National Days in October

Oct. 2: National Pumpkin Seed Day



Read Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie, (Esbaum, 2009) a non-fiction book about the life cycle of pumpkins! Enjoy pumpkin seeds with a meal or snack.  

Note: Pumpkin flesh or puree baked into pumpkin bread or cooked into homemade soup typically does not contain at least an 1/8 c (or 2T) of visible vegetable per serving and does not credit on CACFP. (See p 58 and 59 of the Crediting Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program)

Food Program Anniversaries in October

5 years:  Toni Lieske   

10 years: Elliott Cortney, Jane Beissel, Lisa Houck, Danielle Hince   

15 years:  Dawn Stolzman, Janelle Moran  

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

Welcome to Our New Providers!

Larosa in Racine 

Dana in Porterfield 

Tetiana in Cedarburg 

Maria, Clenteria, Andrea and Precious in Milwaukee 

We welcome you and applaud this mark of professionalism!  

Components and Crediting 

Recipes to Try! 

Try this recipe for Applesauce Pancakes from MyPlate. 

Ask the Food Program

Question:

I am noticing information that changes frequently in my Claim Summary for the monthly claim I just submitted. After a day or two, this stops. It is concerning. Why is this happening?  

Answer:

While the WECA Food Program is processing the claim, information is displayed in the provider’s Claim Summary that may change as processing progresses. Some information related to the claim is more involved to review, needing claim by claim review by a staff member. Once claims have been fully reviewed and processed, the Claim Summary information will stop updating, as you noted, and the pending payment amount of the provider’s claim will be populated. 

Up to the 20th of the month in which your reimbursement was received, if you notice problems and need to request an adjustment to your claim, call or email the Food Program to request a Claim Adjustment Request. If the Food Program has made an error in processing your claim, you will be reimbursed. Adjustments cannot be made for late claims, for late or corrected forms, or for provider error. 

Homemade Combination Foods

Whenever you serve one of your 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. 

What are Commercial Combination Foods? 

Commercial combination foods are only creditable when the actual content is known and documented by the product’s manufacturer. If you serve any commercial combination food, you must keep one of these on file: 

•  Its Child Nutrition (CN) label OR 
• It's product formulation statement, which you may request from the manufacturer. 

The CN label shows the item’s contribution to the USDA meal pattern requirements. Read labels carefully: some products might meet only one requirement. A CN label does not indicate that a product is healthy. Commercial combination foods are often high in sodium, fat, and calories and can be expensive. 

When your area coordinator observes commercial combination foods being served, they may verify that adequate portions were served, using your required documentation. Your area coordinator must view this documentation when these foods are indicated on a provider’s menus. Otherwise, per USDA regulation, they must deduct that meal service.  

(Taken from CACFP Creditable and Non-Creditable Foods Guide 1-18 Year Olds and Adult Participants in Adult Daycare Centers)

(Taken from Crediting store-bought Combination Foods and Processed Meat/Meat Alternates)

USDA: Crediting Fruits Tip Sheet  

Looking for more information about crediting fruits on CACFP? USDA offers these helpful tips! 

Monitoring and Oversight

2025 Provider Training: Big Changes Ahead! 

On Oct. 1, 2024, the WECA Food Program will launch a new provider training that uses a new platform and follows a new timeline. Provider Training will be available from Oct. 1-31. 

Here is a user guide explaining how to login and complete the training.

The benefits: 

• User friendly platform; 
• Immediate feedback; 
• Results sent immediately to the Food Program.  

Upon completion, providers will be emailed: 

(1) a copy of their training to keep with their Food Program records, and  

(2) training certificates from both the Food Program and the Registry. 

DON’T BE LATE! 

• Complete and submit your 2025 Training when it opens Oct. 1, 2024. 

Will you Be Out, on a Field Trip, or on Vacation? 

Be sure to report any dates 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 will be deducted. This is a federal regulation.

Civil Rights: Your Responsibilities 

Be sure you: 

• Enroll all children in care onto CACFP regardless of age or protected class. This includes infant children, drop-in children or children with disabilities. 
• Offer iron-fortified infant formula and infant foods to all infants in care at no additional cost to families, giving parents the option to supply component(s) only if they choose. 
• Offer meals and snacks to all children in care and meal substitutions to children with disabilities. 
• Post or distribute the Building for the Future flier. 
• Include the current USDA nondiscrimination statement on any materials which mention USDA and/or CACFP, including your website, policy book or other marketing materials. 

Claiming an Infant 

You Must: 

• Inform WECA whenever a parent supplies one meal component (solid or fluid) for an infant. Complete One Infant Meal Component Provided by Parent found on the Food Program website 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. Complete Infants of the Same Age fed Different Foods found on the Food Program website and submit.

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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