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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>No Longer Providing Breakfast and Lunch
DancingQueen 05:18 AM 09-09-2010
I've made a decision that effective 1/1/11 I am no longer going to provide breakfast and lunch. I've given all of my parents ample notice (they've known since June). I wanted to be as fair as possible in letting them know.
one of my biggest reason is that everyone is so incredibly picky. I go through so much waste. My rates are incredilby low for my area and I just can't keep up the expense of providing food - not to mention the work that goes into it. I've decided that everyone will bring a packed lunch (as if they were bringing their lunch to school) and I will include myself and my children in this. We will all have a packed lunch that we will open at the same time and eat. I'm looking forward to being able to sit and eat with them and chat rather than play waitress.
I have a new parent that started mid August. They had been waiting for a spot for quite a while. I told them when they signed my contract that I'd continue to provide B & L until the end of this year but 1/1 that changes. I will still provide snacks and drinks - but thats it. They were fine with it.
all of a sudden they want to "discuss" this. They feel that I should make an exception for their daughter because their daughter is not a picky eater and won't waste any food.
I was so irritated after talking to them because of the assumption that I'd make an exception for their child and not anyone else. Why do so many parents seem to feel as though their child is the only one in my care?
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one of my biggest reason is that everyone is so incredibly picky. I go through so much waste. My rates are incredilby low for my area and I just can't keep up the expense of providing food - not to mention the work that goes into it. I've decided that everyone will bring a packed lunch (as if they were bringing their lunch to school) and I will include myself and my children in this. We will all have a packed lunch that we will open at the same time and eat. I'm looking forward to being able to sit and eat with them and chat rather than play waitress.
I have a new parent that started mid August. They had been waiting for a spot for quite a while. I told them when they signed my contract that I'd continue to provide B & L until the end of this year but 1/1 that changes. I will still provide snacks and drinks - but thats it. They were fine with it.
all of a sudden they want to "discuss" this. They feel that I should make an exception for their daughter because their daughter is not a picky eater and won't waste any food.
I was so irritated after talking to them because of the assumption that I'd make an exception for their child and not anyone else. Why do so many parents seem to feel as though their child is the only one in my care?
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Lilbutterflie 06:30 AM 09-09-2010
I would be really irritated too! You can't make an exception for one child! Can you just imagine, all of the other kids have packed lunches (lunchables, pb&j, etc...) and here you are in the kitchen preparing a lunch for ONE child! When they sit down to lunch, all of the other children are wondering why you aren't able to provide lunch for them, too. And, preparing lunch for just one person is sometimes wasteful in and of itself! If you wanted to make her Mac&chz, you would have to make the whole entree just for her. I cannot believe they would suggest that! They must not have thought this through or tried to think of what that would be like for the other kids.
I would just explain that you cannot make exceptions for any child, with any of your policies. End of story.
I would just explain that you cannot make exceptions for any child, with any of your policies. End of story.
DCMomOf3 08:04 AM 09-09-2010
i would stick to your bagged lunch.
If they want an execption and you were willing to compromise, you could say you would provide her with a bagged cold lunch at $3 or $4 a meal extra expense.
If they want an execption and you were willing to compromise, you could say you would provide her with a bagged cold lunch at $3 or $4 a meal extra expense.
misol 08:31 AM 09-09-2010
They were aware of the change you were making BEFORE they signed on so I would say no excceptions. Everyone is the same across the board and that is fair.
Mealtime is a pain. Meals and snacks are standard in my area, otherwise I would consider this too.
Do you have something in your policies that states what will happen if a parent forgets the child's food? Like will you charge a breakfast or lunch fee for the day?
Mealtime is a pain. Meals and snacks are standard in my area, otherwise I would consider this too.
Do you have something in your policies that states what will happen if a parent forgets the child's food? Like will you charge a breakfast or lunch fee for the day?
marniewon 08:47 AM 09-09-2010
I like Quincy's idea - you would already be making a bagged lunch ahead of time for yourself and your own children, it probably wouldn't take much time at all to make up one more, and be making a profit too 
DancingQueen 09:03 AM 09-09-2010
I like that idea a lot but I think I'll just make it clear it is not an option - and save the charging for when people forget their lunches.
I want to make the charge sting - because although the profit sounds nice - I just don't want to deal with it at all adn I want to discourage it the forgetting of the lunch..LOL
I want to make the charge sting - because although the profit sounds nice - I just don't want to deal with it at all adn I want to discourage it the forgetting of the lunch..LOL
Former Teacher 03:38 PM 09-09-2010
I have copied and pasted from TX Minuium Standards regarding meals. I just wanted to provide some info. Your state might be different
For TX Day Cares:
May parents provide meals and/or snacks for their children instead of my child-care center providing these?
Subchapter Q, Nutrition and Food Service
Medium (a) Yes; however, your enrollment agreement signed by the parent must include a statement that the parent is choosing to provide the child’s meals and/or snacks from home and the parent understands the child-care center is not responsible for its nutritional value or for meeting the child’s daily food needs.
Medium (b) If the parent provides a meal but not a snack, you are responsible for providing a snack as specified in §746.3307 of this title (relating to What kind of foods must I serve for snacks?).
Medium (c) You must provide safe and proper storage and service of the individual meals and snacks provided by parents.
Medium (d) You must ensure meals and snacks provided by a parent and shared with other children meet the needs of children who require special diets.
