Originally Posted by blandino:
My licensing regs say that children should have access to water, but I always just defined access as asking for water and having it available. I can always tell when the younger ones are thirsty because they hang out by the gate that leads to the eating area.
My kids have a drink at 8:30- 9:00 with breakfast, 11:30-12:00 at lunch, and then 3:30 at snack (they are napping between lunch and snack. So they never go long at all without a drink. They are served milk at meals, and have water for refills, and drink water at snack.
They don't have access to their cups at all times, but if they ask - they are more than welcome to them.
I'm not licensed but my NHI rep says available doesn't need to mean sitting out all day. Water is available. In the bottle. Right there in the kitchen. But I'm like you, they are already drinking every few hours, I think that's pretty available. Now, summer time during outside time is different. Each child takes a bottle of water outside with them and I be sure they drink it. Heat stroke happens here a LOT.