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nutritional guidance for early years:
food choices for children aged 1-5 years in early education
and childcare settings
4 implementation, monitoring and evaluation
4.1 Involving parents and guardians
Building partnerships between early years staff and
carers, parents and guardians is important. This could
include:
- Early engagement with parents/guardians about
individual needs which may impact on food choices and
intake during induction.
- Regular informal contact to let them know what food
has been eaten and if their child has eaten well.
- Involving parents/guardians in developing and
updating your policy (see section 4.2) on food and
health. This lets parents/guardians know about your
commitment to providing healthy, varied and enjoyable
food as part of childcare. It lets them know what to
expect and asks for their contribution.
- Making menus available to parents in advance so
they can see what the child will receive that day and
plan other food in the day accordingly.
- Giving parents/guardians notice of changes to meals
and food provision, allowing them to comment on
menus.
- Inviting parents to share special recipes with
you.
4.2 Developing a food and nutrition
policy
The recommendations and advice on food and nutrition
should be understood and accepted by the staff, carers,
parents/guardians of the children. The best way to achieve
this is to write down what the staff and carers aim to do
with regard to foods and drinks in the nursery/home
setting. This helps by allowing everyone a chance to agree
the ideas, to add or change what is decided and it can be
given out to new parents as information on the approach of
the nursery to healthy eating. This written information (or
policy) can then be updated as new information develops
over time.
Here are some ideas of the sort of information you may
wish to consider in developing a policy:
Who should see the policy? How will
it be communicated to them? |
New parents and guardians, new staff, carers
and caterers . . . Ongoing . . . | You may decide to give a copy of the
policy out at the beginning of each year to
new recruits. The policy may contain a copy of the
menu cycle, thereafter weekly menus may be
displayed on a notice board. Changes to the policy could also be
posted. |
What are you going to say about
developing good eating habits? |
Staff and carers . . . | Will encourage children to enjoy
sitting and eating and drinking with
others, helping others with obtaining their
food and drink (e.g. at snack time pouring
the drinks). Children will not be expected to finish
everything on their plate and will be allowed
seconds of fruits, bread or milk if still
hungry. |
What will you do if a child does
not eat? |
If a child does not like the food . . . If it is a continuing problem . . . | Children who do not eat the food will
be offered an alternative that they may
accept e.g. milk- based dessert, fruit,
cheese and biscuits. Regular informal contact with parents will
let them know how their child has been eating
and make them aware of any difficulties. |
What types of drinks will you
provide to the children? |
Throughout the day . . . At snack and meal times . . . | Cool water will be available to
children throughout the day. Offer fresh orange juice diluted with
water at breakfast and milk and water with
snacks and meals. |
What advice will you give to
parents about bringing food into the
nursery? |
Bringing sweets and chocolates into the
nursery . . . | Sweets and chocolates are not given to
children on a regular daily basis. We ask
parents not to give children sweets or
chocolates to bring into the nursery. For
special celebrations this may be an
exception when the nursery may provide
these. |
4.3 Training
Effective early education and childcare requires a
well-qualified workforce, all of whom should be
appropriately trained.
13 Early years staff and carers have a significant role
to play in helping children develop an appreciation for a
wide range of foods and encourage active play.
Staff in management roles should consider how the
guidelines can inform nursery curriculum development,
planning and monitoring and links to the National Care
Standards.
Appropriate training needs to be available to support
the implementation of these guidelines. Scottish Vocational
Qualifications (SVQ) and the Higher National Certificate
(HNC) in Childcare and Education provide training
opportunities for early years staff. Nutrition and healthy
eating should become an integral part of those
qualifications within the relevant units. Other
qualifications for those caring for the pre-5s should
contain an appropriate section on nutrition and healthy
eating.
Staff development opportunities should provide access to
in-service training. This will enable staff to develop a
knowledge and understanding of nutritional needs of pre-5
children and how the guidelines can be applied practically
in their setting.
Catering staff will require the knowledge and skills for
planning, procurement and preparation of food to meet the
nutritional guidelines and to fulfil the requirements of
the National Care Standards.
4.4 Monitoring and Evaluation
The Scottish Executive hopes that providers of childcare
and pre-school education will find the guidance helpful in
providing nutritious food in their establishments. To
ensure that this is the case, and that the guidance is
meeting the needs of everyone concerned, evaluation and
monitoring of the implementation of the guidance will need
to be undertaken. Further work on the most appropriate way
to develop an evaluation process will take place in
2005.
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