Food and Nutrition Program Mandated Annual Training Components

Food and Nutrition Program Mandated Annual Training Components Learning Objectives 1. Review Program Meal Patterns 2. Review Meal Counts 3. Review Claims Submission 4. Review Claims Review Procedures 5. Review Recordkeeping Requirements 6. Review Reimbursement System 7. Review Civil Rights ChildCareGroup Food and Nutrition Program Mandated Annual Training Components, 2012 1 P a g e

1. Review Program Meal Patterns Review the following program meal charts: Breakfast FOOD COMPONENTS 1) Low-fat (1%) Milk, fluid*** AND 2) Fruit or Vegetable or Full Strength Juice AND 3) Bread Cornbread, Biscuits, Rolls, Muffins, Pancakes, Waffles, etc. Cold Dry Cereal Cooked Cereal or Pasta 1-2 YR 1/2Cup 3-5 YR 1/3 Cup 6-12 YR 1 Cup 1 Slice 1 Serving Lunch/Supper FOOD COMPONENTS 1) Low-fat (1%) Milk, fluid*** AND 2) Vegetable/Fruit** AND 3) Bread Cornbread, Biscuits, Rolls, Muffins, Cooked Pasta/Noodle Products Cereal Grains AND 4) Lean Meat, Poultry or Fish Cheese Eggs (Large) Cooked Dry Beans/Peas Peanut or Soynut Butter Peanuts, Soynuts or Other Tree Nuts/Seeds* Yogurt 1-2 YR 1/2 Egg (Lg) 2 Tbsp. (50%) 4 Ounce () 3-5 YR 1 s 1 s 3/4 Egg (Lg) 3/8 Cup 3 Tbsp. 3/4 Oz. (50%) 6 Ounces () 6-12 YR 1 Cup 1 Slice 1 Serving 2 Ounces 2 Ounces 1 Egg (Lg) 4 Tbsp. (50%) 8 Ounces (1 Cup) Supplements (Snacks) - Select 2 of 4 Components FOOD COMPONENTS 1) Low-fat (1%) Milk, fluid*** 2) Vegetable and/or Fruit or Full Strength Juice 3) Bread Cornbread, Biscuits, Rolls, Muffins Saltines Graham or Whole-grain Crackers Cold Dry Cereal Cooked Cereal Pasta 4) Lean Meat, Poultry or Fish Cheese Eggs (Lg) Cooked Dry Beans/Peas Peanut or Soynut Butter Peanuts, Soynuts or Seeds Yogurt (Plain, Sweetened or Flavored) 1-2 YR (Total) 4 Squares 2 Squares ¼ Cup 1/2 Egg (Lg) 1/8 Cup 1 Tbsp. 2 Ounces (1/4 cup) 3-5 YR (Total) 4 Squares 2 Squares 1/3 Cup ¼ Cup 1/2 Egg (Lg) 1/8 Cup 1 Tbsp. 2 Ounces () 6-12 YR 1 Cup (Total) 1 Slice 1 Serving 8 Squares 4 Squares ½ Cup 1/2 Egg (Lg) 2 Tbsp. 4 Ounces () *When using nuts as a meat alternate, combine with another meat/meat alternate such as cheese, eggs, etc. **Need two (2) separate servings of fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s) in order to meet the Vegetables/Fruits requirement for lunch or dinner. ***Low-fat (1%), skim or non-fat milk is the only milk that is creditable for children ages 2 and over. Only children between the ages of 1 and 2 may be fed another type of milk, preferably whole milk. ChildCareGroup Food and Nutrition Program Mandated Annual Training Components, 2012 2 P a g e

