Food "Police".....of Course Today!!!!

[daycarediva]

We do have to let them know if we have a planned closing (vacations and such) but that's more of a courtesy as they cover a very large area. I do not have to call them if I'm closed due to illness, etc.

Are you enrolled with CACFP? It's so odd how it differs regionally.

I have to notify them of my scheduled closings and email in the morning if it's an unexpected closing. I also have to notify them of meals off site, and where we will be and they CAN (and have) showed up there.

I get a drop in visit every 3 months or so, always for lunch or PM snack, since I live quite a ways away from the office.

If they show at the house and we aren't there, I can't claim for the day. I also cant claim if she shows at my designated time and we aren't eating. She IS reasonable though, if I am still cooking and we are running a few minutes late, or early and she can see what we had, she claims it as seeing the meal served.

[crazydaycarelady]

Once per year my rep likes to see the ENTIRE meal. Prep, cooking through serving and the kids eating. In that case she would show up early.

[drseuss]

Our food program rep says that she is supposed to see a meal or snack being prepared, served OR cleaned up. That's it. She does not micro-manage at all. If lunch was moved up 20 minutes, she gets it because she's a FCC provider too. She's super awesome and so is the agency.

[Play Care]

Are you enrolled with CACFP? It's so odd how it differs regionally.

I have to notify them of my scheduled closings and email in the morning if it's an unexpected closing. I also have to notify them of meals off site, and where we will be and they CAN (and have) showed up there.

I get a drop in visit every 3 months or so, always for lunch or PM snack, since I live quite a ways away from the office.

If they show at the house and we aren't there, I can't claim for the day. I also cant claim if she shows at my designated time and we aren't eating. She IS reasonable though, if I am still cooking and we are running a few minutes late, or early and she can see what we had, she claims it as seeing the meal served.

Wow! I gather last month they came here for a pop in. We were here but had already started nap and I didn't hear them (they knocked rather then ring the bell). I still got credit for the meal.

[SignMeUp]

Wow, which agency are you with?

My food program rep is AWESOME!! We are only required to hang a "we are out" sign on the door if we aren't here so she knows to come back later (same day if she has time...or another day if she doesn't). We don't have to tell them ahead of time as we don't always know.

We also give time frames for meals that overlap so that ALL meals are credible no matter when they are served.

I've also NEVER received 2 visits in a month Ours comes every 3-4 months and is SUPER respectful and polite about her "surprise" visits. I was doing an interview once when she arrived. Rather than interrupting me, she just went to another provider's house and came back later. She could have checked my paperwork etc but she said she felt it was disrespectful to be there while I was trying to interview a prospective client.

I used to have a horrible rep (different agency) but now I've had this same gal for a few years now and she is fantastic!! I think I've pretty much gotten all the providers in my area to switch over to her agency.

PCI. Been with them from their first day. It was started by someone who was with QCC but they went defunct. In the 80s::

They used to let us use the doorknocker sign too, but that's no longer allowed. We used to have overlapping meal times, but no longer allowed. It's supposed to be three times/year, two unannounced, but in reality they are all unannounced. They must have instructions to not do visits in the same order each tri and that is why they can end up so close together.

My rep is fantastic though. I never drop what I'm doing to run to the door. My dc parents wait. The FedEx guy waits. The door knockers from the church preschool down the street wait. The Jehovah's Witnesses wait. The county and the food program people wait.
I just will not interrupt my kids' question/book/diaper change to dash to the door. So my fp rep usually ends up calling me because she's not positive I'm here, but I haven't sent the online notice/called her/texted her that I will not be here.
I'm pretty sure she could just ding me for the meal (not reimburse) because I don't get to the door immediately. But she never does and that is why I lovethis her and appreciate her every single time.

It is an incredible pain to have to "call in" though, and I am still never certain that I have done it every time (though I do it online and it's in my email -- somewhere).

They do always make it seem as if these are new federal regulations though -- so I'm curious how other providers' food program people do things.

[SignMeUp]

I have to call in or email mine when I'm closed too. It's so annoying. There was one week where one dcg was sick and the other dck's were going to be with grandma who was visiting. I emailed them every day letting them know I didn't have any kids that day. But that's better than me being closed and they just show up, I guess.

Shoot, in the "old days" I actually had a food program visit without any kids :: We sat and chatted for a bit, she did her forms and noted that no one was in attendance that day, and then she told me she was retiring from childcare and she wanted me to have her play loft

Pretty sure it would never happen now ... sigh ...

[TwinKristi]

That never happens here, TwinKristi. They are here unannounced three times per year. We have to submit any closed days to them - it's hard to get used to "calling in to work" when you are your own boss. Also have to let them know in advance of any meals we plan to serve away from home, or we will not be credited if they show up here.
And they randomize when in the rotation they show up. I might have two visits within a month and a half, and then none for months. But it's always within their trimester.

