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July 2024

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Your Monthly News & Updates

National Days in July

July 8: National Raspberry Day

Read Berry Song, (Goade, 2022) and enjoy raspberries with your child care children. Consider trying one – or both! - of the berry-rich recipes in Recipes to Try!

Food Program Anniversaries in July

5 years: Patricia Ward
25 years: Pamela Dawson
30 years: Jackie Conway

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

Welcome to Our New Providers!

Santaja in Milwaukee
India in Milwaukee
Briana in Milwaukee
Shelia in Milwaukee
Veronica in Milwaukee
Myrtle in Milwaukee
Tiffany in Milwaukee
Glenora in Milwaukee
Da’shonda in Milwaukee
Tamara in Milwaukee
Nicole in Milwaukee
Caressa in Sheboygan

We welcome you and applaud this mark of professionalism!

Components and Crediting

Recipes to Try!

MyPlate offers this no-cook recipe for Berry Bread Pudding using any type of berries!

Berry Bread Pudding | MyPlate

Looking for more creditable berry-rich recipes? Here’s another for an easy overnight Very Berry Muesli, also from MyPlate.

Very Berry Muesli | MyPlate

Ask the Food Program

June's Question:

“Why aren’t there any soft grain choices for infant breakfasts, i.e., oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, etc.?”

Answer:

Our liaison at Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Emily Rox, offered the following clarification:

“The question is referring to serving grains at breakfast. It is important to clarify here that grains are not a meal component and are not creditable as part of a CACFP reimbursable infant Breakfast, Lunch or Supper meal. The required components at Breakfast are: 1) Breastmilk or Iron Fortified-Infant Formula, then once developmentally ready, 2) Iron-Fortified Infant Cereal or a Meat/Meat Alternate and 3) Fruit and/or Vegetable.

With regards to the term “crusty bread or cracker,” this is an older term used prior to the 2017 CACFP infant meal pattern updates. The current infant meal pattern lists bread, crackers, IFIC or ready-to-eat breakfast cereal. In Wisconsin, we have added ‘bread-like items’ to our state’s version of the infant meal pattern to be more descriptive of the types of items that can be served.”

Thank you, Emily Rox, for your assistance in helping us better understand infant meal patterns!

USDA Crediting Handbook for the CACFP

Planning a summer fishing trip and wondering whether non-commercial home-caught fish credits on the CACFP? Consult the USDA Crediting Handbook for answers to this – and all your crediting questions!

Home-caught fish MAY credit. If you are unsure whether the fish you have caught does meet public safety standards, serve commercial fish - or another meat/meat alternate.

(p. 36 of the USDA Crediting Handbook for the CACFP)

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.

Meal Patterns and Portion Size Requirements

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 may serve juice once per day per family child care home, to children aged one and older.
Select 100% fruit juice or 100% vegetable juice from the drop-down menu in CACFP.Net, or select the name of juice by the first fruit or vegetable listed in the juice ingredients.
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 as a snack.
Deep fat frying – submerging foods in hot oil or other fat – is not allowed while children are in care.

Monitoring and Oversight

Every Income Eligibility Determination Expired on June 30, 2024!

On July 1, 2024, tier information and applications were emailed to the provider email address on file.

Important reminders:

The deadline for a July 1 effective date is always July 31.
USDA does not allow adjustments for late or missing paperwork/documentation.
It is your responsibility to submit all required forms and documentation by the deadline.

Due to changes in tiering, no late June claims will be processed. Don’t be late! Submit your June claim before midnight on July 4, 2024.

Apply for the Higher Tier Anytime

Has your household grown larger? Has your household income decreased? Do you now receive a qualifying service such as FoodShare? If so, you may qualify to receive the higher Tier 1 rates. You may also qualify to claim the residential children living in your home, if applicable. Applications and federal income guidelines are here under Financial.

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.

WECA’s Policy on Provider Suspension from Wisconsin Shares

If a provider is suspended from the Wisconsin Shares child care subside payment system, WECA will suspend that provider from Food Program participation effective the date of the Shares suspension, until the provider communicates to WECA what their intention is regarding the Shares suspension: i.e., to stay open and appeal suspension, or to close the family child care center.
If a provider intends to close and not appeal or fails to communicate with WECA within seven working days of the suspension, then WECA will drop that provider.
If the provider states they intend to stay open and provide care for the children even though they are not being guaranteed payment, or has private pay children and remains regulated, WECA will closely monitor that provider. WECA may request that a copy of state attendance records be sent with the monthly claim to ensure the claim is valid. Additional requirements such as monthly parent signatures on attendance records may also be required.

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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