Infant Meal Pattern Chart: From Day 1 to the end of 3 months, the baby must be fed: BREAKFAST 1) IF Infant Formula (4-6 oz.) Breast Milk (4-6 oz.) LUNCH/SUPPER 1) IF Infant Formula (4-6 oz.) Breast Milk (4-6 oz.) SNACK 1) IF Infant Formula (4-6 oz.) Breast Milk (4-6 oz.) From the day the baby turns 4 months to the end of 7 months, the baby must be fed: BREAKFAST 1) IF Infant Formula (4-8 oz.) Breast Milk (4-8 oz.) WHEN DEV READY: IF Infant Cereal(0-3T) LUNCH/SUPPER 1) IF Infant Formula (4-8 oz.) Breast Milk (4-8 oz.) WHEN DEV READY: IF Infant Cereal(0-3T) AND/ Fruit and/or Vegetable (0-3T) SNACK 1) IF Infant Formula (4-6 oz.) Breast Milk (4-6 oz.) From the day the baby turns 8 months until the day the baby turns 1 year, the baby must be fed: BREAKFAST 1) IF Infant Formula (6-8 oz.) Breast Milk (6-8 oz.) AND 2) IF Infant Cereal(2-4T) AND 3) Fruit and/or Vegetable (1-4 T) LUNCH/SUPPER 1) IF Infant Formula (6-8 oz.) Breast Milk (6-8 oz.) AND 2) Fruit and/or Vegetable (1-4T) AND 3) IF Infant Cereal(2-4T) AND/ Meat, Fish, Poultry, Egg Yolk, Cooked Dry Beans/Peas (1-4T) Cheese(1/2-2 oz.) Cottage Cheese Cheese Food Cheese Spread (1-4 oz.) SNACK 1) IF Infant Formula (2-4 oz.) Breast Milk (2-4 oz.) Full Strength Fruit Juice (2-4 oz.) WHEN DEV READY: Crusty Bread (0-1/2) Crackers (0-2) ChildCareGroup Food and Nutrition Program Mandated Annual Training Components, 2012 3 P a g e

2. Review Meal Counts Attendance and meal counts must be recorded daily for all children in care in order for the provider to be reimbursed. Failure to do so on a daily basis will result in denial of benefits including disallowance of meals/reimbursement. Attendance and meal count records must be submitted monthly with menu records (in either paper or electronic form) to the food program in order to receive reimbursement. Use the form (or website) provided by the food program. Currently all forms are available for download from our website: www.childcaregroup.org (Provider section). The website to submit electronically is www.minutemenukids.com/welcome. You should contact the food program for your username and initial password. Paper: Record your name in the space provided for "Name of Provider" (automatic on electronic version). Record the month and year of participation in the space provided, and record the day and date daily in the space provided at the top of each column (automatic on electronic version). Record the names of all children in attendance in the column for "Names of Children" whether or not they will be claimed on the food program (automatic on electronic version). Note the ages of the children in the column provided; if less than two (2) years of age, note the age in months (automatic on electronic version). Place a check mark ( ) in the "AT" (attendance) column for all children in attendance whether or not they will be claimed on the food program. Paper: Record which children are absent in the "AT" column with an (A). Do not check in the left hand column on the electronic version if the child is not in care today. Record which children participating in the CACFP are claimed for each meal with a check mark ( ) in the appropriate column. Check ( ) the meal columns only for children who are enrolled in the CACFP and for whom you are claiming reimbursement, but check ( ) every child present in attendance whether or not they are claimed for meals. A school-age child may not be claimed at lunch when school is regularly in session unless the child is ill. Providers must document when a school-age child is ill in order to claim the child at lunch. Providers must also document when school is not in session if they will be claiming school age children for lunch. 3. Review Claims Submission Mail menu and meal count records to our offices on the first (1st) day of each month (for the previous month). Minute Menu users should submit records via the Internet on the first day of the new month. Records must be received by the 3 rd working day of the month in order to be reimbursed promptly by the Food and Nutrition Program. Late records will be processed as long as they are received by the monthly deadline (deadline is determined monthly and depends on when we file the monthly claim with TDA). Receipt of menus after the monthly claim has been filed with TDA may result in non-payment of the meals. With this in mind, please inform us if your records will be late so that proper arrangements can be made. Include enrollment forms for all new children added during the current month ChildCareGroup Food and Nutrition Program Mandated Annual Training Components, 2012 4 P a g e

