1.  FOOD

BREAKFAST    We know that children sometimes have difficulty finishing their breakfast before an early arrival.  If you’d like to set up breakfast food for your child before you leave the School in the morning, you may do so. However, keep in mind that, in the interest of starting our morning program as scheduled for children over two years old, we must put away breakfast food by the 9:00 a.m. clean-up time. Be sure to arrive in time for your child to finish.

LUNCH    Send foods prepared as You’d like them served to your child. Fruits, meats and other foods should be cut so as to prevent choking. Use microwavable containers if you’d like us to heat any foods that.you include. We’ll serve our own milk and juice, or you can send your own if you prefer. Children under three years are served whole milk; those over three are served 2% milk. Infant formula is provided by parents.   We have microwave ovens in the classrooms and can heat up foods sent in microwave-safe containers.

SNACKS AT SCHOOL     We provide a morning and afternoon snack that consists of at least one (1) serving of milk each day and a snack food such as crackers or pretzels.  We stock 10-12 varieties.  These snacks should be seen as a supplement to your child’s daily milk and carbohydrate requirements.  We regret that we do not have the Staff resources to serve fresh foods  (e.g. fruit) other than milk and juice. 

EVENING SNACK  We provide an A.M. and mid-P.M. snack consisting of milk or juice with crackers or other low sugar snack foods. If you’d like to give your child an additional snack before leaving the School or on the way home, pack it separately so that we know to save it.

            NOTES REGARDING FOOD BROUGHT FROM HOME – Our NAEYC Standards Require That:

·       Parents bring lunch each day and place it in the refrigerator when they arrive.

·       All food brought from home must be in a lunch bag labeled with the child’s name.

·       Lunch brought from home should meet the guidelines of the Child and Adult Care Food Program for the types of foods and portion sizes.  We are required to remind you of children’s requirements to have good nutrition and healthy meals.   We maintain information on nutritional guidelines and are happy to supply it to you upon request.

·       Please send food that is cut or peeled the way you would like it served to your child.

o   For Infants food should be cut into pieces no larger than ¼ inch square;

o   For Toddlers/twos, ½ inch square, according to each child’s chewing and swallowing capability

·   We cannot serve the following foods to children younger than four (4) years old:

o   hot dogs, whole or sliced into rounds,

o   whole grapes,

o   nuts,

o   popcorn,

o   raw peas

o   hard pretzels,

o   spoonfuls of peanut butter,

o   chunks of raw carrots,

o   meat larger than can be swallowed whole.

·       Food brought from home for sharing among the children must be either whole fruits or commercially prepared packaged foods in factory-sealed containers.

·       Baked goods may be made at home, if they are fully cooked, do not require refrigeration and were made with freshly purchased ingredients. 

o   There must be enough for all the children.

o   They must be prepared and transported in a sanitary fashion, including maintenance of safe food temperatures for perishable items.

      BREAST MILK-   The School is very supportive of breastfeeding with its the many documented benefits.

·       We will accept, appropriately store and serve expressed human milk for feedings;

·       Human milk should be brought to School in ready-to-feed sanitary containers labeled with your infant’s name and date;

·       We can store it in the refrigerator for no longer than 48 hours (or no more than 24 hours, if the breast milk was previously frozen) or in the freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below for no longer than three (3) months;

·       Staff will gently mix, not shake, the milk before feeding to preserve special infection-fighting and nutritional components in human milk; and

·       We have a rocking chair in the Infant Room that we hope you will find comfortable, if you choose to feed your baby at School.  Please let us know how we can assist you.

    FOOD ALLERGIES

·       We’ll ask for an Special Care Plan prepared in consultation with family members, your child’s health provider and the specialists involved in your child’s care.

·       The School will make every attempt to protect children with food allergies from contact with the problem food.  We will ask that you give consent for posting information about your child’s food allergy in the food preparation area and in the areas of the facility your child uses so it is a visual reminder to all those who interact with your child during the Program day.

·       We will ask you to review a listing of the foods the School provides for snacks and give your consent for those foods that are permitted.

·       It may be necessary for you to supplement our snacks with those you’d like provided to your child.

OTHER FOOD RESTRICTIONS

·       You may have a number of reasons for controlling the types of food your child consumes at School.  These could be religious, dietary or cultural preferences.  The School is not equipped to supply the possible variety of food restrictions.  If you have food preferences not met by our snack offerings:

o   We will ask you to review a listing of the foods the School provides for snacks and give your consent for those foods that are permitted.

o   It may be necessary for you to supplement our snacks with those you’d like provided to your child.

2.  CHANGE OF CLOTHING*  An entire change of clothing,  appropriate to the season (including socks) in a labeled bag. Please bring two changes for infants.

3. BLANKET*  for NAPS and REST -Because of the length of our Program day, all children have a rest or nap time in their daily schedule:

·       Kindergarten aged children have a one (1) hour rest time each day, when we do “quiet” activities.

·       Children younger than Kindergarten have a naptime in their schedule each day.  The children nap on their own Texteline cots, marked with their name and raised off the floor.  We supply sheets and ask you to bring a crib-sized          blanket.

·       Infants have cribs and Young Toddlers, not yet ready for a cot, have portable cribs.

A crib-sized blanket works best for nap. We provide fresh cot sheets weekly or more often, as necessary.   Sleeping bags are sometimes used by Kindergarten groups for their shorter rest period. Your child’s Teacher will advise you.

4. TOYS*    Because the School is well-equipped, it isn’t necessary to bring toys from home. However, we recognize that a transitional object sometimes helps children feel secure. We ask that you limit your child to one item per day, and that guns, knives, and super-hero paraphernalia that encourage aggression be left at home. We cannot be responsible for items brought fiom home. Labeling with your child’s name helps to prevent loss.

5. MEDICATIONS   We will administer medications as needed according to the policies discussed Under Health, Medications, Illness and Injuries. You may want to keep Tylenol, Sunscreen, or other over-the counter-medications, available at the School. We are permitted to administer only medication provided by you, with your permission in writing and labeled with your child’s name.

6. DIAPERS    We are only able to accept disposable diapers, per our NAEYC Standards. 

7. OUTDOOR CLOTHING*   Mittens, boots, snow-pants, bathing suits and other items appropriate to the season that are necessary to enjoy the outdoors.

* To prevent loss, all clothing and other personal items should be labeled.

WHAT TO WEAR