Can't Decide Whether or Not To Provide Lunch

[missT]

Hello again,
So I'm still working out start up costs and stuff for starting my own daycare (in a center not my home) and one of my largest expenses is of course food (I was originally planning to provide breakfast ,lunch, and a snack). I would be in a small town with decent grocery prices so I think I could do it with about $5 per child a day but even that is a lot. The place where I currently work does not provide lunches and has the children bring their own and the parents seem fine with it but I don't know if the parents in the area I'm looking to move to would be as OK with it. Do you think I could make it an option where parents pay more if they want lunch provided or should I just **** it up and provide all lunches? What do you think?

[Lianne]

I'm a small home daycare. Five kids max at a time. I provide all food so I don't have to deal with forgotten lunches or having what I consider garbage food sent in. Plus, I prefer that the kids all eat the same thing so there's no squabbling over who has what and who wants it.

[MamaBearCanada]

For me it would depend on the regulations and how much you want to deal with issues like type of kitchen required - would it have to be industrial standard, food safety and handling certification, staffing requirements, how you will deal with food allergies/religious dietary restrictions.

[Play Care]

Hello again,
So I'm still working out start up costs and stuff for starting my own daycare (in a center not my home) and one of my largest expenses is of course food (I was originally planning to provide breakfast ,lunch, and a snack). I would be in a small town with decent grocery prices so I think I could do it with about $5 per child a day but even that is a lot. The place where I currently work does not provide lunches and has the children bring their own and the parents seem fine with it but I don't know if the parents in the area I'm looking to move to would be as OK with it. Do you think I could make it an option where parents pay more if they want lunch provided or should I just **** it up and provide all lunches? What do you think?

What about the Food Program? I get a check each month for nearly $500. Totally worth it for me to provide lunch. The way to go, IMO, is to make as much food as you can. Today for instance, is pizza day here. I make the crust and the sauce myself. Very easy and the kids love it. I make my own chicken nuggets and freeze them. etc. I haven't done the exact math, but I know it's less than $5 per kid for lunch.

[cheerfuldom]

Also, do you have to provide breakfast? What's your opening time? I would do a cut off where any child that arrives before 8 is served breakfast and after that, the kids need to come fed. I would also suggest contracted hours so the parents are not inclined to send the kids early just to get breakfast included. I would contract hours so that the parents are paying for time used and not as tempted to be there open to close every day. If you aren't eligible for a food program, I would absolutely have parents provide lunch. I do that with my daycare kids. I have a small number of stipulations though which I do enforce.....no candy, no soda, only one treat per lunch so no loading up on fruit snacks/chips/cookies/etc. Yes you still will have parents send in junk but with some basic rules, it will mostly not be a problem. I also feel free to send home extra stuff that is too much junk for the lunch such as multiple "treats". I have only ever had one problem parent with this. Would send in movie theater sized boxes of candy for lunch....mom's a nurse....yikes.

[Cat Herder]

The food program will help you with those costs, if you shop well and cook in bulk you can even turn a profit.

I'd think it would be hard to compete without offering meals.

[coolconfidentme]

The food program will help you with those costs, if you shop well and cook in bulk you can even turn a profit.

I'd think it would be hard to compete without offering meals.

I think its also a selling point to potential clients. I mention I'm on the national food program; I always serve a meat/protein, veggie, fruit & milk (with lunch) & is included in my fee. Snacks too! They Love it! lovethis

[Evansmom]

Just wanted to chime in my two cents. I didn't serve meals (did serve snacks) and it worked great for me. No children ever fought over someone else getting something they wanted. It was just a fact that every kid had lunch that was from home that their moms wanted them to eat.

I loved it mostly bc I didn't spend any time prepping or shopping for meals which is a lot of time taken from my day that I would rather spend with the kids or my family. And also we have food allergies and a special diet on our home so in that light everyone was accommodated safely with food that they could eat and it made my day go much more smoothly.

[Sugar Magnolia]

I have a small center. I do not serve lunch. The requirements for a commercial kitchen were too expensive to implement. No issues with squabbling, never ever. I couldn't be happier with the situation. Works well for me.

[childcaremom]

I provide all food unless there are allergies or if child is still on purees. Then the parents send food from home.

I have never had a problem with kids fighting over who gets what or not wanting what is in front of them.

The only issue I had was that it was sometimes more work for me to prep everyone's different meals (heating, getting out different foods, slicing, dicing, etc) and made more of a mess to clean up afterwards. I just really hate being in the kitchen Other than that, it didn't bother me.

If you were giving them the option of sending food or you providing it, I think a $5 difference would be acceptable.

[itlw8]

a center opened recently they only supply snack because they did not want to pay for a cook. But they cost as much as the other centers in town and the parents have to bring a sack lunch... I wonder why they are having trouble getting enough children???


around here all childcares except this one provide food.

[LK5kids]

What about the Food Program? I get a check each month for nearly $500. Totally worth it for me to provide lunch. The way to go, IMO, is to make as much food as you can. Today for instance, is pizza day here. I make the crust and the sauce myself. Very easy and the kids love it. I make my own chicken nuggets and freeze them. etc. I haven't done the exact math, but I know it's less than $5 per kid for lunch.

When I owned a center you had to be non-profit to get the food program.. I'm not sure if that has changed. My state required we supply lunch and snack. I really wanted to just have the kids bring lunch because of the cost of food, the cost of a cook (we had to have a cook) and the time planning and buying the meals.

If you can get by without providing food, I would do it!

[missT]

Thanks!

Thanks so much for all of your advice! Since my state does not require a commercial kitchen/cook I'm leaning towards serving lunch and using the food program. Especially since other centers in the area serve meals. Thanks again!

[melilley]

There is a small center in my area where parents can either provide a lunch or they could pay for lunches. If you're thinking of going on the FP, I don't think you could do that though. But here, the FP rules differ between homes and centers so you would have to ask if you chose to go that route.

[mindi1314]

Last year we enrolled our son into a private Kindergarten. There were basically 2 in our area that we could afford. One has a kitchen and serves hot lunch - the other does not.
We liked both the schools equally and in the end went with the school that served lunch.
Lunch service in the end, was the reason we went with that school.
Others may not mind - but I hate packing lunches