If You Quit Or Never Signed Up For A Food Program

[MommyMuffin]

I have been on the food program since I started daycare last november.
I get about $25 per month per child.
My husband thinks that it isnt worth it and that I am losing more money by being on it.

So I wrote out the pros and cons
PROS:
~ extra income
~ marketing; do parents really care if someone is on the food program

CONS:
~ Extra visits from licensors(state and food program)
~ Have to buy certain brands (CN label nutrition foods)
~ Cant have certain flexibility in my meal plans = w/o fp less work, less prep
~ The meals I have made thus far of course are healthier but the kids wont eat them hardly.

I met with a provider friend for a picnic, I brought turkey with cheese on focaccia bread with grapes and pasta. She brought PBJ sandwiches, goldfish and oranges. My dcks refused my meal and ate hers. It was an Aha moment!

If it was just us at home they eat the cheese and take a few bites of the bread and thats it. So it wasnt just becase there was another option.

It was interesting seeing someone who isnt on the food program.

I would like to quit because it would be so much easier and my kids would eat more but I have trouble turning down the extra income.

If you quit the food program or never signed up, what were your reasons?

[momofsix]

I never signed up even though the extra $ would be nice.
- I wouldn"t do well w/ surprise visits at all. Even though I could do everything the right way, I'm extremely shy and know that I would be too nervous and say/do the wrong things
-I don't like the fact that they even DO the surprise visits. It feels like they don't trust the providers to be honest. (???)
- Even though I make a menu and post it for the parents, I can change something for the day if I need to. Also, I only post the "main" thing we are going to have so I have total flexibility daily on what fruits/veggies/sides to serve.
I do try to follow the guidelines of the food program though.

[Koukla]

I quit.
I had it last year and found that the paper work (even though its all online now) and the extra visits and work was just not worth the little pay i got out of it. The parents in my daycare where all fine with it. esp. because they can now pack what their kids really want to eat. look at your list. there are more cons then pros and really the cons are not little ones. I mean who really wants more visits from your lic. if you dont need them kwim.

hope that helps you some.

[tbutler]

Thanks for this post mommymuffin. I was debating whether or not I should apply for a food program. Based on your pros and cons and the few comments from other members, I think I'll pass. The extra money monthly does sound nice. But I do not like grocery shopping for particular brands, just makes my time in the store longer. I'm an in and out kind of girl.

[WImom]

I just claim it at the end of the year instead. I didn't like the hassle of more paperwork, more visits disrupting our day, etc. Parents don't seem to care and they all get a menu every month from me anyways.

[littlemommy]

Thanks for this post mommymuffin. I was debating whether or not I should apply for a food program. Based on your pros and cons and the few comments from other members, I think I'll pass. The extra money monthly does sound nice. But I do not like grocery shopping for particular brands, just makes my time in the store longer. I'm an in and out kind of girl.

It depends on the state's rules. In my state, Nebraska, there are no rules about brands. I meal plan and make everything from scratch, so that saves a ton of money. I actually end up making enough money to feed all daycare kids plus my family of 3 for the month.

I haven't even had any unannounced visits. I know she was supposed to do one, but didn't. Maybe it was on a day I was closed?

[PitterPatter]

I have never heard of having to buy certain brands. That may make me have a change of mind. Here we can purchase any brand as long as the food item itself on the FP menu. Doesn't matter if it's store brand or expensive lable. I get my bread from the towns bakery thrift store. Fresh and 1/2 the price. Some veggies and fruits I try to buy in bulk and freeze what I can so I save there. Sometimes the meal I serve cost's less than what the FP actually pays back. I just have to watch for sales and freeze certain things. I don't really mind much because what I serve just fits into the food prog anyway. I haven't always served all the food groups, I use to serve 1 fruit or veggie with the meal or sammy but it's nothing for me to toss an extra fruit or veg on the plate and fulfill the requirement.

As for our outtings and picnics then yes the FP is a pain in my butt!! We are not permitted to buy milk and give it to the kids while out. The milk has to come from home so that means I have to take the big thermos and all the kids cups as well as the picnic basket of food and plates etc. I use worry about milk in the summer but the thermos keeps it cold for 12 hrs! I just hate dragging all that to the park when I could buy a meal or at least the milk there. But nope doesn't count even though I paid for it and made sure the proper items were served.

Oh and we get 4 visits from the Food Prog monitor per year. 2 unannounced and 2 scheduled. The licensor visits only once per year regardless of the FP or not. They don't work together at all.

[TSDaycare]

I am too contemplating on quitting at the end of this month. It is more hassle to me to do the online stuff at every meal, have to report everytime I'm off, closed, or if at the spur of the moment want to go to the park, in case my monitor is planning a visit, and besides the fact that I have unexpected visits all the time. I have no problem following the quidelines, I make sure the kids have fruits/veggies with every meal. But I also like to change my menu when I want, or when I don't happen to have enough of something. And my parents could care less about the food program as long as their children are being fed well, most of my kids only eat healthy here anyways. I am lower tier, so getting 50-70 extra dollars each month, then having to pay taxes on it at the end of the year is not worth it to me.

