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The Calendars Are Back!

ICCB monitors will be distributing free 2024 record-keeping calendars to our providers during FY24 October-January reviews.  This 56-page National Parks nutrition calendar contains a five-hour training module, monthly snacks and recipes, crafts and physical activities, nutrition notes, CACFP Best Practices, motivational moments, parent newsletters, and curricula.  Many of you have been asking for these calendars—we’re happy to bring them back!

Reminder

It is important to keep us informed if you will be closed or taking your children on field trips.  If our Program Advisors come to your daycare and find no one home, you will be issued a Corrective Action.  If you are closed for any reason, please contact us by phone, fax, email info@illinoischildren.com or through KidKare.

As a convenience to our providers, ICCB marks “School Out” for all children Memorial Day through Labor Day.  If your school district varies from this schedule, you will need to note that in your calendar.

Review Protocols

CACFP Regulations stipulate that each provider must be reviewed three times
during each fiscal year, typically once each trimester:  Oct 1-Jan 31;
Feb 1-May 31; and June 1-Sept 30.  Two reviews are unannounced and one is
announced.

In addition to our Program Advisors,  Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Monitors are required to conduct reviews.  It is important that providers respond promptly to review requests to avoid a corrective action.

ISBE Monitors are:  Abby Beckman, John Burton, Judy Foster, Andrea Gregory, Paul Hansen, Harley Hepner,  Yvonne Jablonski, Bushra Khalaf,  Latricia London, Carol Montague, Kim Nesler, Mary Newman, Kari Perkins, Tess Smith and Matthew Whitaker.

New Reimbursement Rates

The USDA has issued the following CACFP reimbursement rates for day care home providers effective July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024:

                                  Breakfast              Lunch/Supper                 Snack
Tier I                        $1.65                        $3.12                                   $0.93
Tier II                       $0.59                      $1.88                                  $0.25

Tier II Day care home providers can qualify for Tier 1 rates based on residential school boundaries, census data, or household income.  If you feel you meet the income eligibility requirements for Tier I rates, fill out the Household Eligibility Application and submit it to our office.

A day care home provider may be reimbursed for no more than two
meals and one snack or two snacks and one meal per child per day.

Need assistance?  Please contact us by phone at (773) 444-0115 or
email info@illinoischildren.com

Training

ICCB provides FREE training opportunities for its providers. Providers under the sponsorship of the Illinois Child Care Bureau review the material online, then take a quiz which will result in their receipt of an email stating the amount of training time received, date and time stamped.

Are you interested in seeing what ICCB has to offer professional day care home providers? Go to Sample Training and Quiz to see a sample training packet and take a quiz.

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.

To learn how to use it, please 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 conduct a review with you to explain 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.

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

Remember:  USDA requires that all child care providers keep in their possession all CACFP records for the current fiscal year plus the previous 3 years.  Included in these records are all menus, attendance reports (including daily meal worksheets), access to the last 3 reviews, and child enrollments.  The current and previous fiscal year records must be maintained in the day care home.  The prior 2 years of CACFP records can be stored off site, but must be accessible for review if needed.

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, 2023, 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 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.

Check Out These Recipes

See more recipes

About ICCB

Our Mission

Illinois Child Care Bureau (ICCB) is a non-profit sponsor organization of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), under the supervision of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

Our mission is to educate day care home providers in the State of Illinois about the CACFP and assist them in accessing reimbursements for healthy meals served to children in their care.  We provide oversight of the program through administration and monitoring of state and federal regulations in the day care homes.  ICCB ensures that funds disbursed through the program are allowable, managed in accordance with best accounting practices, and in compliance with criteria established by the governing agencies.

Our vision is to support providers so that all children can receive nutritious meals in the home day care setting.

From the Executive Director

Congratulations on becoming a day care home provider!  Millions of Americans rely on businesses like yours every day.  It’s an important job that reaps huge benefits for parents as well as children who learn social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills in a nurturing environment.

These past two years have been especially difficult for day care home providers due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Here at the Illinois Child Care Bureau, we recognize the challenges that many providers continue to face due to factors involving increased health and safety concerns. We understand that it is vital that you have access to any financial assistance that is available to you.

The Illinois Child Care Bureau is a non-profit sponsor organization of the Child and Adult Care Food Program, working under the direction of the Illinois State Board of Education. The purpose of this program is to provide partial reimbursement to licensed day care home providers and license-exempt providers for feeding nutritious meals and snacks to children. Our job is to help you receive the highest allowable monthly claim.

We have been serving Illinois businesses like yours for over 30 years, with a strong reputation for friendly, knowledgeable service. Illinois Child Care Bureau staff have vast experience with the program rules and regulations and are happy to assist you. It is our job to walk you through the process so that all your questions and concerns are addressed.

In order for your day care home to receive this monthly subsidy from the federally funded Child and Adult Care Food Program, you must select a sponsor organization. We hope that you will choose us. Our mission is to support you.

With best wishes for your success,

Terri Clemens
Executive Director

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