SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After the City of South Hutchinson approved the zoning change for a day care provider earlier this month in an effort to help her comply with federal regulations regarding reimbursement for the food she feeds the daycare kids, she is still waiting on the USDA to tell Kansas officials how she can reapply.
Kelly Willis runs Open Arms Child Care in South Hutchinson. She received a response from the Kansas Department of Education this past week saying that they have not yet received guidance that would apply to her situation.
Willis had the goal to continue to qualify for reimbursement for meals served at the daycare under the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program under its day care home provision. She believed rezoning the building as residential would aid her in that cause.
The sticking point was originally a 1994 USDA policy memo which clarified back then that "Commercial properties including churches or schools are not private residences and are not eligible to participate in the CACFP as family day care homes."
Child care providers across Reno County have been leaving the business lately. According to the Reno County child care survey conducted by Kansas State University's Bradford Wiles, Reno County has lost one center and six home care providers since June alone.
Willis told Hutch Post back in December that she has ten in her daycare.
The reimbursement as of that time was $2.95 per lunch, per child, per day, $1.97 per child per breakfast and $1.27 per snack per child per day. That's about 75% of Willis food cost for all home cooked meals.
Depending upon the child attendance, that's around $1000 a month, give or take.
Willis had been in the program since 2019. November 14, 2022 the local representative told Willis she would be disqualified for the program. The reimbursement ended in December.
Willis simply wants to know where to go from here and thanked many members of the community for their support in her rezoning effort and in continuing to support her daycare.
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