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November 2022 | View as Webpage

Your Monthly News & Updates

Stay connected: Check out our current staff directory here.

Food Program Staff Directory

National Day in November!

Nov. 17: National Homemade Bread Day

Read Bread, Bread, Bread, (Morris, 1989) Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story (Maillard, 2019) and Nanette’s Baguette (Willems, 2016) Taste test a variety of breads with your child care children. Try making bread, biscuits, bagels, pretzels – such a dizzying array of options! – with your child care children!

Happy Anniversary!

CACFP Anniversaries in October

5 years: Mariah Edwards

Laura Bailen

20 years:  Vickie Love

Celeste Swoboda


Congratulations! We honor your long commitment to serving nutritious meals and snacks to the children in your care!

Welcome to Our New Providers

Brenda in Ashland

Ashley in Hixton

Mercedes in Milwaukee

Kimberly in Milwaukee

Lameesha in Milwaukee

Jazstany in Milwaukee

Tawanna in Milwaukee

Amanda in Richland Center

Victoria in Appleton

Cassidy in Hurley

Larosa in Racine


We welcome you and celebrate this mark of professionalism!

2023 Food Program Nutrition Training!

The Food Program mandatory annual training is linked on CACFP and is available on the WECA website.


  • Read the training, and then print and complete the test.
  • Save your completed test in your Food Program binder for your Area Coordinator to review during your next Home Visit. Your AC will mark your training as complete and provide a Certificate of Completion.


Training must be done on or before May 31 each year. This is a federal regulation.

Do it today. Don’t delay!

Ask the Food Program

Question: How do I drop a child from CACFP?

Answer:

Log in to https://cacfpnet.com/Providers/NewHome.aspx

On your home screen, under Claim Tools, select Drop a Child from Care. Complete the form and submit. Be sure the child(ren) you wish to drop have been gone from care for 60 days so no currently processing claims nor late claims are affected.

Autumn Recipes

Looking for some new, simple recipes to try that are reminiscent of fall? Here are two from myplate.gov.

Apple Stuffed Squash

Apple Wedges with Pumpkin Almond Butter

Let WEESSN be your extra set of hands  

Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network (WEESSN) is focused on what’s possible for the future of early care and education when we all work together. It offers an ever-growing variety of resources and benefits to Wisconsin’s regulated child care programs for FREE – yes, truly free!  

 

Many of you are already WEESSN members, but if you haven’t joined yet, keep reading! WEESSN, a program of WECA, provides free registration to an enrollment management system, hiring platform (free job postings), discounted savings program, professional development that earns Wisconsin Registry credit, and an online shared resources collection so you don’t have to recreate the wheel with forms and policies.  

 

The WEESSN team brings years of experience in group and family child care and we’d love to work with you and support you! Joining is easy and FREE – no hidden catch. Click here to enroll or visit our website to learn more. If you have questions, please reach out to us.  

 

You don’t have to go it alone. Being stronger together is what shared services is all about. 

New Census Data

New census data can be found online.

USDA Milk Requirements

The USDA fluid milk requirements are developed to ensure that children receive the nutrients they need to grow and develop. Remember: 2% milk is NOT reimbursable.

Serving Milk in the CACFP

CACFP Resources for Whole Grain-Rich

Confused about whole grains? National CACFP can help! Check out this resource.

Both the Special Diet Form and Special Dietary Needs Tracking Form are Required

A Special Diet Form is required whenever a child in your care can’t be fed according to CACFP guidelines. This may be due to a disability.


USDA defines a medical disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including eating, breathing and digestive functions.

Examples of medical disability include food allergies or lactose intolerance.

  • A medical professional who is licensed to write prescriptions must complete and sign a Special Diet Form for a disability. In Wisconsin, this would be a Physician, Physician’s Assistant, Nurse Practitioner (APNP), Dentist, Optometrist, and Podiatrist only.

YOU MUST REPORT EVERY SPECIAL DIET required for a child, whether it’s due to a disability or preference. It does not matter whether the meals are reimbursable or not.

  • Work with parents/guardians to obtain the required documentation so appropriate and safe meals can be served to the child. 
  • Record information on both the Special Diet and Special Dietary Needs Tracking Form. BOTH forms are required and must be completed, submitted to the WECA Food Program office and approved by the Food Program before you can be reimbursed.

