Milk Problems at Daycare

[morgan61]

I have twin Boys that are now 16 months old. Unfortunately they have never been able to handle dairy very well especially milk, cottage cheese, or yogurt. It has just recently been communicated to me that the government food program consultant for my daycare has said I must give the boys cows milk and not the coconut and almond milk combo I've been giving them. A doctors note will not suffice to exclude them from the requirement. I was told the only other option is soy milk, which nutritionally falls short of every other milk option. Is there another option? I've offered to provide dha and protein supplements in conjunction with the coconut and almond milk I've been providing and was told that does not work either. Why am I not able to choose what my child is able to drink or not drink?

[butterfly]

I had this same battle in my daycare. Frustrating! You can still serve that type of milk, you just can't claim the meals.

[Brooksie]

I have twin Boys that are now 16 months old. Unfortunately they have never been able to handle dairy very well especially milk, cottage cheese, or yogurt. It has just recently been communicated to me that the government food program consultant for my daycare has said I must give the boys cows milk and not the coconut and almond milk combo I've been giving them. A doctors note will not suffice to exclude them from the requirement. I was told the only other option is soy milk, which nutritionally falls short of every other milk option. Is there another option? I've offered to provide dha and protein supplements in conjunction with the coconut and almond milk I've been providing and was told that does not work either. Why am I not able to choose what my child is able to drink or not drink?

Just before deciding to close I had interviewed with the food program here in MD. My daughter is Allergic to the protein in animal milk and also soy. The only thing she can drink is rice milk or almond milk. When I asked about her, they said with a drs note I WAS able to supplement her allowed items. They CANNOT tell you that a child MUST drink something that will make them sick, WITH a drs note. If that's what they are saying FIGHT IT.

[heyhun77]

I have a daycare kiddo who can't have milk and they don't want soy so we use Kieffer. For program said it was allowable since it actually has more protein per serving than cows milk. Maybe try that.

[Childminder]

This is from a CACFP publication so all you need is a signed letter in your file.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/milk.pdf

Offer lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk to children
who are lactose-intolerant or, upon a parent’s
written request, a preapproved nondairy milk (for
example, soy) to children who can’t consume cow’s
milk. Handle milk substitutions on a case-by-case
basis and contact your State agency or sponsoring
organization if additional guidance is needed.

[morgan61]

Thank you!

[daycarediva]

signed drs note. I have a kid with one (just started), and the food program had no problem with this. It also isn't even an allergy, it's due to constipation. As long as they have a drs note, they don't care.

[craftymissbeth]

This is the only thing holding me back from the FP. I serve the dck's organic milk, which isn't the issue, but ds gets almond milk. He has encopresis and animal milk seems to make it worse. I don't feel comfortable serving him soy milk. We tried kefir, but he didn't like it.

He is 7 and rarely here during meals, but I felt it was wrong to not be able to claim a meal for a child simply because they cannot drink any of the approved milks even with a docs note.

[melilley]

I have a dcb who can only have almond milk. All I had to do was get a dr. note and my fp sponsor said that that was fine.

[craftymissbeth]

I have a dcb who can only have almond milk. All I had to do was get a dr. note and my fp sponsor said that that was fine.

This is awesome news. So even if almond milk is not on the approved milks list it's ok with a doctors note? I'm going to call my local sponsor today and I'll ask them, too, before I set up a meeting.

[melilley]

This is awesome news. So even if almond milk is not on the approved milks list it's ok with a doctors note? I'm going to call my local sponsor today and I'll ask them, too, before I set up a meeting.

I think it's up to each sponsor and/or program. If you read the Monitoring Handbook that the fp sponsors go by, it says it's up your state agency. It's worth a try!

Here's the link to the handbook if you want to look:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/Monitoring_Homes.pdf

[craftymissbeth]

I think it's up to each sponsor and/or program. If you read the Monitoring Handbook that the fp sponsors go by, it says it's up your state agency. It's worth a try!

Here's the link to the handbook if you want to look:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/defaul...ring_Homes.pdf

Thank you!

[Blackcat31]

This is awesome news. So even if almond milk is not on the approved milks list it's ok with a doctors note? I'm going to call my local sponsor today and I'll ask them, too, before I set up a meeting.

I think it's up to each sponsor and/or program. If you read the Monitoring Handbook that the fp sponsors go by, it says it's up your state agency. It's worth a try!

Here's the link to the handbook if you want to look:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/defaul...ring_Homes.pdf

If you want to count something as a credible substitute it MUST contain the same nutrients as the food/beverage you are replacing.

Almond milk would NOT be credible, even with a doctor's statement. The doctor MUST list a substitute that contains the equivalent of what you are removing.

I found this in the info from the CACFP site:

S4. What about almond milk? Is that an allowable substitute?

Currently, there are no almond milks on the market that meet the requirements outlined in 7 CFR 210.10(m)(3).

[Leigh]

I have twin Boys that are now 16 months old. Unfortunately they have never been able to handle dairy very well especially milk, cottage cheese, or yogurt. It has just recently been communicated to me that the government food program consultant for my daycare has said I must give the boys cows milk and not the coconut and almond milk combo I've been giving them. A doctors note will not suffice to exclude them from the requirement. I was told the only other option is soy milk, which nutritionally falls short of every other milk option. Is there another option? I've offered to provide dha and protein supplements in conjunction with the coconut and almond milk I've been providing and was told that does not work either. Why am I not able to choose what my child is able to drink or not drink?

How does soy milk fall short of every other milk option? From comparing the 1% in my fridge to the soy milk in my fridge, based on nutrition labels alone, I'd choose the soy as the better choice.

[Angelsj]

How does soy milk fall short of every other milk option? From comparing the 1% in my fridge to the soy milk in my fridge, based on nutrition labels alone, I'd choose the soy as the better choice.

Soy milk contains high levels of phytoestrogens. Many parents, particularly of boys, do not want them getting those levels of hormones.