As we continue to share program updates, we also want you to know that the Illinois Child Care Bureau staff hopes that you and your loved ones are healthy and safe during this public health emergency.

• In-person reviews of your food program participation cannot take place right now, therefore, we will conduct reviews by phone or via zoom (video conferencing tool) .  Please answer/respond to calls from your Illinois Child Care Bureau program advisor (monitor) to avoid an unnecessary corrective action.
• Illinois State Board of Education monitors are also conducting reviews with providers by phone.   In order to continue successfully participating in the food program, please respond immediately to their call.  Illinois State Board of Education monitors include John Burton, Judy Foster,  Andrea Gregory,  Paul Hansen,  Harley Hepner, Abby Johnson, Carol Montague, Kim Nesler,  Mary Newman,  Kari Perkins,  Jason Prager, Tess Smith, or Matthew Whitaker.  If you have any questions, please call us during ICCB office hours (Monday – Friday between 8:30 am – 5:00 pm).
• Like many of you, the Illinois Child Care Bureau has faced challenging financial times for the past several months.  Fortunately, we have been able to keep most of our employees.  We are trying to offer the same level of customer service with less financial resources – no easy task.
• We know how much you enjoy the annual printed calendar.  It is a very useful tool.  For the first time in our organization’s history (founded in 1984), we regret that we do not have the funds to provide a calendar to each of you.  When we get to the other side of this pandemic, we hope to distribute the calendar once again,
• We have shifted our communication efforts to enhancing the information on our website, therefore, the ICCB newsletter will no longer be produced.  Please continue to regularly visit IllinoisChildren.com. 
• Your food program reimbursement is based on the new DCFS licensing standards until further notice.  Day care home providers are required to follow the Infant Meal Pattern and the Meal Pattern for Children (in your ILLINOIS CHILD CARE BUREAU PROVIDER GUIDEBOOK).  Beginning with your June 2020 menus, you may claim up to or at your license capacity, not to exceed 10 children including the provider’s own, foster, or residential children (0 – 12 years of age).
• Gentle reminder:  Food program regulations require us to conduct three reviews during each fiscal year which occur over three trimesters (Oct 1 – January 31, February 1 – May 31, and June 1 – September 30, 2021).  Typically, you will receive a review during each trimester.   Two of the reviews must be unannounced and one review may be announced.  Please respond quickly to your program advisor’s call in order to avoid an unnecessary corrective action.  Your cooperation is appreciated.
• Grab-and-Go meals and snacks are non-congregant feeding through the food program.  If your day care home is currently closed due to the public health emergency and you are aware of children needing meals/snacks who were previously enrolled in your care, you are eligible for food program funds by serving non-congregant meals and snacks (Grab-and-Go) to them.  You need prior approval from the Illinois Child Care Bureau for reimbursement.  If you are offering Grab-and-Go meals/snacks, please contact Kim Klimek (Kim@IllinoisChildren.com) and be prepared to answer the following questions:

1. Is there a need not served by schools or other community organizations (yes or no)?
2. What is your plan for providing meals/snacks (is the parent/guardian picking up the meals/snacks)?
3. How many meals/snacks will be given to the child? Please keep in mind the child may only be served meals/snacks as stated on their enrollment form.  Depending on the child’s schedule, the day care home provider may claim a maximum of 2 main meals and 1 snack or 2 snacks and 1 main meal per child per day.
4. If you are providing meals/snacks for multiple days, then please explain your ability to prepare and store the meals/snacks (refrigeration, safe serving containers to keep food cold/hot, etc). If you are not providing meals/snacks for multiple days, then please answer:  Does not apply.
5. Please state the number and names of children being served Grab-and-Go meals and/or snacks.

Social distancing requirements must be maintained during the distribution of meals/snacks.

We appreciate your continued participation in the food program which keeps all of us employed!

Need assistance?  Please contact us by phone at 773.444.0115 or email (Info@IllinoisChildren.com, Cathy@IllinoisChildren.com, Kim@IllinoisChildren.com or Sarah@IllinoisChildren.com).

