What do you get?

The quick answer: cash reimbursement!

The USDA reimburses family child care providers for a portion of their food costs as long as they serve meals that meet federal standards. You're already serving food to the children in your care. Now you can get paid extra to do it, without charging your parents anything!

These payments, typically referred to as meal reimbursements, are made based on a formula for the number of children you feed at given meal times the rate of reimbursement for the meal. The rate of reimbursement varies based on several factors, including the type of meal served and income levels of those involved. There are three different levels of meal reimbursement defined by the USDA:

• Breakfast
• Lunch & Dinner/Supper
• Snacks (a morning snack, afternoon snack, and evening snack)

In the lower 48 states, for example, the highest level of reimbursement for lunch and dinner is $2.21 per child served (rates effective July 2009 - June 2010). So if you serve 6 children at a lunch, you will get paid as much as $13.26 for that lunch! (In Alaska and Hawaii, the reimbursement is even higher).

Not all child care providers are reimbursed the same rates, however. Lower income providers, or providers serving children in a lower income area, receive a higher level of reimbursement than higher income providers. The USDA has split providers into two income categories, which they refer to as Tier I and Tier II family child care providers. The level of reimbursement rate differs substantially between the two Tiers:

(Lower 48 states, 2009-2010 fiscal year : the reimbursement rates are per child served)

Breakfast:	Tier I: $1.19	Tier II: $.44
Lunch & Dinner:	Tier I: $2.21	Tier II: $1.33
Snacks (AM, PM, or Evening)	Tier I: $.66	Tier II: $.18

Average Monthly Paycheck

The amount you get paid each month will vary depending on the number of meals and snacks you serve and depending upon your Tier. Family Child Care Providers offering drop-in care and serving 6 meals and snacks a day to a large number of children who come and go throughout the day can obviously expect to receive a much bigger check each month than those serving to a small number of children for just one or two meals.

However, let's make a few assumptions and show you how much you would be reimbursed. Assume:

• You take care of 6 children
• Each child is served Breakfast, Lunch and an afternoon snack
• You are open each weekday (about 21 business days a month)

In this scenario, Tier I family child care providers would receive a check of $511.56 per month. Tier II family child care providers would receive $245.70 per month.

What could you do with a few hundred extra dollars per month?

What do you have to do?

Participating in the Food Program is almost a no-brainer for family child care providers. After all, who doesn't wan t a few hundred extra dollars per month? But in order to get that money, you do have to do some work.

First and foremost, you must serve your children the best quality meals. The individual foods you serve and the combination of foods served together must follow the USDA meal pattern.

In addition, you've got to keep detailed documentation. You've got to record what foods you're serving each day, and to whom you serve those foods. You typically need to plan your meals out at least a week head of time. And each month, you have to send that paperwork or submit via the internet into your Food Program Sponsoring organization (more on that below). We try to make this as easy as possible, giving  you the software that allows you to record this information quickly and easily, in seconds, and this software is completely free for you.

Also, you've got to be willing to allow a representative from Midwest Child Care Association into your home periodically throughout the year to conduct unannounced inspections of your care and records. These inspections are an important part of ensuring that the tax dollars that go toward your reimbursement check are being spent in the way they were intended--to help you serve healthy meals to the children your care. Each month you supply paperwork or submit your menus via the internet that tells what you served and who you served it to. Then every few months, someone will visit your home to check on the kids, make sure your kitchen is in good shape, help you with any paperwork or computer issues you may be having, and otherwise make sure you are doing OK as far as the USDA is concerned.

How do you get started?

In order to participate on the Food Program, you may contact Midwest Child Care Association after you either are licensed through the State or have an agreement to provide subsidy care through the State of Nebraska.

We will train you on all the details of the Food Program, including what foods you need to serve at each meal, how to do your paperwork, and more!

Contact us for further Information