Home Daycare and meals....

firsttogo · August 2011

If your child has special diet needs, do you expect your home DCP to provide meals. I have a friend who will be caring for some children (2) and the mom wants him to be fed with ONLY organic food, and has some allergies/intolerances. Friend's family has no food aversions, but will not be getting paid enough to buy the food, and still make money on this job.

She told mom that she will prepare food that mom brings, but not buy her own... WDYT?

CBL · August 2011

I agree with the friend. Unless she advertised that she serves organic food, the parents are out of line for thinking they'll get it without paying a premium for it.

As for the allergies/intolerances, it sounds like it will be safest if they bring their own too.

G gets whatever our DCP feeds him. If I want him to have specific foods, I send them - ie, I send LOADS of fruit, yogurt and a cheese string every day.

browneyedgrl4282 · August 2011

As some one who has a child with dietary needs, it is my job to provide the foods he can eat. THe mother should be bringing his food!

superned · August 2011

Our provider participates with the Child and Adult Care Food Program, so she makes a weekly menu and that is what DD eats. The food program provides reimbursements for meals and snacks, so she does buy organic for many things (but obviously not everything).

She is definitely conscious of things like allergies, but if I wanted DD to have something other than what was on the menu, then I would have to provide it. I do not expect my provider to be a short-order cook!

xtencornfield · August 2011

I'm lucky that my provider makes wonderful homecooked meals for the kids but I know she does not use organic. I say they either need to bring the food they want kiddo to eat or plan on paying a decent amount extra for the provider to make/buy special food (if she's even willing to do so, which is her perogative).

SeaSoul · August 2011

C doesn't have special diet needs, but we provide all his meals for his in-home daycare (SAHM with 2 kids of her own plus 2 she watches). That's how it's worked from the beginning and I never thought anything of it. I'd actually rather be the one to prepare his meals, so I'm happy. And I would think the other mom should be okay with that.

naflmj · August 2011

my DCP will work with food allergies but not totally alter meals. So, if a kid has a nut allergy, she wouldn't serve those products at all. If there is something special I want served (ie he used to have coconut milk yogurt for morning snack) then I send it and I wouldn't expect anything else. I also prefer he have organic milk so I send that each week for her to serve. It is unrealistic for a parent to expect a provider to completely alter their meal plan for a child.

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Home Daycare and meals....

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