Children scheduled over the lunch hour (approx. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) must bring a lunch from home. Milk, cups, silverware and napkins are provided by the Center.

Infants are fed on their individual schedules and recorded on his/her Daily Record Sheet. Formulas and baby food must be provided by the parent or guardian.

Toddlers generally eat between 11:05 a.m. and Noon on a flexible schedule tailored to meet their needs. Two- and three- year olds eat at 11:15 a.m. Four-year olds eat at 11:30 a.m.

All lunches, bottles, and baby food containers MUST be labeled with child's name. All bottles and baby food containers must be taken home DAILY to be cleaned and sanitized. (Unfinished jars of food or dried food can be left for the next day.) NO GLASS BOTTLES! Refrigerators are available for bottles and lunches and microwaves are available to heat soups, veggies, leftovers, etc. Please send food to be heated in a container which can be microwaved. For children ages toddler and up, all food which is not eaten is sent home in the lunch box so parents can keep track of their child's eating habits. If your child has small, non-resealable packages of fruit, pudding, yogurt, applesauce, etc., please send a container for leftovers for we will discard those leftovers so as to avoid a mess in your child's lunch box or bag.

The children are encourage to eat the nutritious portions of their lunch first, (protein, fruit, veggie, bread, milk, etc.) and then will be offered any sweet desserts. Treats will be offered only if a child actually eats a reasonable portion of the nutritious part of the meal.

State Daycare Licensing Rules state that "each meal served shall meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Care Food Program minimum meal requirements." These requirements are:

	Age 1 & 2	Age 3,4, & 5	Age 6 up to 12
Milk	1/2 cup	3/4 cup	1 cup
Meat or meat alternate:
Meat, poultry, fish, cheese	1 oz.	1 1/2 oz.	2 oz.
Egg	1 egg	1 egg	1 egg
Cooked dry beans or peas	1/4 cup	3/8 cup	1/2 cup
Peanut butter or other nut or seed butter	2 Tbsp.	3 Tbsp.	4 Tbsp.
Peanuts, soy nuts, or tree nuts or seeds	1/2 oz=50%	3/4 oz=50%	1 oz=50%
Vegetable and/or fruit (at least 2)	1/4 cup	1/2 cup	3/4 cup
Bread or bread alternative	1/2 slice	1/2 slice	1 slice

The Children's Center will supplement any lunches that do not fulfill these requirements.

• Each supplement the Children's Center must supply is charged to your daily childcare bill at the rate of $.50 per supplement.
• Notice of any lunch supplement supplied by the Center will be put in your child's lunch box or cubby.

Snacks

• Served at approx. 9:30 a.m. & 3:00 p.m. daily.
• Parents are required to bring in a snack for the entire upstairs (toddlers/twos) or downstairs (three/fours & up) group once each session. You will be assigned a snack according to where your youngest child is located. (infants excluded)
• Snack schedules are provided the first week of each session. The schedule includes amounts, dates, and other pertinent information.
• An extensive list of suggested snacks and juices is provided with the snack schedule, or ask your child's teacher for suggestions.
• Snacks must be nutritious. (No Kool-Aid or Hi-C, real juices only)
• Snack reminders are given verbally or a notice will be taped on your child's cubby the week before your snack is expected.
• A $15.00 penalty is imposed for not bringing your snack.
• Please see the director if your child is on a snack list but is never scheduled to be present during a snack time or if you have any questions about the snack requirements.

Water

Day Care Licensing Rules state the drinking water must be offered to Infants and Toddlers (under two years) several times daily. Please send a labeled bottle/sippy cup to be used by your child for this purpose (no glass please).