A Provider You Should Know

Ms. Estella Pegues

For the past 17 years, Mrs. Estella Pegues has owned and operated Home Sweet Home Child Care Services located on the Southeast Side of Chicago. Prior to opening her home day care, Mrs. Pegues was a secretary for 20 years. Mrs. Pegues and her husband Johnie raised six sons. Mrs. Pegues discovered she enjoyed the frequent visits of their son’s friends and that their friends enjoyed being in her home, so she decided to dedicate her home and career to caring for children. Shortly after opening the day care, Johnie quit his job and Estella and Johnie have been a day care home team ever since. …

Continue reading "Ms. Estella Pegues"

KidKare is the online claiming method for day care home providers to access Child and Adult Care Food Program funds.

KidKare is free, user-friendly, works on a Mac/PC/smartphone/iPad/tablet – anything with an internet connection.  You can use most major browsers too.

Want to learn how to use it?  Read How to Use KidKare Guide — or view some short training videos at KidKare.com.

Need your login and password?  Call the ICCB office at 773.444.0115 or send  an email to Info@IllinoisChildren.com.

Claim Your Menus

An Illinois Child Care Bureau Program Advisor will come to your home to review all the rules and regulations of the program including how to claim your menus.  CACFP participants are required to record meals/snacks and attendance daily. Meals/snacks must meet the Infant Meal Pattern (ages birth through 11 months) and/or Meal Pattern for Children (ages 1 through 12 years).

Keeping accurate meal and attendance records is simple when claiming online through KidKare by using any device with internet connection — Smart Phone, tablet, or desktop including Android, iPhone, iPad, PC, and Mac.  On the first day of the month, review the previous month’s menus and attendance.  If the information is correct and complete, submit your food program claim online via KidKare.  Be sure to submit the claim online by the 5th day of the month to receive your payment by the end of the month.

Example:  Food program claim for September (all September menus and attendance) should be submitted to the ICCB office on October 1 or by the 5th of the month.

Temporarily lose internet access?  You must complete Daily Meal Worksheets.

ICCB continues to allow providers to use bubble/scannable menu forms (paper forms).  You will need a #2 pencil to completely shade in each and every bubble required on the form which can be time-consuming.  Accuracy is always important especially when using paper menu forms.  Errors may occur when you do not completely fill in each bubble.  Errors can be costly — it may cause a meal/snack to be disallowed which results in you receiving a smaller reimbursement.  Paper claim forms must be mailed to the ICCB office and you are responsible for paying the proper postage.  Mailing the paperwork to the ICCB office by the 5th day of the month will enable you to be part of the first claim.

Per USDA regulations, claims received 60 days past the last day of the claim month will not be reimbursed.

Reimbursement Process

In Illinois, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is administered by the Illinois State Board of Education and funded by USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) for cash reimbursement to licensed and license-exempt day care home providers for serving nutritious meals and snacks to children in their care.

All sponsor organizations provide the exact same rate of reimbursement.

Effective July 1, 2020, this chart indicates the rate of reimbursement for day care home providers:

Day care home providers can qualify for Tier 1 rates based on residential school boundaries, census data, or household income. The Illinois Child Care Bureau office (ICCB) makes school and/or census determination based on information supplied by the Illinois State Board of Education as well as household income provided by the day care home provider. Eligible providers may also apply to claim residential children through age 12 by completing a Household Eligibility Application. If approved, residential children may be claimed on CACFP as long as at least one non-residential day care child is claimed for reimbursement. If a provider does not qualify based on the above criteria, Tier II rates are assigned.

Depending on the child’s schedule, a day care home provider may claim a maximum of 2 main meals and 1 snack or 2 snacks and 1 main meal per child per day.  See Claim Your Menus for information on requirements for claiming reimbursement.

The ICCB processes provider menus and submits a monthly claim for reimbursement to the Illinois State Board of Education. When funds are received electronically from the Illinois State Board of Education, the ICCB can send a direct deposit to your bank account (checking or savings). Direct deposit is safe, efficient, and it’s fast. If needed, the ICCB will write a paper check and mail it to your day care home via the US Post Office. Go green and use direct deposit!

Annual training on Civil Rights training is a program requirement.  It is the responsibility of the day care home provider to inform parents/guardians to file complaints appropriately.   If someone feels they have been treated differently and their Civil Rights have been violated, they may want to file a complaint with the US Department of Agriculture.   A day care home provider should never discourage individuals from filing a complaint and must provide the complainant with the information to do so.

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