pay and what little he really eats.

Stephanie
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snbauser 02:33 PM 01-03-2014
I think it is a 4 hour maximum between meals/snacks. I do breakfast at 8:00, lunch at 12 and snack at 2:30ish. We are allowed an hour leeway on when we start serving. So for example although I say my lunch is at 12, on my "approved" times it says from 11:30-12:30. So as long as I start serving within that timeframe, I can claim the meal.
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Thegrayghost1966 02:39 PM 01-03-2014
Where I live, I only make .47/Breakfast, 1.45/lunch and .19/snack. Is that set by the Gov't. Are the rates the same for everyone?

Plus, trying to get a hold of my sponsor is a pain. They are often not there and when you need them, like I have today trying to submit a claim online for the first time, I can't get them. Plus, my direct deposit has changed as I had to close the account they were using. UGH!
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itlw8 03:02 PM 01-03-2014
You may have a hour window for a meal. so if you serve around 11 change it to 10:45 to 11:45 They do not expect you to wake a child to feed them. You may feed him snack before your school run if he is awake you just write it that way.
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TwinKristi 12:47 PM 01-04-2014
You just have to rework your schedule. It's definitely worth it for me and I only have 2 DCKs right now. It's about $400-600/mo and included my kids while DCKs are here. We can have breakfast between 7-9, lunch between 11-1, dinner from 4-6 and snacks have to be 2hrs between meals. I do breakfast at 7:45 and include my SA kids with 1 DCB, lunch and 11 with DCB & my DS, PM snack at 3 when all the SA kids come home and dinner depending on how late my DCBs are here. Usually at least one is here til 5:30 so I serve an early dinner between 4:45-5:30 for all he kids and dh & I have dinner later. Also, I don't include my youngest son in breakfast so he can do both lunch & dinner which is more than breakfast. My FPR said even if it's not "dinner" for all of us, as long as it's between 4-6 and I serve all the components than it's "dinner"! She has given me a lot of tips to maximize my claim. Love her!!
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Play Care 05:40 AM 01-05-2014
I'll be honest and say that in your case, the FP might not make sense for now. I have 5 FT kids and 3 SA kids and was switched to Tier I mid 2013 and the FP is most definitely worth it. My FP sponsors are very nice and helpful so if I had a question or needed some help reworking the meal schedule I could call them.
But for one child and Tier II, I don't know that I would bother.
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Angelsj 08:31 AM 01-05-2014
Originally Posted by Thegrayghost1966:
Where I live, I only make .47/Breakfast, 1.45/lunch and .19/snack. Is that set by the Gov't. Are the rates the same for everyone?

Plus, trying to get a hold of my sponsor is a pain. They are often not there and when you need them, like I have today trying to submit a claim online for the first time, I can't get them. Plus, my direct deposit has changed as I had to close the account they were using. UGH!
I don't use the food program. Ijust take the food off the taxes at the end of the year. In my case, I am also tier 2 and there is just too much paperwork for the amount of return. Do what you feel is best. Regardless of your choice, you can still take food off your taxes, so you aren't losing anything in total.
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Cradle2crayons 08:39 AM 01-05-2014
I wanted to do the food program, however the state says I can watch 5 kids without a license NOT counting my own, which I do. But I don't qualify for they food program because they say I can only watch 5 total, including my children so I'm over their limit. They won't allow me to not claim my own kids. They say this has been an issue with the dept of Ed for many years with us legally unlicensed. So I just take if off on taxes. It kind of sucks because with 7 kids total and on tier one I would make good money.

Just another example of how different agencies are on different pages and nobody knows why.
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Tags:food program, food program inspection, usda, usda food program
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