Food Program Inspection

[Leigh]

Had ANOTHER food program inspection (they come WAY more often than required-ugh). There's a new inspector. She tried telling me that NONE of my meals were creditable because I told her that I don't post menus a day ahead of time. I have been told since I started with the food program that my menu for the day has to be available for parents by pickup time the day that the meals were served (and they are). She was frustrated that I don't use cycle menus (I don't like serving the same things over and over, and I make meals according to what's available that day and what I have time for-if it's a busy day, I'll make something easier).

Anyway, a whole month of meals aren't creditable now because I didn't circle the meals I served on my paper copies (why, I don't know, but I just quit doing it). I know this has been a rule with our program, but does everyone have this rule? It seems REALLY stupid to me, since in and out times are recorded, and I told her that. That's not an issue with her-it's always been that way, and I don't agree with it-my issue with her when it came to this is that she told me that if a child refuses to eat, that I can't claim them and that is the reason I must circle that the kid was here for breakfast, lunch, and snack (NOT true, I know). I told her that all I have to do is put the food in front of them, and she told me that the kid has to actually eat it. This was her third time at my house, and she's such a rude witch when she's here (and wrong about half of what she tells me) that I'm been thinking of quitting the program. She's not just annoying to me, but aggressively rude and argumentative. I pretty much threw her out of my house the last time she was here. She was arguing with me about not having records for days that I didn't even claim (I had a crisis in my life, and didn't record meals for about 2 weeks because I, frankly, had better things to do-caring for the kids was almost too much).

I just DREAD visits now (I really enjoyed everyone else I have dealt with from there).

Has anyone else heard that a kid had to actually EAT a meal in order for it to be claimed? Seriously, it wouldn't pay to be on the program in that case-nearly every day, at least one kid skips a meal because they're not hungry or holding out for something better.

[Josiegirl]

A child does not have to eat their food to be counted. We merely have to serve it in front of them. And as far as the menu rotation they've suggested it but don't require it. Plus the FP monitor and I have discussed posting the menu a week at a time. It's not mandatory and she says as long as I've got a couple day's worth on the posted schedule ahead of time, that's fine. I told her exactly what you had said, plans change, food is spoiled, etc. when you go to use it.
My monitor may be extra easy going though. She only asks me if my fridge is clean and all food covered, she's never personally checked. She says you can tell a lot from the way a person keeps the whole dc environment. I love my FP lady.
It helps that she used to be a provider for many years so she knows what it's like.

[Josiegirl]

Is there someone else at your agency you can speak with about it? Is all of this written into the FP policies? I think if she's creating such a fuss and being so rude I'd either file complaints or drop out. A lot of people that come into a job like that start off crossing all their T's as they don't want to make a mistake. But she sounds much worse than that.

[Play Care]

My FP actually discourages cycle/rotating menus as they want the kids having variety, and they feel it would mean providers serving the same things over and over.
We also only have to offer it to them, they can chose to eat or not.
I agree with Josie in that it's time to go over her head.

[NillaWafers]

Just like a licensing inspection, I would ask her to show me where it is written that kids must eat to be counted, and the meal planning/cycling menus.

My FP monitor is great, I love her. She never checks my fridge and just looks on minute menu to make sure I've recorded all meals. I have never had her ask about menus, even though I post them a week ahead of time and use a program to plan them out (plantoeat.com it's great). SO I have my bases covered if they want proof I've been planning meals.

[Alwaysgreener]

I would ask to see where it says that. I did that with my FP lady, I had rule that I could not find anywhere and I made her show me. ( it was in the fine print of contract. )
I did it with the health department too. They were telling me to call weekly, I asked were that was written. Come to find out they were trying to strongly suggest I call weekly by telling it was the law and I would be fined if I didn't.
You could also interview other FP in your area to see if they have the same rules.

[Unregistered]

Ask the agency if that is required.

I had one once who told me to wake my whole group up from nap and serve them lunch, which ee'd already eaten. I refused and emailed the agency after she left in a huff. She was trying to meet her quota for unannounced meal visits. She only lasted a few months.

[sharlan]

Definitely call the main office. Is there another program you can change to?

[Josiegirl]

Ask the agency if that is required.

I had one once who told me to wake my whole group up from nap and serve them lunch, which ee'd already eaten. I refused and emailed the agency after she left in a huff. She was trying to meet her quota for unannounced meal visits. She only lasted a few months.

WOW, yeh, THAT'S gonna happen!

[Unregistered]

Right?! And then what, how do I come up with the food they've already eaten? And when I have already claimed it, then can she disallow me for serving something different? Plus ... NAP time! No.

[Unregistered]

When I was a preschool director, I attended a USDA training by my state's USDA main monitors (USDA employees at the state level that work directly for USDA program) and this was one of the most frequently asked question. The answer is no a child does not need to actually take a bite of food to be counted. A child's meal is counted as long as his/her food portions (pre-portioned on their plate or served family style) is served at the table with them. The reason being a child cannot be forced to eat, only encouraged to try, and it is up to the child to actually eat what is served. Your food monitor is wrong and I agree with others that you should ask to be shown where it states what she is telling you and to speak to another representative.

[Leigh]

Thanks, everyone, for the advice. I just got an email from her now telling me that I need to have a special diet form filled out for my kids that use soy milk (Silk/8th Continent). My understanding is that these are nutritional equivalents to dairy milk, and that a special diet form is NOT necessary. Does anyone know if I am correct? I'm pretty positive that she's wrong about that, too.

[Thriftylady]

I would call her supervisor and ask. I am not on the food program right now, and I don't remember about the milk. It seems that when I was on it, you had to have the paperwork for the milk. But that was years ago and my memory could be wrong and things could have changed.

[Leigh]

I would call her supervisor and ask. I am not on the food program right now, and I don't remember about the milk. It seems that when I was on it, you had to have the paperwork for the milk. But that was years ago and my memory could be wrong and things could have changed.

I just finally found that they require it for soy milk. I have had lots of kids on soy milk and was told before that they didn't need documentation because of the equivalence. I've only had to get documentation for one kid who was on rice milk in the past.

[LindseyA]

Wow. I'm sorry you are going thru this! Is there any way you can get a monitor from a different County? I am right on the border of two counties. In the county I actually live in, I've heard horror stories about their monitors. So I applied to the next county's FP and absolutely love my monitor! She comes in like a family member, sits down at the kitchen table with the kids, asks how my husband is doing (he recently fell ill). We talk about our up coming camping trips, etc. I look forward to the inspections, as do the kids. If I were you, I would look into the next County over if possible. They will travel! :hug: