Children enrolled in Grandma’s House will be provided a homemade mid-morning snack, lunch, and mid-afternoon snack.  The menu is posted and available for review.  Menu changes or substitutions may be made on an as needed basis and will be posted. 

 

Allergies of individual children shall be posted in a prominent place in the food preparation area and on the classroom clipboard.  Staff will be made aware of any allergies of individual children.

 

Menus are provided to meet the needs of all children.  Nutrient concentrates and supplements will be served only on written instruction of the child’s physician and request of the parent.  Parents must provide food for children who require a special diet.

 

Food will not be used as a punishment or reward.  Children will be encouraged, not forced to eat.  Offering a variety of foods will enhance the appetites of the children while supplying one third of their daily-required needs.

 

A nutrition unit will be taught to the children as part of their curriculum so they gain an understanding of the necessity of eating the proper foods.

 

The food service manager and staff complete state required orientation provided by Grandma’s House.  The food service manager conducts and documents annual training of cooks in areas of food handling, kitchen sanitation, and nutrition.  This satisfies the continuing education as required by the State of Wisconsin.

 

Infants and Toddlers are fed according to their own schedules.  All bottles are labeled, dated and stored in the refrigerator.  Leftover milk or formula is discarded one hour after each feeding, and bottles are rinsed.  Children ages 6 weeks to 24 months are provided breast milk, formula, or Grade A pasteurized vitamin D whole milk.

 

Opened Commercial baby food containers will be covered, dated and placed in the refrigerator up to 36 hours.  Leftover foods prepared in the center will be covered, dated and stored up to 36 hours.  If not used within 36 hours, all leftover foods will be discarded. 

 

Infants and toddlers are held or placed in a high chair or infant seat during feeding.  Bottles are never propped.  Children are encouraged to experiment with self-feeding.  Children are not fed directly from commercial food containers.

 

All bottles are heated in hot water and staff are careful to mix, not shake the human milk to preserve special infection fighting and nutritional components.  Procedures for safely heating food in a microwave oven are posted near the microwave oven.