Frequently Asked Questions

What is the site Setup effort?

There is really no additional effort, you work with site applications as usual and once approved it gets moved over to Meal Counter.

Can you prevent the site from starting to count the meal prior to the approved meal service time?

Currently, no – this would prevent receiving the meals ahead of the meal start time. There are also other valid reasons they would want to use the app prior to meal start.

Do people need to have an account in the CTS system to use Meal Counter?

No – once a sponsor is in the separate Meal Counter database/system, they can add other users as needed to account for their use – and these users do NOT need to be in the state agency nutrition system.

Have State Agencies currently using the platform received any negative pushback from site employees that do not want to use their personal devices to perform work-related duties?

MC is device agnostic – all modern browsers, so pc/web browsers can be used, both iOS and Android devices have predicted data usage available to alleviate bandwidth concerns. The App is the only option for offline use.

Can the State Agency see daily data entered but not submitted?

Submitted meaning the button in the app:

Yes, there is a draft state, or an “in process” state that is visible to the sponsor/state users (the ellipses icon in app and dashboard).

Submitted meaning claims:

Yes, state users can assume the role of sponsors and see everything that is related to their planned claims (run reports, start/end of month, etc.).

Is MC only available for SFSP or would this also work with sponsors that choose the Seamless Summer Option?

It currently only supports SFSP, but we know there is interest in bringing this to SSO and possibly other programs.

Is the update for the Site Application real-time? Once the packet is approved or the site application?

It is close to real-time. It does take a few seconds, and for very large sponsors with hundreds of sites, it may take more than a few seconds but still a very reasonable time.

Any issue with the Claim import with a large number of sites?

This was addressed before the start of this program year and there should be no issue.

Is an account needed to access the Knowledge Base?

The Knowledge Base can be accessed if the user has a direct link, such as is available from within the app or a direct link provided by your Account Executive.

Will the system allow for more complex meal service schedules?

Yes, this is controlled at Calendar and can be scheduled by meal, by day/date, or pattern.

Does MC work with DIS?

Yes, it could be used as a stand-alone option.