Is Your Childcare Facility Meeting Nutritional Guidelines?

Your child’s nutritional wellness is very important, but how do you know if their day-care facility believes the same thing? While you might assume institutions would follow recommended guidelines, you can’t be there every minute of every day to check the daycare is taking care of your child’s wellbeing (if you were able, you wouldn’t need daycare in the first place!) Luckily, a new study, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, has actually looked at whether recommendations on childhood feeding practices were being followed by US daycare institutions.

 

The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Illinois and was funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Illinois Trans-Disciplinary Obesity Prevention Program, the Illinois Council for Food and Agricultural Research, the University of Illinois and the US Department of Agriculture. The researchers undertook a cross-sectional survey of how 118 childcare facilities in the US fed children in their care. A mix of different organisations ran these facilities, including Head Start (a US government programme for children and their families on a low income), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), a US federal initiative which provides subsidised food services for children in daycare and other non-government daycare programmes (called non-CACFP).

 

The recommendations for healthy feeding practices were developed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2011, and the researchers looked at whether childcare providers in these programmes met these recommendations. More than 12 million preschool children attend childcare in the US, and up to three-quarters of their daily energy intake is consumed while there. This makes your child’s daycare facility the perfect place to promote healthy eating behaviours and prevent obesity – if they meet the right guidelines.

 

As part of the guidance, childcare providers should:

• sit with the children during meals


• eat meals together with the children


• serve meals “family-style” (rather than delivered pre-plated or in bulk)


• help children recognise internal hunger and fullness signals with verbal cues


• not use controlling practices such as restrictions on food or pressure to eat


• provide a model of healthy eating


• teach children about nutrition


• encourage balance and variety of foods


• train staff in nutrition


• educate children and parents about nutrition

 

The results of the study revealed that Head Start providers sat more frequently with children during meals, ate the same foods as children and served meals family-style more often, compared with CACFP and non-CACFP providers. Head Start also won out in terms of providing parents and children with more nutrition-education opportunities, encouraging more balance and variety of foods and offering healthier foods. This means that Head Start providers had greater compliance with the Academy’s benchmarks compared with CACFP and non-CACFP providers.

 

But does the research stack up? According to the NHS website, ‘Overall, the research found that most childcare programmes were following the recommendations. But it should be noted that the researchers used questionnaires that the childcare organisations filled in themselves (which could be open to bias). The study also did not look at any outcomes for the children. The question of whether regular mealtimes do produce “slimmer children” remains unanswered – at least by this research. A 2011 review of studies involving around 100,000 children suggested an association between regular family mealtimes and a reduction in the risk of a child being overweight. Credible as this evidence seems, it is likely that more research is needed before the style and culture of mealtimes can be conclusively linked with children’s weight.’

Categories: cacfp providers, childcare, childcare providers, Children, daycare, family style, feeding practices, Healthy Eating, meals family, nutrition, nutritional guidelines, Research

Daycare Wellness: How to Keep Your Child Healthy

Working moms and dads know that daycare is often the best option for their childcare while they’re on the job. Not only do daycare facilities provide your kids with an opportunity to socialize, it helps encourage your children to be more independent, striking out on their own away from their parents. Unfortunately, the benefits also come with some nasty side effects, namely illness. As most parents are aware, kids pick up all manner of illnesses no matter where they are. When you add more kids to the mix, the likelihood that they’ll be picking up colds, flu and other problems increases tenfold. What can you, as a parent, do to help your child avoid getting sick?

The Daycare Dilemma: Illness to Go?

According to TLC’s How Stuff Works blog, early exposure to other children and illnesses may not necessarily be a bad thing. In recent years, there is a theory going around called the “hygiene hypothesis” that puts forward the thought that with all the antibacterial cleansers and washes that children are being exposed also kills off good bacteria that little bodies need to work and develop their immune systems.

Studies have also found that children who are exposed to other children from an early age are less likely to catch certain illnesses, as well as have a lessened chance of developing asthma. While nobody is suggesting that you allow your child to get sick or dirty on purpose, the idea of a more relaxed approach is certainly compelling considering the arguments.

1) Teach your children how to wash their hands.

Though it may seem like a relatively easy task, very few people actually wash their hands correctly to beat infectious material or germs. Teach your children that washing their hands before they eat and after they go to the bathroom is a must. Show them how to use soap and warm water, and explain that they should sing the song “Happy Birthday” to themselves to know how long they should wash for. Taking these simple steps can prevent the spread of sickness, and keep your child more protected than others.

2) Keep your childcare provider in the loop about illnesses and allergies.

If your child suffers from any particular allergies or is coming down with a cold, it’s important that your child care facility knows about it. Allergies are an important factor if the daycare provider gives out snacks, so be specific about what your kid can and cannot eat. Additionally, if you notice that your little one is getting a bit snotty or is coming down with a case of pink eye, let your child care provider know. They can sometimes help with the situation by keeping  him or her away from other children, and thus preventing the spread of illness.

3) Accidents can happen… and can also be prevented.

Kids are clumsy, and it’s only natural that they will occasionally come home with scrapes, cuts and bruises from their daily activities. Teach your children how to play safely on playground equipment and with other children. If you feel that your child’s accident might be a case of negligence on the part of your child care facility, speak to a personal injury attorney with regards to a case. It’s also important you stay local. For example, a child’s accident in Raleigh, NC may have local ordinances that you’re not aware of. It’s always best to check to see if you have a case.  

4) Check out the license.

When you’re seeking a daycare facility, be sure to check the licenses and any other criteria they may have. You may also want to ask them for references so you can talk to other parents who use the facility and get their opinions on the positive and negatives. In one case, according to one Raleigh, NC personal injury lawyer, an 11 -year-old boy was abused by a supervisor who was supposed to be caring for him. You can also take it one step further and do a background check on the employees who will be working with your child. A good facility will be able to provide these on request.

 

Keeping your kid healthy and happy is a parent’s number one priority when they’re growing. If you’re planning on using a child care facility, check out their policies on health and wellness thoroughly. After all, they will be spending quite a lot of time with your little one, and you want to make sure it’s the best possible placement for them.

 

Writer Melanie Fleury has four kids of her own and is always concerned about their health and safety. She was inspired to write this article after reading a blog post on the website of Raleigh, NC personal injury lawyer Auger & Auger. She hopes that parents who read this will exercise due diligence before sending their kids to daycare.

Categories: care facility, Child, child care, Children, daycare, Healthy, injury lawyer, nc personal, personal injury, raleigh nc, Wellness