Find the Special Diet and Special Dietary Needs Tracking Form here:

 

Remember: NOT EVERY SPECIAL DIET CAN BE REIMBURSED.

State Attendance Records Do Not Substitute for Daily Meal Counts

Your menus and meal counts (including each child’s name or ID number) must be recorded online by the end of each business day. Paper templates are to be used for emergencies only.


State attendance records will not be accepted by your Area Coordinator as a substitute for your daily meal counts. State attendance records will be used ONLY to compare with your Food Program records. 

Are Won Ton Wrappers Creditable? Or Durian?


Have questions about whether a particular food component can credit on CACFP? Consult this great resource to find out.


For those who are interested, Durian is known as the “king of fruits” due to its large size, and it is popular in Southeast Asia, where it is cultivated. It is related to breadfruit and jackfruit – quite nutritious, and quite smelly! In fact, it is banned on the Singapore Rapid Mass Transit due to its aroma, which has been compared to “turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock.”

Support the Food Program 

Did you know the money to operate CACFP – any CACFP! – comes from USDA? It is a preset amount Food Programs receive for each claim that providers submit. Whether you claim one snack for one child in that month, or all meals and snacks for your fully enrolled child care, we receive the same stipend from USDA. Your claim helps you – and it helps your CACFP. 

Refer a Friend!

Do you know other providers who do not participate on a Food Program? Think they might like WECA? If you refer a friend who joins our program and claims for at least two months, YOU will receive a nice parcel of children’s books as a thank you! You appreciate good word of mouth advertising, and WECA does, too! 

Apply for the Higher Tier Anytime

Has your household grown larger? Has your household income decreased? Do you now receive a qualifying service such as FoodShare? If so, you may qualify to claim the residential children living in your home. Applications and federal income guidelines are found at this link under Financial.

"Cheesy" Reminder

Here’s the current handout for creditable and non-creditable cheeses from Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.


Remember: Cheese food and cheese spread are NOT creditable for infants.

Grain-Based Desserts

Baking for the holiday season? Remember: Grain-based desserts are not creditable on the Food Program. Find out the difference between a grain-based dessert and other foods, like muffins and breads, which are creditable on the Food Program.


Grain-Based Desserts in the Child and Adult Care Food Program 

New CACFP Waivers for Summer 2022 and School Year (SY) 2022-23 (July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023)

As part of USDA’s Transitioning to Normal Child Nutrition Operations, USDA announced opportunities for states to request waivers for summer 2022 and school year (SY) 2022-23. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) identified options for the best path forward on transitioning back to normal operations.


These options included waiver opportunities initiated by state agencies’ requests, for their participating agencies’ use upon receiving USDA’s approval. Wisconsin’s waiver requests have been approved by USDA.


These newly approved CACFP waivers allow providers to submit waiver requests to their FDCH sponsor for using off-site meals flexibilities for a two-week period due to specific COVID-related reasons if meeting specific criteria. The offsite meals waiver package (July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023) includes:


  • Non-Congregate Meal Service
  • Parent/Guardian Meal Pick-Up
  • Meal Service Times


USDA has stressed these waivers must only be approved and used for COVID-related reasons. Providers are expected to only use these flexibilities for the duration and extent that they are needed.

 

Required Process for providers

 

  1. Email Mary Mahl mmahl@wisconsinearlychildhood.org for an initial discussion about the circumstances for closure, whether the waivers’ flexibilities would help the provider's needs, and if they will potentially qualify for using them.
  2. Initial Discussion with Provider and Meeting Waiver Criteria (having acceptable COVID-related reasons):


Before sending the provider a waiver request form (step 3), we will first have a discussion (by phone) about the reasons for the provider’s interest and then assess whether they meet the criteria for using the waivers.


  • During this initial discussion, information will be collected about the provider’s circumstances to determine whether the waiver criteria is met:

Acceptable reasons for waiver approval

The provider must:


If not located in a county with a high rate of COVID incidence, the local health department must confirm the provider is closed due to COVID.

Unacceptable reasons

Providers cannot be approved to use the waiver for the following:

  • Individual COVID cases
  • Staff shortages
  • Supply chain disruptions
  • Convenience
  • Parent requests
  • Students who choose virtual learning


The Provider Connection is published by the WECA Food Program Director: Pam Polenz

Provider Connection Editor: Julie Giles Questions: Call 608-240-9880 or visit our website.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider
Esta institución es un proveedor de igualdad de oportunidades.
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