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Ask the Food Program
Question:
“I have a 3-year-old child in my care, whose mother sometimes sends food here and there to replace what I have on the menu. On these days, I have not been offering him the meal I make and have been offering his meal sent from home instead. His mom does this if she knows her son won’t eat what I have provided on the menu.
This mother also prefers that her son doesn’t have milk during breakfast, because she wants him to have milk at home before he arrives at daycare.
Is that okay, or should I still offer milk no matter what the mom prefers?
This same child also does not eat a variety of foods (i.e. texture and change bother him.) *
On days he refuses to eat anything for snack or lunch, what am I supposed to do”?
Answer:
This is a complicated series of questions. From a CACFP perspective, providers are reimbursed for meals and snacks when they provide all components, or when the family provides one component of a creditable meal or snack. If the parent is supplying the meal, you should not claim it, and you cannot be paid for that meal.
DPI guidance states that ‘offering’ meals and snacks to children in care means that the children are seated at the table and served all required meal components. The child does not have to eat all – or any! - of that meal or snack for the provider to claim and be paid for it. If, however, a child did not sit at the table and instead said he would not eat that meal/snack, you would not claim it because it does not meet the DPI definition for ‘offering’ a meal/snack.
If you withhold milk from breakfast at the parent’s request, you would not be providing all components of a creditable breakfast and should not claim breakfast for that child: Milk of the appropriate fat content by age is required at mealtimes. If you withhold milk but are providing the two other required breakfast components, i.e., a serving of fruit or vegetable and a serving of bread/bread alternate, and the child is seated and ‘offered’ those components, you would be providing the components for a creditable snack, and you could claim and be paid for that snack.
As a former child care provider myself, I might respectfully suggest that some of your questions also relate to your own policies. Many providers choose not to accept carry-in meals or snacks or food components (apart from breastmilk or parent-provided iron fortified infant formula for infants in care) for a variety of reasons, including:
- Children in care being inadvertently exposed to a food component to which they are sensitive or allergic;
- Parents forgetting to pack one or more required food components to meet the requirements for a meal according to the Wisconsin Licensing Rules or Wisconsin Certification Rules;
- Parents providing inadequate portion sizes in carry-in meals/snacks;
- Children wanting the meal components of other children, rather than those provided by their own parent;
- Parents catering to their child’s preferences, and thereby inadvertently supporting their child’s limited or “picky” eating.
Having clear policies that state what you will supply, the approximate times of meals and snacks, what families may or may not bring into the child care home, and how Special Diets or eating challenges will be approached will be helpful information for any family with whom you work. Reassure families that you participate on a Food Program and that the meals and snacks served to the children meet the CACFP guidelines. Inform parents that Licensing and Certification Rules mandate that children be fed at least every 3 hours – and whether they eat the currently-offered meal or snack, they will not starve before the next one is served! Let them know that, while young children are naturally suspicious of new foods, having patience with this natural tendency while continuing to provide experiences with new foods will help them to develop into more well-rounded eaters.
Provide reassuring patterns to children with predictable meal and snack times and positive mealtime experiences. Try to avoid power struggles. Prepare and ‘offer’ creditable meals and snacks, incorporating a variety of tastes, textures, colors, and allow the children to choose what – or whether – to eat. Whenever possible, sit down and eat with them. Children observing your modeling of good manners and enjoyment of all the healthy foods served day-by-day has power that cannot be overstated.
If a child chooses not to eat, remind them gently that no other food will be available until the next scheduled meal or snack time. Do not be tempted or cajoled into preparing anything different or sneaking something to the child who has decided not to eat what was served. You will be setting a precedent and find yourself on your way to running a short order kitchen.
Feeding young children can feel complicated. Keep your focus on the key points - developing practices and policies that uphold CACFP guidelines and regulatory mandates; providing clear messages to families; ‘offering’ complete, timely meals/snacks to children – to develop positive habits about food and nutrition, as simply as possible, for all involved.
*If a Special Diet exists, it must be documented with forms found in Special Dietary Needs Requests and Special Needs Verification.
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