How do I qualify to participate?
a. If you are non-profit you qualify automatically; we will need a copy of your tax-exempt letter.
b. If you have 25% of your enrollment on Neighborhood centers or CCMS you can participate. And we will need a copy of your most recent CCMS report of attendance form 2455.
c. If you have 25% of your enrollment qualify by free, reduced and paid.

If I have 25% qualifying will I get reimbursed for all the children enrolled?
Yes, you will.

What is the rate of reimbursement?
The rate of reimbursement is a blended rate of the free, paid and reduced children participating in that month, and it changes each month based on the enrollment of that month.

If a child is qualified by CCSM, do I still need a 1531 for the child?
Yes

What if the parent will not return the 1531 form?
You take an income form and put the child’s name on it and then write across the form “parent refused”. Then the children will be considered to be paid.

Do I send you receipts?
Yes, at the end of the month you must mail us a copy of all receipts relating to the food preparation and attach it to the expense sheet.
All the receipts and expense summary sheet must be in the office by the last workday before the 2nd of the month

Will I be trained?
Yes, FFK will train you:
a. There is “New Day Care Center & Day Home” training – for new providers – required
b. There is also annual training – required
c. There may be additional required training for corrective action or areas of deficiencies.

Will you come to visit the center?
Yes, we will do unannounced visits to observe the meal service.

How do I determine the allowance rent cost?
a. Take the square feet of your Kitchen and serving space, divide it by the total square feet of the center.
b. Use the % of the serving area and divide into the cost.
c. Example:
Total rent is $1, 000.00
Total square feet if 1000 sq. ft.
Total serving area if 300 sq. ft.
300 divided by 1000 = .30%
$1,000 divided by .30% = $333.00 is the allowable rent cost.

How do I fill out the labor sheet?
a. If your cook is a dedicated cook, have them sign the certification at the bottom.
b. If your cook does several things, fill out the labor sheet for each task daily and attach at the end of the month.

Do we have to enroll all the children (infants) even if we will not claim them?
Yes, you must enroll all the children. If you don’t claim them, you are to show them in attendance, but meals not claimed.

Why did I get a letter about my language and/ or terminology?
This mean that you submitted a menu with measurements that were not on the quantity chart (Incorrect example: 1 bunch of bananas, or 100 drumsticks. Correct example 4 ½ cups of bananas or 45 ounces of drum sticks)

Do we qualify for the food program if the monitor disallowed my meals?
Yes you qualify for the program, however you will be disallowed for the meals that were disallowed.

When will I get my check?
A center may normally expect to receive your reimbursement between the 25th and the end of the month. If you get direct deposit you may expect to receive an email that will advise you of the amount and the date of the reimbursement.

How much is my check?
Reimbursement amount is located in your claiming system.

Why can’t I use the old forms?
We are required to only process the approved form of the state of Texas.

How do I change my time?
You may email or mail us your time changes and the time changes will become effective the following month.

What if a child is late and still eats?
You may feed children at anytime. You cannot claim meals outside of your approved meal service times.

Why can’t I fax my enrollment forms?
You are responsible for checking the information on the form prior to sending it to the office.

Why is your fax machine not on?
It is our practice not to have it on all the time.

What if the 4 th is a weekend or holiday, what do I do?

I forgot to mail my paperwork, what’s going to happen?

Why can’t I get my check this month?
There may be several reasons:

  • You failed to attend required training
  • You failed to send you renewals of income and enrollment forms as requested
  • You failed to send your license renewal as requested
  • Your center does not the 25% required to participate that month.
  • Your center is under investigation
  • Your center has not responded to the corrective action plan.

What if the parent brings the meal?
You may not claim the meal.

What happens when I forget to enter my quantities?
All meals without the correct quantities listed will be disallowed.

When do I send in a CN label?
Please send the CN label on/or before the 25th of the month.

What if parent refuses to fill out the form?
The parent may not refuse to fill out the enrollment form, however the parent may refuse to fill out the 1531, if this happens you must put ” parent refused” on the form and mail it to me.

Why did I get disallowed for the menu because the menus weren’t in the center?
It is required that CACFP records remain in the center.

What’s going to happen, because I wasn’t there and my worker was new and forgot where the forms were? They were there.
All meals affected will be disallowed.

What’s going to happen if I miss training?
You will not receive reimbursement until training requirements are met. (There is no retroactive reimbursement)

I got a letter and I did not understand it? I don’t have it in front of me?
Please have the letter in front of you when you call the office.

How can I set up direct deposit?
Fill out the direct deposit form, attach a voided check and return it to the office.

How come you can’t fix it? I thought you were so suppose to fix things. Can I come and fix it?
You have been misinformed. You must check all forms and records prior to sending them tot the office.

Can I have special meal service times on holidays?
Your mealtimes are to be the same each day.

Will you open all the meals on EZ Claims?
No we will not we will only open the meals requested by the parent.

What is my enrollment date?
The enrollment date is the date you first enroll the child in the food program, not into the center. If you are renewing enrollment, the date is the 1st date of the month you are renewing.

Please drop the child as of Aug 2005.
Please drop all children in FFK-EZClaims.

What will happen if I don’t mail my claim to be received by the 19th?
We will not process the 1st two weeks.

What is the new return policy?
We will give your center a email/call to advise you of what forms are incomplete and advise you how to correct or do it over.

What do I do, I got a notice, but I have been to training, do I still have to come?
If you receive a notice of training you must attend or send someone from your center.

I wasn’t at training, so I didn’t know, I sent my staff, and they did tell me, so I should not be held accountable, should I?
You should get the information from your staff person and read correspondence that is mailed to you.

I have hired a new person, can you come and train them or can I send them to training?
You are responsible for training your new staff.

How do the free, reduced and paid affect the reimbursements?
The free, reduced, and paid are one of the elements that determines your reimbursement.

What happens when I don’t send in my renewals on time?
You are not eligible to participate, because all your children have been dropped.

Will we get disallowance letters twice a month?
All disallowances are in FFK-EZClaims.com

When we mail the 1st two weeks and I discover or if you discover something is wrong or missing can I come and fix it or will you just fix it?

How will I know you have done the direct deposit? (How do I recognize it in the bank?
You will receive an email. The direct deposit will say “meal service account”.

What does one point of contact mean?
This means there has to be only one person from the center to call, ask questions or make request concerning the center.

What order should the names on the summary sheet and / or attendance sheet be written?
List the children in alphabetical order, last name first.