If you participate in CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program) this resource will be helpful for changes in requirements for cereal you serve starting in October 2017. This guide shows you how to check the nutrition facts label and calculate whether a cereal qualifies. There is also a list of approved cereals included.
If you have children in your care who have food allergies, these resources from the Institute of Child Nutrition can be very helpful.
This food allergy fact sheet for family child care gives information and tips for creating a food allergy policy and food allergy plans for children with food allergies:
Food Allergy Fact Sheet: Family Child Care
This sheet of frequently asked questions helps to answer common questions that family child care providers might have about children’s food allergies:
Snacks are part of the daily routine with young children and important for getting the nutrients they need as well as maintaining energy throughout the day. This tip sheet from the USDA offers great ideas for providers and parents for healthy snacking for children.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has some resources available to help maintain healthy eating in your family child care home. There are links and information for adults about how to “Go Further with Food” during National Nutrition Month. There are also resources for older school-age children on the Body and Mind (BAM) page, including these great healthy recipes that children can help prepare.
The Illinois Child Care Bureau (ICCB) sponsors reimbursement for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), a program funded by the US Department of Agriculture that provides partial reimbursement for providing healthy meals and snacks to the children in your care. The site includes free training for FCC professionals to qualify for the CACFP program and offers menus, recipes, and directions for reimbursement.
This handbook from the Administration for Children and Families outlines health and safety guidelines for providers and would be a great resource for someone opening a family child care home. Caring for our Children Basics represents the minimum health and safety standards experts believe should be in place where children are cared for outside of their homes.
Standards on the following topics are included:
- Staffing
- Programs Activities for Healthy Development
- Health Promotion and Protection
- Nutrition and Food Service
- Facilities, Supplies, Equipment, and Environmental Health
- Play Areas/Playgrounds and Transportation
- Infectious Disease
- Policies
Caring For Our Children Basics Handbook
