WWYD Milk

[Unregistered]

If she's gonna charge an "inconvenience fee" for purchasing pediasure, then she needs to charge an "inconvenience fee" to all of the other daycare families as well for having to purchase the food their child needs to eat throughout the day. How is it an inconvenience for her to pick up the pediasure when she's already out shopping for her daycare groceries? This is getting ridiculous. If this is a good kid, I wouldn't be putting up such a fuss about this. And, if you want to claim it and get reimbursed, then YOU need to be the one purchasing the pediasure anyway. I had to buy the formula for my infants when on the food program. Some required soy formul because of lactose intolerance. Should I have charged more to those parents, since I had to buy soy instead if milk based formula? Because honestly, it's the exact same thing as what's happening here.

[snbauser]

You need to double check with your food program on the rules. The food progam is actually a federal program and all of the rules are supposed to be the same regardless of what agency is overseeing your particular program. The federal program says that in order to be paid for the meal the provider must supply ALL components of the meal. If there is a allergy or restricted diet exemption it must be on a doctors note and it must list what should be served instead. Whatever is listed as the substitue MUST be provided by the provider. The only exceptions are for infants and only for formula and breastmilk where the rules are a little different. So if she is lactose intolerant then you should have a doctors note on file that says what she should be served in place of milk. If it says a lactose free milk then you are supposed to provide it in order to claim her meal, not her mother.
I have 3 children enrolled that have doctors exemptions. One can not have egg products, one gets water instead of milk, and the other is allergic to milk and has to have soy milk. I have to provide the soy milk and a substitue for the products that have egg in them or I can not claim ANY of the meal. Yes it's a pain but it is the requirement.

[jen2651]

You need to double check with your food program on the rules. The food progam is actually a federal program and all of the rules are supposed to be the same regardless of what agency is overseeing your particular program. The federal program says that in order to be paid for the meal the provider must supply ALL components of the meal. If there is a allergy or restricted diet exemption it must be on a doctors note and it must list what should be served instead. Whatever is listed as the substitue MUST be provided by the provider. The only exceptions are for infants and only for formula and breastmilk where the rules are a little different. So if she is lactose intolerant then you should have a doctors note on file that says what she should be served in place of milk. If it says a lactose free milk then you are supposed to provide it in order to claim her meal, not her mother.
I have 3 children enrolled that have doctors exemptions. One can not have egg products, one gets water instead of milk, and the other is allergic to milk and has to have soy milk. I have to provide the soy milk and a substitue for the products that have egg in them or I can not claim ANY of the meal. Yes it's a pain but it is the requirement.

I know this doesn't answer the question, but my food lady was just at my house and told me I could chose one type of formula and if they opted to not have their child use that brand, it was their responsibility to provide an option. But, that is their choice and I am still allowed to claim for that meal as I 'offered' the parents a certain type of formula and they chose not to partake. No different than if they provided breast milk!

[snbauser]

I know this doesn't answer the question, but my food lady was just at my house and told me I could chose one type of formula and if they opted to not have their child use that brand, it was their responsibility to provide an option. But, that is their choice and I am still allowed to claim for that meal as I 'offered' the parents a certain type of formula and they chose not to partake. No different than if they provided breast milk!

Yes that is correct for infants. That is why I said the rules were different for infants for formula and breast milk. I didn't state what the rules were because it didn't apply to this situation.

[nannyde]

I know this doesn't answer the question, but my food lady was just at my house and told me I could chose one type of formula and if they opted to not have their child use that brand, it was their responsibility to provide an option. But, that is their choice and I am still allowed to claim for that meal as I 'offered' the parents a certain type of formula and they chose not to partake. No different than if they provided breast milk!

Yes this is our rules too. I offer a generic odd brand and haven't had a parent want it yet. Most of my kids have been bf though in recent years.

[nannyde]

The food program requires a Doctors note stating that a child needs an alternate item. It is fine to serve the alternate but that alternate MUST then be served at the meal or I can not claim any part of the meal. Water is given through the day but it can't take the place of milk during a meal or again I can not claim it.

As for me being reimbursed I only get a portion of actual cost. If I would go out and buy pediasure I would be in the hole deeper than if I just served juice and didn't claim the meal, so I told her I am not going to supply it. Also consider the fact that WIC supplies this parent with whole cases of pedialite free of charge so I feel she can pass it on here for her child. It costs her nothing. If the child were eating at home she would have to supply it there.

I called WIC today and inquired about the amount a child would be elligible for and I was told at least 48 but usually a child gets 72 cans depending on what the doctor had advised the child to have. He is here 5 days a week so when I do the math I don't see where the problem is (20 cans a month est). That leaves her with 52 can still at home. I wouldn't tell the WIC lady the name of the client of course due to the privacy policy and I wouldn't want to open that can of worms anyway. The WIC lady says it sounds like the Mother is not being honest and may be possibly selling it as they have had occurences like that in the past where they discovered parents got the special provisioned items to sell them for a cheaper cost and pocket the money.

I am going to give the Mother a copy of my food program regulations and show her that I NEED the pediasure or I can not be paid for the meal. I am thinking about adding this issue to my contract as well. Something like: If I am un able to claim a child on the food program for any reason the parent will then be required to supply the meal or have addition cost added.

It never fails, a new issue pops up to be added to the contract with almost every new client.

I doubt if she is selling it. It sounds like she just wants all the cans for her house. If she has the full supply at her house then she doesn't have to be sparing about it. She can treat it like regular milk... toss out old without a problem AND she can give her kid MORE of it if she doesn't have to supply it for breakfast and lunch at your house.

I'm suprised WIC allows for this substitution. With a kid being on WIC from birth to five that's a TON of money.