New Rules May Mean No More Homemade Baby Food at Daycare

A new standard that is slowly being introduced across America may spell the end of parents providing homemade baby food for their little ones to eat at their daycare centers.

This is worrying news for all those of us who have made the choice to only prepare homemade food for our babies and do not use commercially prepared food at all – because the new standard stipulates that food brought from home must be in ‘factory sealed containers’ – in other words, baby food jars.

Before this emerging standard becomes one that’s enforced in all daycare centers, all of us who make our own baby food need to state our opinions and objections to the standard – and today we will begin bringing as much publicity to this situation as possible to ensure that our little ones can all continue to enjoy nutritious homemade baby food whether at daycare or not.

We first became aware of this new standard after receiving a message from mom Sarah in the US who told us…

I wanted to make you aware of an issue that will impact many of your readers.

I was informed by my Bright Horizons Daycare center (international chain) that I was no longer allowed to bring in homemade baby food, only factory sealed containers. In support of their position they referenced a new NAEYC (accredits daycare centers nationwide) standard: 5.B.10

“Except for human milk, staff serve only formula and infant food that comes to the facility in factory-sealed containers (e.g., ready-to-feed powder or concentrate formulas and baby food jars) prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (This indicator is an Emerging Practice.)”

After talking to NAEYC via phone, they said that this is an emerging practice and not yet in force, although centers are starting to transition. It sounds like it is still subject to lobbying.

My center has no plans to offer fresh infant food made on-site, leaving me with only prepackaged food for the 2 meals and snack he receives at daycare each day. I urge you to bring this issue to the attention of your readers, many of whom I suspect will feel strongly that infants should have a right to fresh food.

Thanks!

We immediately contacted the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) to find out more, particularly how parents might present their objections.

The following is the reply we received. We have highlighted in red the text that explains how individuals may submit their feedback on this standard, something we very much hope that you will do. Even if your child does not attend daycare yet, this may be something that will affect you in the future and it’s important that we all make our opinions felt in order to make a change…

Thank you for contacting NAEYC with your concerns regarding programs only serving infant food that comes to the facility in factory-sealed containers.  This procedure is highlighted within Criterion 5.B.10 and I have listed it below for your convenience.  This criterion may also be accessed online within The Online Resource Center Headquarters (TORCH).  TORCH (see below for login instructions ) is an online resource tool available for anyone interested in the Standards and Criteria or engaging in the NAEYC Accreditation process.  TORCH provides a searchable database of the criteria and related information.

Please note that indicator a under is an Emerging Practice.  This criteria is one that is important to program quality but is not yet widely practiced, and time is needed for the early childhood field and individual programs to develop the capacity (through additional training, major facility renovations, or other significant steps) to meet them.  Programs may be assessed on emerging practice criteria.  When programs are assessed on these criteria and they meet them, then the programs will
receive credit for doing so.  However, a program will not be penalized for failing to meet an emerging practice criterion.  NAEYC will assess overall performance of all programs on the emerging practice criteria to determine how those criteria will be considered in the future.

Criterion 5.B.10

a. Except for human milk, staff serve only formula and infant food that comes to the facility in factory-sealed containers (e.g., ready-to-feed powder or concentrate formulas and baby food jars) prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (This indicator is an Emerging Practice.)
b. Bottle feedings do not contain solid foods unless the child’s health care provider supplies written instructions and a medical reason for this practice.
c. Staff discard after one hour any formula or human milk that is served but not completely consumed or is not refrigerated.
d. If staff warm formula or human milk, the milk is warmed in water at no more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit for no more than five minutes.
e. No milk, including human milk, and no other infant foods are warmed in a microwave oven.

Guidance

Indicator a) (this indicator only is an emerging practice)

If parents bring manufactured formula or infant food for their child to eat from home, it should be sent in unopened, factory-sealed containers.  The restriction on home-prepared solid foods for infants was recommended to avoid the risks of microbial contamination of food prepared and then transported from home to be secondarily prepared at child care and fed to infants.

Indicator b) Solid foods include cereals, fruits or vegetables. Adding solids to bottles increases risks of choking, food allergies, and obesity.

Indicator d) The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that hot water heaters be set at no more than 120 degrees. Bottles may be warmed in warm tap water when the hot water heater is set at this level.

Relevant Literature: For more information, see
“Feeding Infants”. USDA Food and Nutrition Service. 4/3/2009  http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Resources/feeding_infants.pdf

“Giving Your Baby the Very Best Nutrition”. National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health. 4/3/2009 http://www.brightfutures.org/nutritionfamfact/pdf/BWEng/INB5bw.pdf

“Tap Water Scalds”. Consumer Product Safety Commission. 4/3/2009   (Note that Criterion 5.B.07 specifies that liquids of more than 110 degrees be kept out of children’s reach).

(added 5/1/09)

Under the Guidance relevant to indicator a (above),  I have also highlighted the applicable information that pertains to the recommendation for this particular practice.  This recommendation states:  The restriction on home-prepared solid foods for infants was recommended to avoid the risks of microbial contamination of food prepared and then transported from home to be secondarily prepared at child care and fed to infants.

Additionally, it is permissible for programs to prepare infant food on-site because the program’s kitchen is governed by the regulations established by the health department for such preparation, unlike an individual family’s home.  This would reduce the risk of microbial contamination of food prepared and then transported from home.

I would also like to direct you to Caring for Our Children, a publication that provides information on topics such as health promotion, nutrition and food services, safe-play environments, and program activities for healthy development.  It includes a comprehensive set of health and safety performance guidelines or “standards” with accompanying rationales for child care providers, parents of children in child care, health professionals, and state health officials.  Care providers can also find information about plans and equipment for children with special needs and can access medical treatment forms in the appendices.  Caring for Our Children is issued jointly by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care.

The NAEYC Academy seeks feedback from programs and other interested parties with the goal of refining the criteria to better assess elements of quality practice. This long-term strategy is to seek feedback on specific criteria associated with each program standard to be considered in potential revisions, additions, or deletions based on new evidence from research.  Individuals can submit feedback on criteria within TORCH (see login instructions below) to be considered for future revisions.  After logging in, select Criteria Feedback from the menu bar on the left side of the screen.

To log in to TORCH for the first time, please visit www.naeyc.org/academy.  Select Log In and then select TORCH Login.  Enter ‘naeyc’ as both your login ID and password. Then follow the setup wizard’s instructions to set up your personal TORCH account.  After logging into TORCH, click on the Criteria Search tool (located on the left side of the screen.)  By entering some of the keywords related to criteria you are interested in, you will be provided with criteria, guidance and additional documents pertaining to your search.

We appreciate the NAEYC’s full and prompt response to our original message and we acknowledge the concerns regarding microbial contamination that have led to the creation of this standard.

Yet we have already spoken to several parents about the issue of food borne illness and all have agreed that they would be more than happy to sign a waiver exempting their daycare provider from liability in order to protect their right to continue to supply homemade baby food (although this, of course, would only be appropriate where parents are fully satisfied that their daycare center ensures the proper storage of prepared food).

If you feel the same way, then this may be a point you would like to include when submitting your feedback via TORCH.

Please feel free to pass this information on to friends, colleagues and members of any parenting groups you may be a part of. Together we can spread the word and help protect our little ones’ rights to attend daycare and still enjoy the healthy and homemade baby food they are used to.