Family Style Dining In Child Care Centers

Staff and children sit at child sized tables sharing in a relaxed mealtime experience that allows children based on their individual development to take part in the entire meal from setting the table to cleaning up.

Family style dining in child care centers.

Preparing and serving meals in child care centers involves some up front planning. Family style dining in a child care setting can make mealtime a fun and learning expereince. Family style dining is a meal service approach that early care and education programs implement to address childhood obesity prevention and support children in developmentally appropriate mealtime experiences. Family style meal service is an optional type of meal service that allows children and adults to serve themselves from communal platters of food with assistance from supervising adults if needed.

There is no magic but family style dining helps with child development as it connotes everyone sitting together at a table serving themselves and sharing thoughts. Self service fosters independence and empowers children to feel in control of their choices thus eliminating power struggles. First food components in family style meals are self served by the child or adult participant while food components in ovs are pre portioned or served directly by the provider or supervising adult. By carefully planning which foods you serve at breakfast lunch dinner and snacks from day to day and week to week you can ensure a variety of healthy nutritious tasty meal options that the children at your facility will look forward to eating.

All foods that meet the meal pattern requirement are placed on the table where children and adults sit together to share the meal. Both family style meals and ovs are types of meal service and there are some key differences between the two. Family style dining is an integral part of the daily routine at joint base langley eustis jble child development program in virginia. Children as young as one start to participate in family style dining in their individual classrooms.

Family style dining is considered a best practice when eating with children of all ages in child care settings. Helping children learn social skills such as how to serve themselves take turns and use their manners will carry over into every meal wherever they are. All foods that meet the meal pattern requirement are placed on the table where children and adults sit together to share the meal. Cacfp child care centers day care home sponsors and family child care home providers.

Normally the atmosphere is calm and promotes unity.