[MommyMuffin]

I am too contemplating on quitting at the end of this month. It is more hassle to me to do the online stuff at every meal, have to report everytime I'm off, closed, or if at the spur of the moment want to go to the park, in case my monitor is planning a visit, and besides the fact that I have unexpected visits all the time. I have no problem following the quidelines, I make sure the kids have fruits/veggies with every meal. But I also like to change my menu when I want, or when I don't happen to have enough of something. And my parents could care less about the food program as long as their children are being fed well, most of my kids only eat healthy here anyways. I am lower tier, so getting 50-70 extra dollars each month, then having to pay taxes on it at the end of the year is not worth it to me.

You wrote my reasons for wanting to quit better than I did. I think being able to throw something together if I have extra this or extra that. I think that would save me money.
I didnt even think about the tax money!!

For clarification the brands that I am talking about are Child Nutrition labels on chicken nuggets, fish sticks, corn dogs. I can only find them at Sams club. They have to have enough enriched grain to qualify as your grain requirement.

The state and food program do not come together, I was just thinking I already have state licensing coming into my home for inspection. I dont want more strangers from food program coming in as well.

[daysofelijah]

I quit at the beginning of the summer, because I'm quitting anyway. I did it all through the eight years and I think it was worth it. I would get a check for about 150-190 each month when I had 5-6 kids. The work and additional training is a hassle and I often got behind in recording and had write ups. The visits were also annoying. I do feel like it got me to serve better meals to the kids, if I could have counted my own kids that would have been awesome.

It's been a relief this summer now that I'm not on it and we've had pb & j or a fozen pizza a few times for lunch or skipped a veggie a few times. Nice to have the freedom to do that.

[PitterPatter]

You wrote my reasons for wanting to quit better than I did. I think being able to throw something together if I have extra this or extra that. I think that would save me money.
I didnt even think about the tax money!!

For clarification the brands that I am talking about are Child Nutrition labels on chicken nuggets, fish sticks, corn dogs. I can only find them at Sams club. They have to have enough enriched grain to qualify as your grain requirement.

The state and food program do not come together, I was just thinking I already have state licensing coming into my home for inspection. I dont want more strangers from food program coming in as well.

We are supposed to report when we are off or closed but I don't bother. I know if the monitor has come recently she wont be back for a few months. Even then I don't call. they make reminders for us but I just don't have time or even remember ti call everytime. I figure if they write me up or something then that will be the end but I don't stress over that for now.

As for the nuggets WOW wish we could claim them as the grain but we don't even have that option. Not really a problem tho because when I do serve something like that I just give a slice of buttered bread or a roll. Another point I haven't seen yet is the left overs. We are not permitted to serve them at all!! So that would be a good point of not having the FP. Meatloaf for instance. Great as a reheat the next day but a huge no no for our FP!

[boysx5]

I quit a year ago and I'm no longer stressed over it I still serve great meals without all the paperwork the checks were nice but still having to claim it as income

[Cat Herder]

Meatloaf for instance. Great as a reheat the next day but a huge no no for our FP!

Really? I cook EVERYTHING in advance...so would that make my entire menu a no-no if I ever did join?

I don't think I ever really asked..:confused:

[PitterPatter]

You wrote my reasons for wanting to quit better than I did. I think being able to throw something together if I have extra this or extra that. I think that would save me money.
I didnt even think about the tax money!!

For clarification the brands that I am talking about are Child Nutrition labels on chicken nuggets, fish sticks, corn dogs. I can only find them at Sams club. They have to have enough enriched grain to qualify as your grain requirement.

The state and food program do not come together, I was just thinking I already have state licensing coming into my home for inspection. I dont want more strangers from food program coming in as well.

I quit at the beginning of the summer, because I'm quitting anyway. I did it all through the eight years and I think it was worth it. I would get a check for about 150-190 each month when I had 5-6 kids. The work and additional training is a hassle and I often got behind in recording and had write ups. The visits were also annoying. I do feel like it got me to serve better meals to the kids, if I could have counted my own kids that would have been awesome.

It's been a relief this summer now that I'm not on it and we've had pb & j or a fozen pizza a few times for lunch or skipped a veggie a few times. Nice to have the freedom to do that.

Another plus for us here we can claim our own kids as long as they are here eating the meal.

I do serve a frozen pizza once in a while. I just don't claim food that day. Not sure if it's permitted really but I figure as long as I am not claiming it then why would it matter.

[laundrymom]

You wrote my reasons for wanting to quit better than I did. I think being able to throw something together if I have extra this or extra that. I think that would save me money.
I didnt even think about the tax money!!

For clarification the brands that I am talking about are Child Nutrition labels on chicken nuggets, fish sticks, corn dogs. I can only find them at Sams club. They have to have enough enriched grain to qualify as your grain requirement.

The state and food program do not come together, I was just thinking I already have state licensing coming into my home for inspection. I dont want more strangers from food program coming in as well.

So,..... Do chicken bites from real chicken pieces, real fish steamed or baked is healthier, cheaper and cooks faster than fish sticks. Use that. And as far as corn dogs? Why even offer them? They are full of fat and salt. Instead do chicken kabobs rolled in parm cheese.