Food Program Unannounced Visits

[Blackcat31]

We have three unanounced now. Used to be one a year... then they switched to two ... now it is all three.

Yup..only one was unannounced but we were told in the last year or so (?) that ALL have to be unannounced now and I think mine lady said it isn't 3 a year for us it is 3 times quarterly so some years it is 3 times and sometimes it is 4 times depending on her schedule since most food reps handle a large area and she can't always be sure to be in and out of each daycare on time. Some visits are 15 minutes and others are longer. Depends on what we discuss. I also love my food lady! She is great and the requirements are fairly simple to get the $ they pay out so I figure it is worth it.

[QualiTcare]

they probably get annoyed bc for one thing....they have to come back. also, it probably makes them suspicious that everything isn't as it should be. not saying that's the case, but if it were - the person would have time to doctor everything up and the purpose of unannounced visits no longer have a point.

[Crystal]

they probably get annoyed bc for one thing....they have to come back. also, it probably makes them suspicious that everything isn't as it should be. not saying that's the case, but if it were - the person would have time to doctor everything up and the purpose of unannounced visits no longer have a point.

Yep.

If we are not going to be available for unnanounced visits, we are REQUIRED to send in a form stating that we will be closed. If it is unexpected that we will not be available, we are required to call and inform them. If they do show up for a visit and we are not available, they can drop us from the program. It is considered a serious violation.

[cherryhill]

this just happened

at 12:20? really?
She is miffed because I didn't open my door when she knocked. She went to her car - called my house, then my cell then my house again.
I didn't answer because I was lying down on the floor with my little guy that needs help falling asleep.
Why would they do these unannounced visits at nap time?
Am I just not seeing the reasoning - perhaps there really IS a good reason.
But the note on my door that says "nap time 12 - 2:10 PLEASE BE QUIET" in my opinion should be enough to let someone know that this is NOT a good time.

I had an unannounced visit on Tuesday. Apparently here in CA you don't have to come during mealtimes. She was here at 3:00 when all the kids were waking up. I asked her if I could leave them in the nap room while she was here she was cool with it. She just checked to see if I was inputting the meals that is it. 30 minutes and she was gone. My last scheduled meal for the food program is 12:00pm.

[Preschool/daycare teacher]

I LOVE my food lady ! I am never stressed out because I follow the program to the tee and its easy money I think ! Why wouldnt I do something that gives me a few extra hundred dollars a month

My lady comes three times a year - once to check emails the other two to check paperwork etc. She always comes at lunch time.

Also, love the free 2 hour training they provide that counts towards my yearly hours of training needed for the county/state. I've learned a lot since attending these nutrition trainings !

2 hours?! Our food program requires 6 hours! It's a once yearly, all day long training. Our food program people come at random times also. And I mean random (as in 3 weeks apart for two inspections, then not again for several months. Mostly it is at meal times, but sometimes they just come at an off time just to make sure the menus are posted and complete, that we're going to serve what is listed, that we have the paper work and attendance list up to date (like right up to the last meal or snack served. Otherwise they don't let us count any that are not checked off already), etc.
The food program is really good, I agree, but sometimes I think it dicates too much what we can or cannot do. Like if a child clearly says they don't want a certain food, and even throws a fit and tries to cover their plate when you get ready to put the food on it, we still have to put it on their plate, whether or not they eat it. Seems to me a waste of food. Why not save it for someone who will eat their own portion and even ask for seconds? And if a child won't come to the table to eat and keeps saying they're not hungry, I'd like to just not let them eat when they finally come after everyone is almost finished. We go through this at almost every meal and snack. Two children in particular will not listen and come sit down when everyone is being served. But they still get their food (but when they want it instead of when we tell them to come) because we HAVE to give it to them.

[marniewon]

Two children in particular will not listen and come sit down when everyone is being served. But they still get their food (but when they want it instead of when we tell them to come) because we HAVE to give it to them.

That wouldn't fly with me at all. You eat when everyone else eats or you wait until the next meal/snack. Why can't you dish it all up and put them at the table. Sit them there, and then, even if they immediately jump up and leave the table (which is another thing I wouldn't allow), you can still say you offered it to them, they chose not to eat it, they now get to wait until next meal/snack. All you have to do is offer it to them, you can't make them eat it, and food program doesn't expect you to - your only requirement is to offer it to them. I think that maybe if they "miss" a few meals/snacks, and have to wait for the next one, they will probably come to the table when called.

[misol]

And if a child won't come to the table to eat and keeps saying they're not hungry, I'd like to just not let them eat when they finally come after everyone is almost finished. We go through this at almost every meal and snack. Two children in particular will not listen and come sit down when everyone is being served. But they still get their food (but when they want it instead of when we tell them to come) because we HAVE to give it to them.

Could this be one of those things that varies by sponsor? It must be because some sponsors don't even allow you serve food outside of your stated meal times. In a situation like yours, you could potentially be serving food ALL day EVERY day if the kids choose when they eat My understanding is that we have to OFFER the food and it's the child's choice whether or not to eat it. So in a case like this I would serve the offender's food at the same time I served everyone else. Even if they are not hungry I would make them sit at the table for about 10 minutes. I would explain that they need to eat when everyone else eats or they won't eat again until snack time. If they still ask to get up from the table without having eaten anything I would throw their food in the trash and they would have to wait until snack time. I don't allow grazing.

[Blackcat31]

I agree...my sponsor says the food only needs to be available. If the child chooses not to eat when I offer it I do not have to serve it at another time.... I also don't have to put it on their plate, just HAVE IT AVAILABLE. Those are the words we hear the most often.

