Is It Worth Doing The Food Program?

[Unregistered]

I know that every state is different, but I would like to you know general your thoughts about participating in the food programs to be reimbursed?
It is worth all the paperwork?
How do you come up with your menus?
Is it worth it if you only serve snacks?

I just started offering snacks begining next week.
Thanks
MNM

[Cat Herder]

It depends where you live.

For me it is not, I just take the deductions at the end of the year. I come out MUCH better.

In some areas, they would lose money by opting out.

I use MMK PRO and follow all food program (USDA) guidelines, though... It would be next to impossible for me to compete without offering the best possible service for the cost.

[MyAngels]

It's money you wouldn't receive otherwise, so yes it's worth it to me. You are entitled to take the same deduction at tax time whether you are on the program or not, so that's not a factor for me.

Paperwork is minimal if you use the online claiming system.

You do get visited by the program rep a few times a year, but mine are always nice so I don't see that as a negative.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I do it online through Minute Menu Kids. The paperwork is MINIMAL and I definitely think it is worth it.
My rep is nice as well and pretty easygoing.

[nanglgrl]

I ponder this weekly. I'm on the food program but since we make too much money I get a lower reimbursement for my daycare children unless they are low income and fill out a free/reduced lunch form.
When things were all paper I would have to say it wasn't worth it. It was a pain if we decided we wanted to change what we were eating on that day and my hand was all cramped at the end of the month when everything was due.
Now we are online which makes things so much easier and we don't HAVE to plan our meals in advance. That means I can just look through what I have in the fridge and cupboards (I always have plenty of fruits/veges/food in the house) and make healthy meal and then document it. I like this so much better, It doesn't mean I don't plan as I still have a general idea of our weeks meals when I go purchase groceries every weekend but I like the flexibility.
Our reps come out twice a year unannounced and once announced and we have to take a training class each year.

[snbauser]

For me it's worth it. There are two ways to qualify for the higher rates - either as a family or by your local school. Our local school qualifies us. The paperwork is minimal now that it is online. The monthly check is nice. We get 3 or 4 visits each year and have to attend 1 training a year.

[butterfly]

I earn the higher tier rate, so it's certainly worth it for me.

Yes, it's a hassle to do the paperwork, but I'd have to keep track of most all that information anyways to be able to claim the meals on my taxes. And I like the minute menu's program that tracks it all for me. And they send me a form at the end of the year stating the number of meals that I can claim on taxes.

You will have about 3 unannounced visits per year, but if you are licensed or registered you are going to have unannounced visits anyways.

You'll probably have to attend an annual meeting as well. But it's an excuse to get out of the house and it counts toward my education credits needed each year to maintain my license.

The parents seem to like knowing that I'm on the food program. They get a sense of security knowing their children are getting healthy meals.

My state also makes us post a weekly menu and requires "healthy" meal options. So I feel like it's not that much more work than what I'm already required to do for my license or for tax purposes. That extra money each month works out to about the equivilent of 1 child's rate for me. So I feel like the paperwork is much less work than caring for an extra child every day.

[MarinaVanessa]

I think it's worth it because in essence you get paid twice when you participate.
You get "paid" when you get your reimbursement checks and then you claim all of the meals that you served and even the meals you couldn't claim on the food program again on your taxes as a deduction. The reimbursement checks are extra income you wouldn't otherwise be getting.

For example:

If I didn't participate in the food program last year ...
I served 342 breakfast, 765 morning snacks, 949 lunches, 917 afternoon snacks, 575 suppers and 11 evening snacks.
I can claim $5,127.93 worth of meals.

If I participate in food program last year ...
I served 342 breakfast, 765 morning snacks, 949 lunches, 917 afternoon snacks, 575 suppers and 11 evening snacks.
Program reimbursed 342 breakfasts, 765 AM snacks, 949 lunches, 917 PM snacks, no suppers and no evening snacks.
I was able to claim $5,127.93 worth of meals on my taxes and
received almost $3,800 of extra income from the food program.

For me at least it was a no brainer, but then again our food program also accepts the Minute Menu submissions and I am paid the higher tier bracket. We also don't have tons of impossible paperwork, I just have to remember to mark my meals everyday.