along with your menu records and attendance sheets. Minute Menu users should submit enrollments immediately upon enrolling the children. Check your records carefully for proper completion at the time of meal service and again before submitting to the food program. Any meals not meeting the TDA/USDA requirements will be disallowed for reimbursement. Keep the yellow copies of all forms including your menus, attendance sheets and enrollment forms. Providers should keep back up copies of all food program forms in case of the loss of the original forms. It is a federal mandate that providers keep food program records for three years from any point in time before discarding. The Food and Nutrition Program provides 2-part NCR forms for this purpose. The Food and Nutrition Program will keep original records for no less than 3 years and 3 months, and provider records are accessible on Minute Menu KIDS for four or more years. 4. Review Claims Review Procedures USDA requires the sponsoring agency of the CACFP to perform monitoring visits of each provider's home. The monitoring visit has a dual purpose: to provide technical assistance in meeting program requirements as well as to share new ideas and provide nutrition education, and To verify program participation and review day care operation for compliance with the program regulations. The Food and Nutrition Program performs at least three monitor visits to each home each year. Additional visits may be performed for the purpose of training and/or technical assistance or if additional verification of program participation is needed at the discretion of the Food and Nutrition Program staff. In order to verify program participation, the following schedule of attempted visits may be followed: After the first failed attempt to perform an unannounced monitor visit, the provider may be contacted by phone and asked to explain why program participation could not be verified. The meal will be disallowed if the provider is not home and no notice is given. A second monitor attempt will be performed within two weeks. After the second failed attempt to perform an unannounced monitor visit within a 12 month period of time, the provider may be offered a Corrective Action Plan which will be mailed to them certified, return receipt requested by FedEx. Providers do not have the option of not entering into a Corrective Action Plan if they continue to participate in the program. Corrective Action Plans will be in effect for a maximum of 30 days. A provider who refuses to enter into a Corrective Action Plan will be declared seriously deficient and notified of proposed termination from the food program. If this occurs, the provider will be notified of appeal rights at the same time. After any failed visit or at the discretion of the nutrition staff, we may choose to contact the parents of children in care to verify enrollment and attendance. If, during a monitor visit, it is determined that the provider is out of compliance in any area (examples include: ratio, incomplete forms, serving outside of mealtimes, etc.), the provider will be informed of the non-compliance and may be reported to the Department of Family and Protective Services (if the non-compliance is in regards to ChildCareGroup Food and Nutrition Program Mandated Annual Training Components, 2012 5 P a g e

ratio or compliance). The provider may then be offered a Corrective Action Plan and a follow-up visit may be necessary. The Corrective Action Plan will allow at least 30 days for the provider to correct the non-compliance. Within the specified corrective action period, a number of unannounced monitor visits may be performed. If, at the end of the specified period, the provider is still out of compliance, the provider will be declared seriously deficient and notified of the intent to terminate program participation. The provider will be notified of appeal rights at the same time. What You Can Expect of the Food Program Staff A monitoring visit is a time you can ask questions and explain problems you may be having with the food program. The food program staff member will usually visit with the children while you are preparing the meal to allow you to concentrate on getting the food ready. Our staff members understand that any visit from an adult who is not usually in the day home may be disruptive to children. Children frequently are excited and deviate from their normal behavior during monitoring visits. The monitor is there to provide technical assistance and to review compliance with CACFP regulations, not to judge the behavior of children. What the Food Program Staff Expects of the Provider Providers should proceed with meal preparation as usual and not feel as if the food program representative should be entertained. Providers should serve meals within their allowed meal service times (check your agreement or with your representative if you are not sure of your allowable times). Providers should request help in understanding the meal patterns and/or meeting the nutrition requirements. The role of the monitor is to make the food program work. To do this, she needs to understand any food program problems you may be encountering. The provider should facilitate the process by allowing the food program representative to observe all menu and attendance/meal count records for the current month (either paper or electronic). Should the menus or meal counts not be available, the monitor will inform the provider that no reimbursement can be made for meals/snacks claimed prior to the day of the monitor visit. If menus or attendance/meal count records are not up to date (or are not produced for review), the provider may be placed on a Corrective Action Plan in order to facilitate correction of the non-compliance. Remember that your representative is a resource to assist you in making sure the children in your care receive the nutrition they need. 5. Review Record Keeping Requirements All records (menus, meal counts and attendance records) must be documented daily at the point of meal service or no later than the end of the day. Parent sign in/out sheets are highly recommended as alternate documentation to help us determine the normal schedules of children in care. ChildCareGroup Food and Nutrition Program Mandated Annual Training Components, 2012 6 P a g e

