Food Program Anniversaries in July

5 years: Veronica Kirk, Courtney Krawczyk, Jacqueline Jewell 

10 years: Rayann Attoe  

15 years: Nutrina Brown 

20 years:  Sandra Gonzalez  

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

Components and Crediting 

Ask the Food Program

Question:

The meals and snacks for the infant I care for and claim are being deducted. I don’t understand why. Help!

Answer:

Thank you for that question. There are several reasons why this might occur.

• The child is not fully enrolled, or the Child Enrollment information is not accurate.
• If you and the child’s parent have not fully completed the electronic Child Enrollment (CE)/Parent Provider Formula Agreement (PFA), no payment can be issued. Check your copy of the completed Child Enrollment:
• Is the information complete?
• Is the information accurate? Verify that the child’s date of birth is correct. If the date of birth populated shows that the child is younger than 12 months of age, the Parent Provider Formula Agreement will be part of the form.
• During electronic enrollment for an infant child, be sure you select Formula Agreement in the ‘Other’ field. 

NOTE: The PFA is part of the electronic Child Enrollment. 

• If required information was missing from the Child Enrollment (CE) or the Parent Provider Formula Agreement (PFA), Food Program policy is to trigger re-enrollment in the database to require that information to be updated. For example, in the Child Enrollment information imaged below, the provider has not selected the iron-fortified infant formula they offer at no additional charge to families with infants in care. Providers who have not completed the CE or PFA completely or accurately would be informed by phone or email that the Food Program was triggering re-enrollment of that child. 

Reminder: DPI requires that all children in care – including drop-in children – be enrolled on CACFP.  

• The child’s Parent Provider Formula Agreement (PFA) shows the use of an Exempt Formula.  

In the image below, the provider has selected an Exempt Formula: 

“An exempt infant formula is an infant formula intended for commercial or charitable distribution that is represented and labeled for use by infants who have inborn errors of metabolism or low birth weight, or who otherwise have unusual medical or dietary problems.” (Source: https://www.fda.gov/food/infant-formula-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/exempt-infant-formulas-marketed-united-states-manufacturer-and-category )

To be paid for meals and snacks for infants being offered Exempt Formula, provider and the parent must submit and have approved Special Diet documents on file for that child. Without approved Special Diet documents, the child’s meals and snacks must be disallowed throughout their infancy. 

• The child’s Parent Provider Formula Agreement (PFA) shows that the parent provides both the iron-fortified infant formula (IFIF) and the infant’s foods. 

When an infant child is not developmentally ready for pureed or solid foods and is consuming only iron-fortified infant formula (IFIF) - whether the provider or the parent provides the IFIF – the provider can be paid for up to two meals and one snack OR two snacks and one meal per day. When the child becomes developmentally ready for foods and both the IFIF and the infant foods are shown to be provided by the child’s parent, no payment can be issued because the provider is not providing any components of that meal or snack. See the images below which show an excerpt of the electronic Child Enrollment Form/Provider Formula Agreement sent to the parent,  followed by the database information after the parent has completed and submitted the Child Enrollment/PFA.  

The Food Program reminds providers to check the accuracy and completeness of Child Enrollment forms, and for infant children, Parent Provider Formula Agreements. If you discover inaccuracies, or if the information should change – for example, a parent who formerly opted to provide infant foods has agreed for you to provide it – email the Food Program at foodprogram@wisconsinearlychildhood.org. The accuracy of your claims and payments depends on the accuracy of the information you provide during Child Enrollment and on Parent Provider Formula Agreements.

Recipe(s) to Try!  

Try this recipe for Rainbow Rice combining brightly colored vegetables with whole grain-rich grains from the USDA Recipes for Healthy Kids: Cookbook for Homes! student chef competition.  

Explore additional recipes here: https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/recipes-healthy-kids-cookbook-homes  

NOTE: The pearled barley required for this recipe does not credit as whole grain-rich:  

Dairy MILK – New Guidance!  

New guidance permitting the offering of whole milk, reduced fat 2% milk, low fat 1% milk and fat-free milk to children ages 2+ on CACFP went into effect on June 8th, 2026. Whole milk is still the required milk for children aged 1. Find more information here.  

Monitoring and Oversight

Tiering Expired on June 30, 2026 

Every income eligibility determination expired on June 30, 2026. 

Important reminders about tier applications: 

• The deadline for a July 1st effective date is always July 31. 
• United States Department of Agriculture (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. 

Tier information and applications will be sent to your email address on file on July 1, 2026.

Provider Suspension from WI Shares Policy  

If a provider is suspended from the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy payment system, the WECA Food Program will suspend the provider from Food Program participation, effective the date of the Shares suspension, until the provider communicates to the Food Program what their intention is regarding the Shares suspension. 

• If the provider intends to close their child care home and not appeal, or if the provider fails to communicate with WECA within 7 working days of the suspension, WECA will drop that provider from the Food Program. 
• If the provider intends to stay open and provide care for children – even though payment for care is not guaranteed, or if the provider has private pay children - and the provider remains regulated, WECA will closely monitor that provider. The Food Program may request copies of the state attendance records to be submitted to ensure the monthly claim is valid. Additional requirements – for example, parent signatures on attendance forms – may also be required. 

Vacationing, Field Tripping, or Otherwise Out and About? Update us! 

Report any days or times you will be closed or away from your child care during your business hours. Call or email your Area Coordinator before 7 a.m. to let them know. If your Area Coordinator shows up for a visit during a scheduled meal or snack service and you are gone, that meal or snack must be deducted. This is a federal regulation. 

NOTE: Reporting your closures in CACFP.Net or in the WI CCPP does not satisfy this requirement.  

September-May Reporting School-Aged Child in Care During School Hours 

Reporting School-aged children in care is not required from June through August. Resume reporting this to the Food Program in September.  

CACFP: Available to Children from Birth Through Age 12  

On the date of the 13th birthday, children in care ‘age out’ of Food Program participation. The exception to this is for children with a documented and verified Special Need – a handicapping condition that significantly interferes with day-to-day life. Documents to submit for Special Needs can be found on the Food Program website clustered under Special Dietary Needs Requests and Special Needs Verification.  

The completed Special Needs Verification must be submitted to foodprogram@wisconsinearlychildhood.org and approved. The ages listed on the provider’s certificate or license must also allow for care past age 13.  

USDA CACFP Reimbursement Rates for Family Child Care Homes  

Current Tier 1 and Tier 2 reimbursement rates per meal or snack are available here. 

NOTE: the rate the Wisconsin Food Program sponsorships receive also is listed. Providers’ monthly claims - no matter how many or how few meals or snacks each individual provider claims - are the source of funding for the WECA Food Program. 



• You depend on your Food Program reimbursement.  

AND 

• The Food Program depends on your claim! 

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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