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<p class="MsoNormal">Good Afternoon,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This email is intended for all licensed daycare centers and daycare home providers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Recently, the Maine CACFP Office was audited by the State of Maine and the topic of “patterned claiming” came up. Patterned claiming is when a provider claims the max number of meals/snacks for all children, month after month. While this
can happen, it is not common. Great ways to check for this would be to look at the last 3-months claims, are they claiming the same number for breakfast, lunch, and snack- month after month?
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Example:<o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Total Enrollment: 15<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Days Operated: 20<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Total Attendance: 300 Average Daily Attendance: 15<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Breakfast: 300<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lunch: 300<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">PM: 300<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">*In this example- this center had 100% participation for all enrolled children for every single day in the claim month.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another way to check for patterned claiming is monitoring visits (if applicable). 5-day Reconciliation sheets compare enrollment to attendance to meal counts for 5 consecutive days. If you see the same numbers every day, then you should
look at the Time In/Time Out attendance sheets and verify if the children were in attendance on those days. While attendance by check mark (by the child’s name) is allowed for CACFP (unless enrolling over licensed capacity), Childcare Licensing requires every
licensed daycare center <u>AND</u> daycare home to keep daily Time in (time child arrived) and Time out (time child left care) sheets. So, CACFP Staff should be verifying any observed “patterned claiming” with actual Time in/Time Out attendance sheets, not
attendance check boxes. Moving forward, CACFP State Reviewers and CACFP Daycare Home Monitors should and will be verifying any noted patterned claiming using the Time In and Time Out sheets. Daycare Home (DCH) Sponsors should also be collecting Time In/Time
Out attendance sheets, with monthly claims for reimbursement for providers that enroll over licensed capacity. DCH Sponsors should be verifying monthly attendance records for compliance with licensed capacity.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Maine CACFP Office has been working closely with DHHS Licensing during our State Audit to make sure we are sharing consistent information. If Centers or Daycare Home Providers have not been keeping daily Time In and Time Out sheets,
they should start immediately. It should also be noted that Licensing has stated those attendance records should be kept for 3 years, in the case of CACFP, all program records and supporting documentation should be kept for 3 years plus current.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you have any questions feel free to reach out to our office anytime.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Maine CACFP Team</b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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