If You Provide Food

[Danielle]

I am in the process of switching from having parents provide all meals and snacks to me providing everything. The daycare kid that started in Jan was the first I ever provided everything for. I didn't realize that it actually makes things easier! So, I am rewording my handbook. My question is, I won't provide bottles or baby food. What age should I start providing for?

[DBug]

I have a menu posted and tell parents (and have it listed in my handbook) that I will provide everything on the menu. If they want their child to have baby food or anything other than 2% milk at any age, they need to provide it. Easy Peasy and the parents like the simplicity of it too!

[Blackcat31]

I am on the food program and once a child turns 1 year old they make the transition to the same food everyone else eats. I would have the parents supply all the formula and baby food up until 12 months...once they turn 12 months, switch them over to your regular menu.

[SandeeAR]

This is what I have in my contract:

Supplies Required

The following items MUST be brought prior to the first day of care & be replenished as needed:

1. Change of clothing, including socks (appropriate for the season)
2. Babies: A large bag of diapers in the appropriate size.
3. If potty training: A large bag of pull ups or several training pants and plastic pants.
4. 2 bottles, up to 1 year. At 12 to 18 months at the latest, I will begin using sippy cups full time.
5. Bottle fed Babies: A can of formula. I will use tap water, unless you supply a gallon of bottled water.
6. Breast fed Babies: Please bring an extra day’s supply for my freezer as back up.
7. If on baby food, enough food for a week please.
8. 2 pacifiers. After about 6-8 months, I only use these at nap time. Usually shortly after 1 year, they don’t even have it at nap.

Please NO Diaper Bags. I simply don’t need them, or have the space to store them safely from the babies. I cannot guarantee that every bag is baby proofed and the only location I have to keep them are within the babies reach.

A reminder will be sent home when your child is running low on diapers/pull ups, formula or baby food.

Once your child has reached finger food stages, I will supply all meals and snacks. I will also supply sippy cups, plates and utensils.

[Meeko]

Is it your choice to not provide formula and baby food? Check with your food program. Mine pays for infants too and covers formula and baby food. t=Telling parents that I provide the formula (they have to accept the kind I buy) has been a HUGE selling point at interview for many of them as formula is expensive.

[Danielle]

This is what I have in my contract:

Supplies Required

The following items MUST be brought prior to the first day of care & be replenished as needed:

1. Change of clothing, including socks (appropriate for the season)
2. Babies: A large bag of diapers in the appropriate size.
3. If potty training: A large bag of pull ups or several training pants and plastic pants.
4. 2 bottles, up to 1 year. At 12 to 18 months at the latest, I will begin using sippy cups full time.
5. Bottle fed Babies: A can of formula. I will use tap water, unless you supply a gallon of bottled water.
6. Breast fed Babies: Please bring an extra day’s supply for my freezer as back up.
7. If on baby food, enough food for a week please.
8. 2 pacifiers. After about 6-8 months, I only use these at nap time. Usually shortly after 1 year, they don’t even have it at nap.

Please NO Diaper Bags. I simply don’t need them, or have the space to store them safely from the babies. I cannot guarantee that every bag is baby proofed and the only location I have to keep them are within the babies reach.

A reminder will be sent home when your child is running low on diapers/pull ups, formula or baby food.

Once your child has reached finger food stages, I will supply all meals and snacks. I will also supply sippy cups, plates and utensils.

Love it!

Is it your choice to not provide formula and baby food? Check with your food program. Mine pays for infants too and covers formula and baby food. t=Telling parents that I provide the formula (they have to accept the kind I buy) has been a HUGE selling point at interview for many of them as formula is expensive.

I'm not on the food program. And I don't agree with the practices of formula companies so I refuse to give them any of my money. ...not to mention, most the babies I have/had are breastfed babies.

[Meeko]

Love it!



I'm not on the food program. And I don't agree with the practices of formula companies so I refuse to give them any of my money. ...not to mention, most the babies I have/had are breastfed babies.

The USDA food program here will pay you to feed the babies breast milk too! I have two moms who pump and bring the milk to store in my freezer. I claim them for a meal just like the other kids. The food program says that as we have to prepare and serve the bottle, we can be paid for it. You should look into it...I am tier one because of the school nearby and I get about $1200 per month from the USDA.

[SandeeAR]

Love it!

Thanks Danielle, I got a lot of it from others contracts and pieced it together with a few bits of my own info. Feel free to use any of it you want.

[daycare]

I am on the food program and once a child turns 1 year old they make the transition to the same food everyone else eats. I would have the parents supply all the formula and baby food up until 12 months...once they turn 12 months, switch them over to your regular menu.

the same goes for me... food program..

I also do not allow outside food, unless its food for all and has been approved by me!

[Symphony]

The USDA food program here will pay you to feed the babies breast milk too! I have two moms who pump and bring the milk to store in my freezer. I claim them for a meal just like the other kids. The food program says that as we have to prepare and serve the bottle, we can be paid for it. You should look into it...I am tier one because of the school nearby and I get about $1200 per month from the USDA.

Are you serious???!! How many kids do you have? I am on tier two, and I get $120 a month. I serve 12 kids breakfast, 8 kids lunch, 12 kids snacks.

[daycare]

[/B]

Are you serious???!! How many kids do you have? I am on tier two, and I get $120 a month. I serve 12 breakfast, 8 lunch, 12 snacks.

wow 1200 how many kids do you have?
I have 5 kids and get about $380.00 monthly total meals are about 70 breakfast 80 am snack 80 lunch and 85 PM snack for the entire month

[Danielle]

Do you have to be licensed to be on the food program?

[daycare]

i think so. In my state you have to have a lic to have a daycare so In CA I would say yes

[Blackcat31]

[/B]

Are you serious???!! How many kids do you have? I am on tier two, and I get $120 a month. I serve 12 kids breakfast, 8 kids lunch, 12 kids snacks.

I think they made some sort of change so that you can choose any school in your district that will make it so that you can be tier 1. I would call my rep and ask. We have 5 elementary schools in my town and some providers were stuck being tier 2 because of the school they were nearest...now with the rule change, most have them have been switched to tier 1 now...it's worth checking into.

[Meeko]

[/B]

Are you serious???!! How many kids do you have? I am on tier two, and I get $120 a month. I serve 12 kids breakfast, 8 kids lunch, 12 kids snacks.

We are licensed for 16. And we are tier one due to the local school. Also...I have 6 "before school" kids who come very early, have breakfast and then leave before 8AM and before I get more kids. Then some little kids have left before they come home from school and have snack. So I don't go over 16 at any given time. Last year, my lowest food program deposit was around $900 as I closed between Christmas and New Years.