New York Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers

Licensing Standards for DayCare Centers

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Section 418.10
Nutrition

(a) The child day care center must provide plentiful and nutritious snacks to children. The center must ensure that each child in care for more than four hours a day receives a nutritious meal. Food must be prepared and stored in a safe and sanitary manner and served at appropriate intervals.

(1) If the center does not furnish meals, there must be adequate supplemental food available in the event that no meal is provided by the parent or that such meal is of inadequate nutritional value.

(2) Centers changing their meal policy must provide adequate notice to parents.

(b) Four weeks of current meal and snack menus, as applicable, must be reviewed for nutritional content, variety and quality at the time of initial-application for a license and once every 24 months by a federal child and adult care food program specialist responsible for reviewing and approving menus, or by a person who: has a bachelor's or master's degree with a major in food and institutional management or a closely related field; has completed a dietician internship; or has been certified as a registered dietician or has an equivalent State certification. Current menus for each week must be posted in a place readily accessible to parents and the department.

(c) Where meals are furnished by the center, food preferences for personal, religious, cultural or medical reasons may be accommodated. If resultant meal patterns or serving sizes will not meet the child's nutritional needs, a medical statement must be obtained documenting the appropriateness of the variation.

(d) Where food is furnished by the center, the servings must be in portions suitable for the size and age of the children in care. There must be a sufficient amount of food available to children to permit second helpings.

(e) Children must be helped to gain independence in feeding themselves and should be encouraged to learn acceptable table manners appropriate to their developmental levels.

(f) Sufficient time, based on age and individual needs, must be allowed for meals so that children will not be hurried.

(g) Children must be encouraged to eat the food served but must not be subjected to coercion or forced feeding.

(h) Food service and storage, including refrigeration of milk and other perishable foods or formula, must comply with the requirements of Part 14 of the State Sanitary Code.

(i) Safe drinking water must be available to children at all times and must be offered at intervals that are responsive to the needs of individual children.

(j) Disposable cups and plates may be used if discarded after use. Plastic eating utensils may be used if such utensils are not easily broken by young children and are discarded after use. Styrofoam cups may not be used for infants or toddlers.

(k) Providers must obtain from the parent a written statement giving formula and feeding schedule instructions for infants.

(l) Where formula is required, such formula may be prepared and provided by the parent or by a qualified, designated staff person when agreed to in writing by the parent.

(1) All containers or bottles of formula must be clearly marked with the child's complete name.

(2) Unused portions of formula must be discarded after each feeding.

(3) Heating formula in a microwave oven is prohibited.

(m) Every effort must be made to accommodate the needs of a child who is being breast-fed.

(n) Infants six months of age or younger must be held while being bottle-fed. The propping of bottles is prohibited.

(o) Each infant and toddler must be removed from the crib, playpen or cot and held or placed in an appropriate chair for feeding.

Revisions (10/02/96 section repealed, new section added.)

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