For Day Care Homes:
§747.3109
May parents provide meals and/or snacks for their children instead of my child-care home providing them?
Subchapter Q, Nutrition and Food Service
Medium (a) Yes; however, your enrollment agreement signed by the parent must include a statement that the parent is choosing to provide the child’s meals and/or snacks from home and the parent understands the child-care home is not responsible for its nutritional value or for meeting the child’s daily food needs;
Medium (b) If the parent provides a meal but not a snack, you are responsible for providing a snack as specified in §747.3107 of this title (relating to What kind of foods must I serve for snacks?);
Medium (c) You must provide safe and proper storage and service of the individual meals and snacks provided by parents; and
Medium (d) Meals and snacks provided by a parent must not be shared with other children, unless a parent is providing baked goods for a celebration or party being held at the operation.
Just a FYI
For TX Day Cares:
May parents provide meals and/or snacks for their children instead of my child-care center providing these?
Subchapter Q, Nutrition and Food Service
Medium (a) Yes; however, your enrollment agreement signed by the parent must include a statement that the parent is choosing to provide the child’s meals and/or snacks from home and the parent understands the child-care center is not responsible for its nutritional value or for meeting the child’s daily food needs.
Medium (b) If the parent provides a meal but not a snack, you are responsible for providing a snack as specified in §746.3307 of this title (relating to What kind of foods must I serve for snacks?).
Medium (c) You must provide safe and proper storage and service of the individual meals and snacks provided by parents.
Medium (d) You must ensure meals and snacks provided by a parent and shared with other children meet the needs of children who require special diets.
For Day Care Homes:
§747.3109
May parents provide meals and/or snacks for their children instead of my child-care home providing them?
Subchapter Q, Nutrition and Food Service
Medium (a) Yes; however, your enrollment agreement signed by the parent must include a statement that the parent is choosing to provide the child’s meals and/or snacks from home and the parent understands the child-care home is not responsible for its nutritional value or for meeting the child’s daily food needs;
Medium (b) If the parent provides a meal but not a snack, you are responsible for providing a snack as specified in §747.3107 of this title (relating to What kind of foods must I serve for snacks?);
Medium (c) You must provide safe and proper storage and service of the individual meals and snacks provided by parents; and
Medium (d) Meals and snacks provided by a parent must not be shared with other children, unless a parent is providing baked goods for a celebration or party being held at the operation.
Just a FYI
SilverSabre25 03:52 PM 09-09-2010
I know you've already made you decision about the lunches, but I just wanted to respond to your most recent post about the "I want more" or "I want something different"--I have recently started doing things family style, so the sandwiches are cut into small pieces and on the table, and the fruit and veggie and whatever else are in bowls on the table and the kids serve themselves. This is going over VERY well--less trouble for me and they feel so grown-up and independent. Maybe you could try this at least until the end of the year? And if they won't eat what you made for lunch, then they're hungry until snack time. Natural consequence. You offered, they refused, it's the child's choice. Maybe leave their plate out and available until snack so that if they get really hungry, they can try some of what you made for lunch.
DancingQueen 04:17 PM 09-09-2010
Originally Posted by :
so the sandwiches are cut into small pieces and on the table, and the fruit and veggie and whatever else are in bowls on the table and the kids serve themselves.
That is exactly what I had hoped to work towards. i already cut everything into portions size etc... but my crew is just too young to serve themselves. 2.5 and younger right now. so the sandwiches are cut into small pieces and on the table, and the fruit and veggie and whatever else are in bowls on the table and the kids serve themselves.
And if they were older I'd be more comfortable with the natural consequences - but I just ccan't do it at this young age. Which is my own thing that I know i need to get over.
Another thing is that I'm on the food program and they are very specific about what options I have to serve and it is just exhausting. And the more effort I put in the more I realize that if parents were feedign their kids they'd likely send them with a PB&J sandwich every single day and parents would be totally fine with that -but because *I* am feeding them they are expected to have a wide variety of many food groups etc.
I know this is part of the gig - but I just decided that it wasn't working out for me.
mncare 04:23 PM 09-09-2010
Yep, we go with the natural consequence of being hungry until snack time, as well. My job is to offer healthy food, but I can't make them eat it and I will not play short order cook. I honestly haven't had a kid ask me for something different. I just make it clear that if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it. We serve family style, too, and everything is healthy so if they don't like one thing then they take more of another.
Francine 05:43 PM 09-09-2010
When I was open previously I provided lunch for a while and then started having them bring their own, I never had an issue with the kids wanting what others had. It just never came up, they all had their lunches and ate what they had. My policy was that I would be glad to warm something up but it had to be microwave ready, in there dish ready to go. No boxes of mac and cheese, no cans of soup. After a while the parents all decided that they would rather pay me more than to pack a lunch so I switched back.
I closed for two years and just reopened in June, I have to prices for kids over 12 months 1) parents provide lunch, 2) I provide lunch.....nobody so far has wanted to bring the lunch so they pay me 3 dollars more per day. It is a hassle and I wish that some of them would bring their own but they don't want the hassle either.
I closed for two years and just reopened in June, I have to prices for kids over 12 months 1) parents provide lunch, 2) I provide lunch.....nobody so far has wanted to bring the lunch so they pay me 3 dollars more per day. It is a hassle and I wish that some of them would bring their own but they don't want the hassle either.