6. Review Reimbursement System All claims regardless of whether they are submitted manually (on paper) or electronically are reimbursed using direct deposit. All electronic claims submitted no later than the 2 nd working day of the month will be processed and paid within a matter of days, usually on or before the 6 th working day of the month. All paper claims received no later than the 3 rd working day of the month will be processed and paid next usually on or before the 8 th working day of the month. All electronic and or paper claims that are submitted after the dates specified above will be processed and paid as late claims and are still usually paid by about the 10 th of the month, depending on the date received. All claims that show a ratio problem (more children are in care than allowed by Child Care Licensing) may require additional processing time. Paper claims may require an extra processing day in months where a holiday falls at the beginning of the month (January, July, September), but not always. 7. Review Civil Rights Please review the following information on Civil Rights: 1. USDA prevents discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. 2. There are different types of discrimination and in Civil Rights unlawful discrimination could be demonstrated by the following: Giving one group or type of participants larger or extra helpings of food while not providing the same to other groups or types of participants, i.e., serving boys larger portions than girls. Separating genders, i.e., putting the girls separate from the boys. Closing programs in areas easily accessible by all groups. Failing to provide children with special needs accommodating meals. Failing to provide program information to all potential program participants. 3. Discrimination is the treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor or against, a person based on the group, class, or category to which that person belongs. Unlawful discrimination in any form is strictly prohibited whether a program is fully or partially federally funded. Unlawful discrimination can be intentional or unintentional. 4. If services cannot be provided because of structural barriers, the CE must: Inform the person with disabilities of alternative sites where they can receive services and Pay all or part of any additional cost the person with disabilities incurs as a result of being transported to the alternate site. Sometimes paying such costs is not required, contact your F&N Community Operations Office for additional information. 5. FDHs serving breakfast, lunch, snacks and/or supper, are required to serve special meals without additional charge to children with disabilities who have diet restrictions. Programs that provide meals have the additional requirement to ensure meal modifications for persons with disabilities. Modifications can include, but are not limited to: ChildCareGroup Food and Nutrition Program Mandated Annual Training Components, 2012 7 P a g e

Changing the texture of the food served, i.e., the menu has carrots for lunch and a program participant cannot eat solid carrots so you mash the carrots for that participant. Serving an alternative selection that meets the meal guide requirements, i.e., a program participant is lactose intolerant and cannot drink fluid milk so you serve fluid soymilk to that participant. 6. It is unlawful to treat a customer differently if they have filed a Civil Rights complaint or participated in an investigation. Retaliation is unacceptable and against the law. Should the complainant persist with their complaint, directed them to file their complaint with USDA s Office of Civil Rights at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410. 1 (866) 632-9992; 1 (800) 877-8339 Federal Relay Service; 1 (800) 845-6136 Spanish Speaking Assistance. 7. USDA FNS requires data pertaining to race and ethnicity be collected and maintained by sponsors. The data collected is used to determine how effectively the programs are reaching potentially eligible persons and beneficiaries, identify areas where additional outreach is needed, assist in the selection of locations for compliance reviews and complete reports as required. Some programs are also required to collect benefit level data for potentially eligible program participants and actual program participants. Self-identification or self-reporting is the preferred method of obtaining characteristic data. Program applicants and participants should be encouraged to provide the information by explaining the use of the statistical data. All personal information collected from program applicants and participants is confidential and should be safe guarded appropriately. ChildCareGroup Food and Nutrition Program Mandated Annual Training Components, 2012 8 P a g e