[nannyde]

2 hours?! Our food program requires 6 hours! It's a once yearly, all day long training. Our food program people come at random times also. And I mean random (as in 3 weeks apart for two inspections, then not again for several months. Mostly it is at meal times, but sometimes they just come at an off time just to make sure the menus are posted and complete, that we're going to serve what is listed, that we have the paper work and attendance list up to date (like right up to the last meal or snack served. Otherwise they don't let us count any that are not checked off already), etc.
The food program is really good, I agree, but sometimes I think it dicates too much what we can or cannot do. Like if a child clearly says they don't want a certain food, and even throws a fit and tries to cover their plate when you get ready to put the food on it, we still have to put it on their plate, whether or not they eat it. Seems to me a waste of food. Why not save it for someone who will eat their own portion and even ask for seconds? And if a child won't come to the table to eat and keeps saying they're not hungry, I'd like to just not let them eat when they finally come after everyone is almost finished. We go through this at almost every meal and snack. Two children in particular will not listen and come sit down when everyone is being served. But they still get their food (but when they want it instead of when we tell them to come) because we HAVE to give it to them.

another horror story from your center

This is SUCH a bad deal for you guys and the kids. It' makes me really sad.

I can't imagine feeding kids like this.

[DancingQueen]

Ok - so I owe her an apology.
she called me back about 20 minutes later and by that time my little guy was asleep so I let her come back.
she was in and out in 30 seconds and she wasn't annoyed at all - I misunderstood the tone of her voicemail. She said she figured I must have been lying down with a kid. She used to do daycare so she said "I know all about how annoying my visits are"..LOL
She just looked at my paperwork - had me sign it and left.

I feel bad that I vented. She really is a nice lady.

[Lucy]

that is a reason I quit the food program didn't feel like dealing with them and all paperwork I feel so less stress since I did this

Ditto. And none of my kids (or my school district) qualified for the upper tier, so I was getting pennies. Not worth it for what they make you go through. Yes, I know a few dollars is better than none, but I was so sick of the paperwork and unannounced visits that I just quit. It never failed I didn't have my paperwork up to date when she showed up and she'd deduct me. Or I wasn't feeding them what I said I'd feed them for that day and she'd deduct me. Hassle. Not worth it.

[marniewon]

Ditto. And none of my kids (or my school district) qualified for the upper tier, so I was getting pennies. Not worth it for what they make you go through. Yes, I know a few dollars is better than none, but I was so sick of the paperwork and unannounced visits that I just quit. It never failed I didn't have my paperwork up to date when she showed up and she'd deduct me. Or I wasn't feeding them what I said I'd feed them for that day and she'd deduct me. Hassle. Not worth it.

Same here. So far I'm still on the food program, but wonder every month if it's even worth the hassle. I guess for as long as it only takes a little while to put the meals into the computer, I will still accept the check, but I'm on the lower tier too, and I think that's a lot of bunk - food costs the same for me as it does for someone on food stamps. Wait, it costs MORE for me, so why am I getting way less??

[QualiTcare]

I agree...my sponsor says the food only needs to be available. If the child chooses not to eat when I offer it I do not have to serve it at another time.... I also don't have to put it on their plate, just HAVE IT AVAILABLE. Those are the words we hear the most often.

i've never dealt with the food program other than working in centers and i hated it because everyone had a different interpretation of the rules. at first, that's what i was told - is that it "had to be offered" so if it was family style - u were good.

well, when the food lady came and talked to us (i can't remember everything she said specifically) but i remember her walking up to me and asking me if i counted a child who was drinking a capri-sun instead of milk. this kid's mom had her doctor send a note and it was a water capri sun. ANYHOW, yes, i counted her. the milk was in a pitcher on the table. it was available.

WROOONG. she said i couldn't count her bc she didn't take the milk. it had nothing to do with her not being able to drink it. she said she had to have all the components...including milk. so, anyhow - we started having all the kids put SOME of everything on their plates...even if it were one green bean.

[QualiTcare]

another horror story from your center

This is SUCH a bad deal for you guys and the kids. It' makes me really sad.

I can't imagine feeding kids like this.

i can't imagine dealing with that! not for long. i have dealt with it, and it didn't last long. quitting was the best thing i ever did

[Abigail]

I thought all food programs were run by the Federal government so the rules would be the same in all states? :confused: Anyways, I am under the understanding that the food program coordinators are required to do a specific number of unannounced visits and NOT all of them are to observe meals....some of them are just to see if your paperwork and meal counts are up to date. I also thought that we aren't ever suppose to tell them that they cannot visit meal time or not, nap time or not.....if we participate then we are agreeing to unannounced visits at ANYTIME. I did have my coordinator visit once when I was doing an interview and she said she'd return in a bit (although I did not ask her too) because it was hard to talk with her and the interviewing parents at the same time. I was fully prepared to show her my paperwork and meal counts even though I was busy with a potentially new family. I just chalked it up to part of participating with the food program. IDK...I may be wrong in my thinking but that's how I always understood it.

So did you gain that client since she saw you actually did get inspections? LOL

Ok - so I owe her an apology.
she called me back about 20 minutes later and by that time my little guy was asleep so I let her come back.
she was in and out in 30 seconds and she wasn't annoyed at all - I misunderstood the tone of her voicemail. She said she figured I must have been lying down with a kid. She used to do daycare so she said "I know all about how annoying my visits are"..LOL
She just looked at my paperwork - had me sign it and left.

I feel bad that I vented. She really is a nice lady.

Maybe they have a 30 minute limit or something between the daycares they must complete for the day and she decided to get in and out to make it on time for the next one??? Good thing it all worked out for you!