Well that's how it's supposed to be here too. But my rep just hasn't been here in awhile? :confused: I am pretty by the book and don't "worry" that she'll come, but if she came at a weird time and expected me to be serving a meal I would be annoyed. And we also have to report closures, which I do online via MMK with their calendar. And same with meals served away from here, but we don't do that...

[Blackcat31]

PCI. Been with them from their first day. It was started by someone who was with QCC but they went defunct. In the 80s::
.

PCI is who everyone in my area was with but a couple years ago, we had a huge uproar about them and their practices. Now almost every provider in my county is with Child Care Choices.

In comparison, I can't believe I didn't change sponsors sooner.

I personally would NEVER go back to PCI and will NEVER recommend them to anyone.

[SignMeUp]

PCI is who everyone in my area was with but a couple years ago, we had a huge uproar about them and their practices. Now almost every provider in my county is with Child Care Choices.

In comparison, I can't believe I didn't change sponsors sooner.

I personally would NEVER go back to PCI and will NEVER recommend them to anyone.

Interesting! I have heard that PCI has expectations that other programs don't. Annual training? Again they make it sound like it's a federal requirement, but we hear that others don't do it. There are choices here in "the city" but as long as I love my person, I will stay with them. To me, my rep makes or breaks the program. I had one who looked through my fridge each time, and my utensil drawer. Rather like the county licensors who check underwear drawers :: Luckily I had already drank all the alcohol :::::: <---don't have any actually.

edited: Wording makes it sound like I keep alcohol in my underwear drawer. I think I'll leave it ::

[TwinKristi]

I have CACFP and we do have annual training, but I can do it online super quickly. Also, she's NEVER checked my fridge or drawers!!

[SignMeUp]

I have CACFP and we do have annual training, but I can do it online super quickly. Also, she's NEVER checked my fridge or drawers!!

That was a long long time ago. No one has done it since. I guess I understand if they would do it, since there are regulations about having all food covered and at proper temps.

So when you say CACFP, that is the federal program, right? Child and Adult Care Food Program? But don't you have a sponsoring agency that processes the menus & meal counts & payment and does the monitoring?

[TwinKristi]

That was a long long time ago. No one has done it since. I guess I understand if they would do it, since there are regulations about having all food covered and at proper temps.

So when you say CACFP, that is the federal program, right? Child and Adult Care Food Program? But don't you have a sponsoring agency that processes the menus & meal counts & payment and does the monitoring?

Yes, the Community Child Care Council (4C's) in our county runs the program. And I do have a thermometer in my fridge if they were to check for temps, but never have.

[Blackcat31]

Interesting! I have heard that PCI has expectations that other programs don't. Annual training? Again they make it sound like it's a federal requirement, but we hear that others don't do it. There are choices here in "the city" but as long as I love my person, I will stay with them. To me, my rep makes or breaks the program. I had one who looked through my fridge each time, and my utensil drawer. Rather like the county licensors who check underwear drawers :: Luckily I had already drank all the alcohol :::::: <---don't have any actually.

edited: Wording makes it sound like I keep alcohol in my underwear drawer. I think I'll leave it ::

We still do annual trainings.

The biggest difference for us though is we can attend the training in person for 2 hours or we can do self-training and complete a packet of info provided and then submit our replies on-line.

I agree! The rep makes a HUGE difference. The one I have via CCC is awesome!! She has stayed and played or participated in activities with us many times. She always brings something for my kids to do each time she comes too.

[SignMeUp]

Thanks for clarifying, TwinKristi. I have so little exposure to providers in other areas.

BlackCat, what other differences do you see between CCC and PCI?

[Blackcat31]

Thanks for clarifying, TwinKristi. I have so little exposure to providers in other areas.

BlackCat, what other differences do you see between CCC and PCI?

A little more (no ALOT more) understanding and forgiving about the fact that providers do the best we can.

I do NOT like feeling as though an agency I chose to participate with is "policing" me. I want to feel supported and encouraged by an agency I choose to work with...kwim?

CCC is great about provider support.

I called PCI a couple times and asked some questions about claiming and found out later that every.single.time I asked about something, most my families got letters asking to verify their attendance and the times they were here.

I also felt as though PCI was sooooo picky about claiming certain foods (especially for kids with special diets) that it just became MORE work than it was worth being on the food program.

Once I switched to CCC's I could not believe how awesome it was to be part of the food program! I feel CCC is my partner in educating the kids, families and myself in making healthy choices and eating well.

To me THAT makes ALL the difference.