You are receiving this newsletter because you are enrolled in the WECA Food Program.

April 2024

Stay connected: Check out our current staff directory here.

Food Program Staff Directory

Your Monthly News & Updates

National Days in April

April 1: National Sourdough bread Day

Read The Bread Pet: A Sourdough Story (Depalma, 2020) and enjoy sourdough bread at any meal or snack as a bread/bread alternate.

Use the recipe in the book to make sourdough starter with children!

Reminder: Take the Annual Food Program Provider Survey

The Annual Provider Survey is here! This is your opportunity to share feedback with the Food Program. If you have already taken the survey – thank you. If you have yet to give us your feedback, please take a few minutes to share your thoughts through the link below. Tell us what you like – and also give us your constructive feedback about what we might improve. We value your input!

Take Survey Now

WECA Cookbook Project

We're excited to announce an opportunity for you to showcase your culinary creativity in our upcoming WECA Cookbook!

We are seeking submissions for kid-approved recipes that prioritize health and nutrition, while also delighting young taste buds. Each recipe must include at least one fruit or vegetable as a key ingredient. Whether it's a fun twist on a classic favorite or an innovative creation, we want to feature a diverse variety of dishes that make snack time and mealtime nutritious and enjoyable for young children. Recipes that are Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)-friendly will be noted as well.

Here are some categories to think about when looking through your favorite recipes:

Breakfast
Breads/muffins
Entrees
Side dishes
Soups
Desserts

Submission Guidelines:

Use this form to submit your recipe(s). You can submit as many recipes as you like.
Include a brief description highlighting why your recipe is special. Is it a family recipe? Do you like to include vegetables from your garden? Do the children gobble it up? We want to hear about it!
If the recipe is from a cookbook or a website, please tell us the source.
Include clear instructions and measurements for each step of the recipe to ensure we can make it just like you do.
Submission Deadline: May 1, 2024

If your recipe is selected, it will be highlighted in the WECA Cookbook, published in time for the 2024 WECA Conference this fall. We can't wait to see the creative and nutritious recipes you share!

Food Program Anniversaries in April

10 years: Janet Lozada
15 years: Laura Mielke

We celebrate your commitment to serving nutritious meals and snacks to the children in your care! 

Welcome to Our New Providers!

Jessica in Wautoma
Holly in Marshfield
Crystal in Milwaukee
Tomica in Milwaukee
Glenn in Milwaukee
Megan in West Allis
Savita in Eau Claire

We welcome you and applaud this mark of professionalism!

National CACFP Week 2024: Behold the Creditable Snacks!

Congratulations to the winners of our National CACFP Week Drawing -

Lisa Bucher, Ashley Cook, and Skyla Vander Zanden!

Try their snacks ideas with the children in your care!

1) Applesauce and whole grain club crackers

2) Yogurt * and blueberries

3) Carrot sticks and animal crackers

4) Strawberries and pretzels

5) Multigrain Cheerios and peaches

6) String cheese and whole grain Ritz crackers

7) Apple slices and peanut butter

8) Grapes and cheese cubes

9) Pretzel sticks and hummus

10) Banana bread and milk*

11) Yogurt * topped with Multigrain Cheerios

13) Cottage cheese and pineapple

14) Whole wheat crackers and cheddar cheese slices

15) Graham crackers and peanut butter

16) Strawberries and pretzels

17) Cottage cheese and peaches

18) Whole grain toast and mixed fruit

19) Mixed raw vegetables and whole wheat crackers

20) String cheese and grapes

21) Apple slices and cubed cheddar cheese

Please note: Snack components must meet portion size requirements.

Exercise caution with foods that may pose a choking hazard.

*Yogurt must meet sugar limits: <23 g per 6 ounce serving;

milk must be the proper fat content.

Recipe(s) to Try!

Try this recipe for Berry Medley and Quinoa Breakfast Bake from United States Department of Agriculture!

