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

July 2023

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Food Program Staff Directory

Your Monthly News & Updates

National Days in July

July 14: National Mac and Cheese Day

Read Mac and Cheese (Weeks, 2011) with your child care children and enjoy some macaroni and cheese!

Listen to the read aloud version here.

(Remember: Natural cheese or cheese food credits as cheese in CACFP. Cheese sauce requires a CN label or Product Formulation Statement to credit.) For more information about cheese, check out this resource.)

Anniversaries in July

5 years: Karen Valentino

15 years: Mariah Traaholt

20 years: Debra Davis-Heard; Christina Hughes; Renee Rowe

30 years: Deanna Schillinger

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

Welcome to our New Providers!

Ashley in Rothschild

Santaja in Milwaukee

Welcome Kahlila Fennell: New Area Coordinator!

“I was a licensed in-home family provider for seven years before changing over to a group center owner/administrator. I love spending time with my family and my mini poodle Bai'lee. Traveling and planning trips for and with my family is something I find joy in doing. I am an active member of Providers Taking Action in Milwaukee. Advocating for children and fair wages in Early Childhood is my passion.”

Best Wishes in Retirement to Suzette Warmus!

When asked to reflect on her time with the WECA Food Program, Suzette said, “It has been a journey!”

She went on to share, “The Food Program has been my whole life. It was always my goal to make my providers a priority. Providers have so graciously opened their homes to me, and I so appreciate that. Working with everybody has been the best part of my job. I care so much about all of you, and I still will.”

Suzette has 10 grandchildren. In retirement, she plans to go to all her grandchildren’s schools and read to the kids. In addition, she has several projects that have been waiting for her in her hobby closet.

Suzette, we appreciate you! Best wishes on the next leg of your journey.

Ask the Food Program

Question:

Do all children in my child care need to be enrolled in the Food Program? I thought we just had to ‘offer’ the Food Program?

Answer:

Wisconsin DPI Family Day Care Home Guidance Memo H states:

“Providers must enroll all children in the CACFP. This includes all non-residential children (regardless of relation) and provider’s own children when eligible. Not enrolling all children in the CACFP is unallowable because it is considered discrimination by denying equal access to meals.”

If a parent stated they did not wish for their child to participate in the Food Program, a provider would not claim meals and snacks for that child.

Tiering: Return to Tier 1 and Tier 2 Payments

With the expiration of the Keep Kids Fed Act, the Food Program returns to a two-tiered payment system, effective July 1, 2023.

For applications and information, check your email.

Serving Milk in the CACFP

The USDA fluid milk requirements are developed to ensure that children receive the nutrients they need to grow and develop.

Remember: 2% milk is NOT reimbursable.

https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/CACFP_Worksheet_Serving_Milk.pdf

Serving Vegetables in the CACFP

Did you know that serving two different kinds of leafy greens at a meal does NOT fulfil the vegetable requirement? Collard greens, kale, spinach, etc. are “leafy greens.” Serving two portions from this category may be compared with serving apples and apple juice.

For more information about serving vegetables, please review this resource.

Quick-Review:

Fruits, Vegetables, and More

Per USDA Meal Pattern Requirements (this is not a complete list of requirements):

Do not serve juice to infants.

You can serve juice one time per day per family child care home, to children aged one and older.

Enter 100% fruit juice or 100% vegetable juice. Just juice is not enough information.

Or enter the name of the first fruit or vegetable listed in the juice ingredients (orange juice, tomato juice, etc.)

The specific name of each fruit or vegetable you serve must be entered on menus. The only non-specific terms allowed are mixed fruit or mixed vegetables.

You must serve at least one vegetable at lunch and dinner.

At snacks, you must serve two of the five components. You may serve a fruit and a vegetable as two of the five components. Do not serve two fruits or two vegetables.

Never serve only two liquids at a snack.

Do not cook vegetables (or fruits) by submerging them in hot oil or other fat (French fries, tater tots, hash browns, etc.)

Meal Patterns and Portion Size Requirements

CACFP Infant Meal Pattern

“CACFP infant meal pattern encourages delaying the introduction of solid food until the infant is 6 months… Once an infant is developmentally ready to eat foods, including infants younger than 6 months, programs are required to offer them to the infant.”

Reminder: These foods are NOT creditable for infants:

Soy yogurt
Tofu
Cheese food or spread

https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/community-nutrition/pdf/cacfp_infant_meal_pattern.pdf

How do you know when a child is developmentally ready? Look here for signs of developmental readiness:

Look Here

Requirements for Infants

You Must:

Offer to supply an approved iron-fortified infant formula to each infant in care at no cost to parents.
Select the formula name on the Parent/Provider Formula Agreement that you submit electronically with the enrollment for the infant.
Offer to supply formula even if the infant now gets breast milk or if the parent now supplies the formula.

Be sure to keep a copy of the enrollment and Parent/Provider Formula Agreement with your Food Program records.

Inform WECA whenever a parent supplies one meal component (solid or fluid) for an infant: On the CACFP.Net Main Menu page, click on One Infant Meal Component Provided by Parent. Complete the form and submit.
Inform WECA if you serve different meal components to two or more developmentally ready infants in the same age category at the same meal service. Click on Infants of the Same Age fed Different Foods, complete the form, and submit.

WIC Income Eligibility

Current WIC income eligibility can be found online here.

You are required to provide current Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program information to all parents of children in care. (https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/wic/index.htm)

Post it where all parents can see it or give it to each family.

WIC promotes and maintains the health and well-being of nutritionally at-risk pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women and infants and children. It provides nutrition, education, breastfeeding education/support, supplemental nutritious foods and referral to other health and nutrition services.

Always Review Your Claim Summary

Be sure to review your claim summary for every claim you submit to see how you were reimbursed. It’s easy! Just log into CACFP.Net, click on My CACFP Info. Select Claim Summaries of Processed Claims and choose the month you want to review.

Click Here

We Want to Hear From You: WECA Communication Survey

In an effort to ensure you get the WECA information you need, we want to gain a better understanding of how you like to receive updates from WECA. Your answers to this brief survey are confidential and will only be used to help us serve you better moving forward.

Click here to take the survey! Thank you for taking the time to submit your responses.