Nutrition and Food Statement

Regina Coeli Child Development Center will comply with the Louisiana Department of Education Child and Adult Care Food Program requirement to complete a CACFP Child enrollment form. All parents of enrolled children will complete the Child & Adult Care Food Program Annual Enrollment Forms at enrollment. This form provides the following information:

• Expected Days of participation
• Expected Hours of participation
• Expected Meal participation

The program provides foods that help meet your child’s daily nutritional needs by serving healthy breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. Children and adults participate in family style meals served in the classrooms. Meals are part of education in our program. Children are encouraged, but never forced, to eat all the foods on the daily menu. We do not give candy to the children. The monthly newsletter includes the menu for all meals to be served during the month.
When a child is tardy and the breakfast food has been removed from the classroom, the parent/guardian will go to the kitchen to get a breakfast plate for the child and sit with him/her in the parent/conference room while the child eats.

Classroom and kitchen volunteers eat lunch free of charge, if they sign in by 9:30 AM. Other volunteers can purchase meal tickets from the center director.

Nutrition counseling is available to parents or guardians to assist with any concerns we might find or that you have about your child or family’s eating habits, weight problems, or other nutrition issues.

Some children have food allergies. Documentation is needed for special diets from the child’s physician. In addition, if a child has dietary restrictions due to religious preferences, a menu revision may be requested.

Head Start will provide all food served at its centers in order to meet Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Licensing and Louisiana Sanitation guidelines and to avoid any liability issues. We will provide a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack for your child every day. Parents are welcome to participate in all nutrition activities including planning menus, assisting with classroom nutrition activities and preparing food in the kitchen. Children, parents, or volunteers may not bring food, gum, candy, or snacks from home to the center. This includes cake and juice for birthday parties and holidays.

Our program schedule does not allow time for individual birthday parties. The center celebrates birthdays one day each month for all of the children in your child’s class who have had a birthday that month. You may ask the teacher how you can help with this monthly party during the month of your child’s birthday. Birthdays of children that fall in the summer months are celebrated in May.