Ask the Food Program

Question:

I am being deducted for “Child not approved for AM Snack” and “Child not approved for Lunch.” I had the Food Program fix the meals and snacks for the kids in my care, so why is this happening again.

Answer:

If you and the parent completed re-enrollment for any children lately, the information that was originally captured during the enrollment process is usually submitted again during the re-enrollment, effectively canceling any updates you requested we make. You will need to reach out to the Food Program again to make corrections to the database to prevent any child-specific meal or snack deductions from affecting your claims. Those changes will only last until the next re-enrollment.

Food Program recommends that you review the information you and the parent submit during child enrollment and re-enrollment for accuracy. Incorrect information is considered provider error and is not adjustable.

Components and Crediting

CACFP and Grain-Based Desserts

Grain-based desserts do not credit as a grain on CACFP. Examples of grain-based desserts can be found below.

Source: (https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/SnackPlanner.pdf) p 40

Homemade Combination Foods

Whenever you serve one of our own recipes that combines two or more foods, be sure to enter each component on your menus. We don’t know your recipes! Be sure the appropriate serving size (by age) for each component is being served to each child.

Monitoring and Oversight

Pre-Planning Cycle Menus

“Cycle menus can be a powerful menu-planning tool. The menu is different each day during the cycle. At the end of the cycle, you start over with the menu from the first day of the cycle.”

Advantages:

Saves time in day-to-day menu planning.
Allows for a fixed shopping list.
Reduces errors since the menu components have been determined in advance: Less chance a required component may be omitted.
May improve planning for maintaining food inventory and safe and appropriate storage of leftovers.
Flexible to easily accommodate locally grown, seasonal produce or to take advantage of sales or bulk purchase.
Cycling over 3-5 weeks encourages variety, while defaulting to the same menu offerings day-to-day can decrease their appeal for children. Seeing and being exposed to new components, tastes, and preparations can help young children become more adventurous eaters!

(Source: Child and Adult Care Food Program Snack Menu Planner (azureedge.us)

Child Nutrition Programs: Income Eligibility Guide

The FRPL guide for July 2024 to June 2025 is available here.

FRPL Guide

Your Responsibility on CACFP: The What and the When

Questions Regarding Your Payment?

You can request an adjustment to your reimbursement if you believe you’ve been paid incorrectly by submitting a Claim Adjustment Form. The form and any necessary documentation must be received by the 15th of the month in which the reimbursement was received. Adjustments cannot be made for late claims or for late or incorrect forms such as tier documentation.

Visit Our Website

Federal Recordkeeping Requirements for CACFP

Keep three years, plus the current year, of Food Program records. They must be maintained onsite for the most recent 12 months, plus the current month. Records prior to the most recent 13 months can be stored offsite. You may store them electronically or on paper, but they must all be accessible for WECA, DPI, or USDA review at any time during your normal business hours. If you don't use offsite storage, all three years of records, plus the most recent 13 months, must be stored onsite.

Is Your Contact Information Correct?

To keep you informed, the Food Program needs your correct contact information.

Changed your email?

Notify us here: Change in Email Address

Has your name, address or phone number changed?

Notify us here: Change in Provider Information

If your name or address changed, you MUST submit a copy of your new cert or license: Email it to foodprogram@wisconsinearlychildhood.org or fax it to 866-222-9520.

WECA may send you updates about the Food Program through email and/or text message or voicemail – another reason to ensure your contact information is always up to date.

Special Needs Definition for the Food Program

Special Needs applies to a child aged 13 or older with a handicapping condition that significantly interferes with day-to-day life. A documented Special Need allows a child who would normally “age out” of Food Program participation to continue to be claimed past the 13th birthday. The Food Program does not use Special Needs for children under 13, as the Program must be equally available to all children in child care from birth through age 12.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

The Provider Connection is published by the WECA Food Program.

Any Questions: Call 608-240-9880 or visit our website.

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