[Cat Herder]

The reimbursement is counted as income on your taxes. If you are married, make too much income (for poverty status), live in the lowest tier area and both have more than one job, the decision gets a little tricky...

I did love the classes and resources that used to be available in my area.

[sharlan]

I am anti food program. I've had both good and bad experiences with it, but the bad outweighed the good for me.

Personally, I don't like the unannounced visits. I don't have a problem with licensing, but don't want the others. If I want to take off and go on an outing, I am not going to stop and call someone to let them know. If they want to call and say, I'll be here this week, fine, but that's not how it works.

Plus, I often use leftovers for lunch. I over cook intentionally to have enough for lunch for me and the kids the next day. I understand that to be a no-no.

Also, if I feel like McD's or Pizza Hut for lunch, that's what the kids are having. (Yes, I know fast food is terrible and I should never, ever, ever give it to the kids, but I do.)

[MarinaVanessa]

I am anti food program. I've had both good and bad experiences with it, but the bad outweighed the good for me.

Personally, I don't like the unannounced visits. I don't have a problem with licensing, but don't want the others. If I want to take off and go on an outing, I am not going to stop and call someone to let them know. If they want to call and say, I'll be here this week, fine, but that's not how it works.
This is definitively a drag, especially for someone like me that goes out on walks to the park weekly.

Plus, I often use leftovers for lunch. I over cook intentionally to have enough for lunch for me and the kids the next day. I understand that to be a no-no.
I've heard about this restriction in some states. Our food program allows us to cook large amounts of food and save some for later if we immediately freeze/refrigerate it immediately. Food can only be heated/thawed once so I put my extra food in smaller containers and only thaw/heat what I'm going to use. It stinks that this isn't allowed in other states/areas.

Also, if I feel like McD's or Pizza Hut for lunch, that's what the kids are having. (Yes, I know fast food is terrible and I should never, ever, ever give it to the kids, but I do.) We are allowed to serve whatever we want but only the stuff that qualifies for the food program can be claimed so on days that are special I may decide to order a pizza and I just don't claim that meal for that day and this is allowed.

I commented in blue.

I'm always surprised at how different the food program interpretations can be depending on each area.

[itlw8]

If you walk down the road and see a $1 bill do you pick it up or leave it?

If you have 1 hour of paperwork a month and only get $100 because you are on teir 2 and only have a couple of kids. Is $100 an hour worth it ? In my state we still have to feed the children following th same guidelines... so yes it is worth it to me. Why throw away money.

[sharlan]

The reimbursement is counted as income on your taxes. If you are married, make too much income (for poverty status), live in the lowest tier area and both have more than one job, the decision gets a little tricky...

I did love the classes and resources that used to be available in my area.

I loved the class until the lady said, "You do not have to feed the daycare kids the same quality of food you feed your family. An example is hot dogs. I buy my family kosher hot dogs, but feed the daycare kids chicken franks that I buy on sale for dirt cheap."

I will not feed my daycare kids anything that I would not serve to my own family.

[itlw8]

The reimbursement is counted as income on your taxes. If you are married, make too much income (for poverty status), live in the lowest tier area and both have more than one job, the decision gets a little tricky...

I did love the classes and resources that used to be available in my area.

Yes it is income BUT if your income is that low that it would matter for EIC then YOUR children would be paid also and THAT is not income. ANd it is far less work that 1 child. so it would be easier to keep one less child and then be on the food program for far less work.

If you are porverty status then you would be teir one based on your income.

You will always come out ahead money wise if you are on the food program BUT if you do not like to follow rules and have 3 or 4 visits a year then I suppose it is not worth it.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I loved the class until the lady said, "You do not have to feed the daycare kids the same quality of food you feed your family. An example is hot dogs. I buy my family kosher hot dogs, but feed the daycare kids chicken franks that I buy on sale for dirt cheap."

I will not feed my daycare kids anything that I would not serve to my own family.

I serve the kids tons of things I would never serve my own because of what the USDA food program requirements are.
The sheer volume of grain the food program requires, the volume of milk, the way the meals are laid out, etc.

For example: For MY kids breakfast I would give them scrambled eggs, a half of an avocado, and some cantelope. To drink, they could have water.
In the food program, scrambled eggs count for nothing as a breakfast food and I have to serve a grain and milk.