Nutrition

Holy Family only serves items listed on its monthly menu with the exception of written direction provided by the parent or a licensed health care provider about a child’s special dietary needs, including special needs because of a medical condition or allergy.  We ask parents to provide a special dietary needs plan from the licensed health care practitioner stating any foods to be avoided, any foods to be substituted, and any need for special utensils.  Holy Family ensures that no more than four hours elapse between meals and snacks, unless a child is asleep.  Our staff members encourage children to eat the food served, but will not coerce or force feed a child.

A monthly menu for breakfast, lunch, and snack will be provided upon request.  A copy of the monthly menu is posted in the entryway.  Holy Family follows written menus as planned and notifies parents of any changes.  To assure each child receives healthy, freshly-prepared nutritionally balanced meals; our center does not allow foods to be brought from home.

All meals and snacks are served in a setting that encourages socialization, where the children and staff members are seated when eating.  Staff members provide supervision and model positive eating behaviors and social interactions.

Holy Family feeds children twelve months of age and under according to a plan developed in consultation with the parent/guardian and may include advice from the child’s licensed health care provider.  Holy Family offers solid foods to infants four months of age and younger only upon the recommendation of the parent and/or licensed health care provider.

When a child is being breast fed, Holy Family ensures that the child’s plan makes a provision for the mother to provide sufficient portions of breast milk or an alternative to satisfy the child throughout the day.  Holy Family will not give commercial formula to the child receiving breast milk without written permission from the mother.  Until a child is able to hold a bottle securely, Holy Family staff members hold the child while bottle feeding.  When a child is no longer being held for feeding, Holy Family staff ensure that seating is age-appropriate and do not prop bottles or allow the child to carry a bottle while moving about or walking.

Holy Family stores perishable food, formula and expressed breast milk in a refrigerator. For formula bottles, parents/guardians are required to clearly label each bottle with the child’s name, contents and the date received.  For breastmilk, parents/guardians are required to clearly label each bottle with the child’s name, date expressed, date frozen if applicable, and date received.  All bottles of formula or breast milk will have caps on them during storage. Parents/guardians are required to provide these caps and label them with the child’s name.

Staff members wash their hands with soap and warm running water for at least twenty seconds prior to preparing a bottle.  All frozen breast milk is thawed in the refrigerator or under cold running water and will not be refrozen. Formula bottles are warmed with a bottle warmer.  Staff members do not use a microwave oven to warm a bottle of formula or breast milk and will not give any formula or breast milk to a child that is not labeled.  Any unused breast milk will be discarded after each feeding.

Holy Family will not accept previously opened baby food containers.

Parents/guardians are required to clearly label each bottle with the child’s name, contents and the date received.

Parents/guardians are required to clearly label each bottle with the child’s name, date expressed, date frozen if applicable, and date received.

Holy Family ensures that drinking water is available to children and staff members and is freely accessible at all times to children thirteen months of age and over. Holy Family ensures that single service drinking cups are discarded after one use and/or that non-disposable cups are washed and sanitized after each use with the exception of cups that may be refilled with water for second servings during breakfast, lunch or snack.

If your child’s schedule will not be five days each week, we ask that you call the center with your schedule changes by 8:00 a.m.  We will adjust the meal orders accordingly.  Your cooperation with this policy will assure that we have the correct amount of food for all of the children and help manage our operational costs.

We request that you do not bring food from home unless your child is enrolled in the WV PreK classrooms for meals (see prior section).

Providing food items for a special occasion is permitted under the following conditions:

• Perishable food to be shared with other children must be made in a commercially licensed facility and in its original package, with an ingredient label attached.
• Special dietary needs must be met for the classroom (see office to check if there is a special dietary need).
• Foods must be labeled with the child’s name and date.
• Leftover food will be discarded.

Food prepared at the center is properly planned, prepared and portioned according to the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the regulatory agency requirements for food service.

If your child has a food allergy, you must notify us in the office and a Special Dietary Need form must be completed before we can make appropriate substitutions.  The form must list the food allergen and the appropriate food substitution and must be updated annually by a licensed health care provider.

Food allergies can be life threatening and each child with a food allergy should have an action plan for emergency care completed the by the child’s licensed physician.  Please see the office for the appropriate forms needed.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at:
http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form.  To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992.  Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. MAIL: U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C.  20250-9410;
2. FAX: (202) 690-7442; or
3. EMAIL: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.