Nutrition:
Our Nutrition Services is proud to participate in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) to ensure that every child receives nutritious meals and snacks that meet 1/2 to 2/3 of their daily nutritional needs. All children enrolled in full-day, part-day, or double sessions will be offered breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack.
Our menus, developed by a registered dietitian, comply with CACFP meal patterns and provide appropriate serving sizes for each child's age. We pride ourselves on offering diverse foods that vary in culture, color, texture, temperature, size, and shape, all served in a family-style setting. Infants are fed on demand according to written feeding instructions provided by the parent or physician, and every effort is made to encourage children to eat without any pressure.
Furthermore, PCI receives federal cash assistance to ensure that we can serve healthy meals to the children in our care.
Breastfeeding:
We fully support parents who choose to breastfeed or provide breast milk to the center. A comfortable area is available for mothers to breastfeed their children, and we also offer appropriate storage for mothers who wish to bring breast milk to the center for later use. Our staff ensures that breastfed infants receive only the breast milk produced by the parent.
Meals and Food Service Practices:
Our family-style eating approach, coupled with balanced, nutritious meals, allows children to learn about healthy eating habits with the support of their peers. Our child nutrition services are designed to meet each child's nutritional needs and help them establish good eating habits that promote lifelong well-being. Should the need arise, a registered dietitian or nutritionist will follow up with the child's parent or guardian to address the child and family's specific nutritional needs. Additionally, we ensure that safe drinking water is always available to the children and provide referrals to WIC and other community agencies when necessary.
Additionally, we require parents to inform the teacher of any food allergies or if their child is on a special diet. A doctor's statement is necessary for special diets for medical reasons to make specific adjustments to the meals served.
Mealtime is a learning experience. Both volunteers and staff are expected to sit with the children, model healthy eating habits and table manners, stimulate social interaction, and promote language development and social skills. We strive to offer food items that are high in nutrients and low in fat, sugar, and salt. For special occasions, we request that parents seek approval from the Education Center Coordinator and Nutrition Staff before bringing store-bought and pre-packaged food for classroom celebrations.
We also utilize the "Color Me Healthy" curriculum and the "I Am Moving, I Am Learning" program in the classroom to emphasize the importance of making healthy food choices and participating in physical activities every day. These programs include classroom activities such as songs, games, and imaginary trips, all developed especially for preschool-age children.
