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MEALS

As a participant in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Program, Moss Street will make meals available to enrolled children without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Menus are posted on bulletin boards and our website.

Breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack are prepared by the Moss Street kitchen staff.  The children and staff eat all meals together at classroom tables.  We believe that these shared meals help develop relationships, interest in food, good eating habits and social and self-help skills. 

At Moss Street we utilize three of the different food service styles that USDA recognizes- the Littles do a combined restaurant and family style, the Middles, Preschool and Jay classrooms use family style, and the Mallard/Ellies classroom does the cafeteria style. 

All of these styles of service have these same elements:

- All children and staff will wash hands with soap and warm water immediately prior to eating;
- Serving utensils, distinct from eating utensils, will be used;
- Appropriate tables will be used for each group size;
- Staff must be seated at the table (or at the food buffet for cafeteria style service) the entire meal;
- When mildly ill children (children that have non-excludable symptoms, i.e. runny noses) are present, staff will serve all food;
- All food brought to the table, or served will be discarded if not eaten at the time of the meal;
- All staff and children will wash hands immediately after eating.

The combined style service requires the staff to plate the minimum portion required of the food components on each child’s plate and additional portions are placed on the table for children to self-serve or for staff to assist. The cafeteria style service allows the children to serve themselves each food component as they pass through the buffet line.   They are required to take at least the minimum portion required of each component if they choose to pass through the buffet line. 

Family style service requires that the children pass food around the table at least three times. Children serve themselves and can take the amount and type of food they desire.  If staff assist children, they must serve the minimum portion required. 

Feeding Infants:

The schedule of feeding times for our youngest age group is “on demand” and dictated by the  indicators each child gives. For children 03-12 month only, parents are allowed to supply some, or all of the food served to their child while in care.  When a parent of an infant supplies all the food served, they will not be charged for those meals.

By the end of the 12th month of age, children are transitioned to the daily menu that is served to the rest of the children at our center, which includes cow’s milk.

Also at one year, children are served the "combined style" which means Moss Street provides all the food, and meals are served at regular, pre-set times of the day. 
This is in accordance with the USDA food program regulations for our center.

Families whose income meet USDA standards for free meals will not be charged for meals. Families whose income meets USDA standards for reduced-price meals will be charged 30 cents per breakfast, 40 cents per lunch and 15 cents for afternoon snack. Families who are above scale/over income for meal assistance will be charged $1.10 per breakfast, $2.15 per lunch and $1.00 per afternoon snack served. Meal charges are separate from tuition and billed after the fact, on the following month's statement.

 

SPECIAL FOOD REQUESTS

Participation in the USDA program is not optional for families enrolled at Moss Street. Parents can request vegetarian meals when completing enrollment forms
A list of regularly served foods is available to parents upon request and menus for each term are posted and e-mailed to parents. Parents are responsible for alerting the office staff about any dietary allergies or dietary restrictions their children may have.

The USDA food program and Moss Street Children’s Center require families to complete USDA or center forms for all food substitution requests.  We are happy to discuss with you your child’s food needs and identify the required process and forms.

Food substitutions for children with disabilities-
Federal regulations require Child Nutrition Programs sponsors and providers to make substitutions to the standard meal requirements for participants who are considered disabled, and whose disability restricts their diet, with the completion of the Medical Statement Participants with Disabilities form.

Food substitutions for children without disabilities-
Also, a sponsor or provider may, at their discretion, make substitutions for individual participants who do not have a disability but are unable to consume a food item because of medical or other special dietary needs. We ask that parents and their medical provider complete the Medical Statement Participants without Disabilities form, and submit this request for review.  It is important to understand that in some instances Moss Street may not be able to grant you an accommodation.     

Milk substitution-
If the only food substitution requested is for fluid cow's milk, and the soy milk we serve, Pacific Ultra Soy or Lactaid will fulfill your child's needs, we have a separate - yet simple form for you to complete-the Milk Substitute Request, Participants without Disabilities form. This form does not require a medical provider’s signature.

Religious/Moral belief food substitutions-
Moss Street is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for sincerely held religious, moral and ethical beliefs. If a family would like to request food substitutions based on the family’s or individual child’s religious beliefs, please request and complete the Religious/Moral Accommodation Request form at the front desk. Moss Street will take the specific request for accommodation into account, and work with the family, to provide to the extent possible, the accommodation or to identify and provide equally effective, less burdensome alternatives, if available. It is also important to understand that in some instances Moss Street may not be able to grant you an accommodation.   

Please ask the front desk for any of these forms if your child has a dietary restriction or a food allergy.

If your child's dietary requirements change during the term, or need to be monitored closely, you will need to bring a physician's note stating this requirement. The USDA requires Moss Street to keep alternative food requests/restrictions and physician notes on file.

If your family would like to discuss the current menu and options with the Moss Street Cook, suggest alternatives, or submit recipes for the Cook to review, please speak with the Center Director.

 

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