|
NUTRITION
Breakfast, Lunch
and Snacks:
BDN provides healthy meals to the children each day. The cost of
the meals is included in the weekly fee. It is not necessary for
you to supplement BDN meals with foods from home.
Each month a menu
is sent home with your child so you will know what foods will be
served each day. If you know of certain foods that your child
cannot eat, please provide an alternate meal for that day.
Alternate meals should require no heating or additional preparation
by staff. Menus may change on occasion.
From time to time,
classrooms may plan special activities and serve different foods
from what is listed on the monthly menu. When this occurs, the
classroom staff will notify you of the change in advance.
Special Diets and
Food Allergies:
Parents must provide substitute foods if their child is on a special
diet for religious or temporary medical reasons.
For children on
long-term special diets for medical reasons, we can provide
substitute foods, including Lact-Aid, if we have a note from
your child’s doctor.
If your child has
any diet restrictions, please inform the Intake Coordinator at
enrollment. This information will be shared with the classroom and
kitchen staff and all diet restrictions will be posted in a
designated area in the classroom and kitchen.
If your child has
any food allergies, you must supply a doctor’s note stating what the
allergy is and what the allergic reaction might look like. If your
child is in danger of experiencing a severe allergic reaction, we
will ask you to complete an Emergency Health Care Plan which details
the symptoms of the allergic reaction and emergency actions that
must take place.
All allergies are
posted within the classroom and kitchen to ensure that children are
not served any foods which they are allergic to.
INFANT NUTRITION
Formula and Baby
Foods:
Parents of infants must supply their child’s formula and baby foods.
Parents must send in as many bottles of formula that the child will
need for the day. All bottles must have nipple covers. It is
strongly suggested that an extra can of formula be supplied to meet
the additional needs of the growing infant.
Preparation
(mixing) and sterilization (washing/boiling) must be done at home.
Teachers must be notified if parents change the brand of formula or
if there are additional ingredients such as iron supplements.
Adding cereal to
the bottles is strongly discouraged. Cereal thickens over time and
clogs the nipples. Feeding infants with a soft sterilized spoon
strengthens muscles and prepares the infant for an enjoyable eating
experience.
If your health
care provider feels that solid food should be added to the bottles,
please have him/her provide written instructions including the
reason for the recommendation.
Parents must
also provide jarred baby foods and discuss the introduction of these
foods with the caregiver. (Allergies, constipation, stomach upset,
and loose bowel movements may be noticed when introducing new foods
to infants.) Solid foods and juice will only be given before six
months of age upon the recommendation of a health care provider.
Parents of children
transported by bus are expected to communicate through written
notes, telephone calls, and if necessary, through a supervisor
regarding their child’s dietary needs.
Bottles, spoons,
cereals, baby foods and your child’s bag MUST BE CLEARLY LABELED.
Juice:
Juice should be prepared and ready for the child to drink. Teachers
should not be expected to add water to the juice bottle.
Juice should be
limited to no more than four ounces per day.
Juice bottles that
accommodate nipples will be used only one time and all bottles must
have nipple covers.
DAILY ACTIVITIES
|
Each day in
child care the children spend some time: |
|
| |
|
|
|
1. |
Choosing their own play activities:
The
classrooms have activity centers where children can play with
the things they want. This is called “unstructured time.” The
activity centers include things such as blocks, art supplies,
puzzles, games, and books, items for dramatic play, science, and
musical toys. The teachers always supervise the children when
they play in activity centers.
|
|
BDN supplies a wide variety
of toys, videos and materials to the children. We
STRONGLY DISCOURAGE children from bringing toys or videos
in from home. They often become
lost or broken and BDN
cannot be responsible for these items. |
|
2. |
Playing in groups: The
teachers work with all the children in large and small groups.
This is called “structured time.” The children may sit together
and sing songs, hear stories, play games, listen to music, learn
poems, or participate in arts and crafts. |
3. |
Eating:
The children eat at the table in a group along with at least one
staff person. They are encouraged to serve themselves and to
help clean up. The teachers supervise the meals and allow each
child to take their own time eating. Generally:
Breakfast is served from
7:30 to
9:00 AM.
Lunch is served from
11:00 AM
to 12:30 PM.
Snack is served at about
2:30 PM.
|
 |
|
4. |
Resting or Napping:
The children usually take a rest or nap after lunch. The length
of rest time will depend on the needs of each child. Children
who attend child care all day will have a rest time of at least
45 minutes according to EEC regulations.
Individual infant schedules are followed regarding the need for
sleep, meals, and activities.
Every infant under 12 months will be placed on his/her back for
naps unless the child’s health care professional orders
otherwise in writing.
|
|
5. |
Playing Outdoors: The children play outside daily (weather permitting) as a
part of their
program. Please dress your children appropriately for outside
play.
|
|
Please DO
NOT send your child to school with sandals, open-toed, or
slippery shoes. Children need SNEAKERS or STURDY SHOES for
play |
|
