NUTRITION
A child's healthy development is promoted through ongoing communication between staff and families concerning nutrition-related child assessment data, family eating patterns, the child's feeding schedules and eating preferences, and community nutritional issues. As the nutritional needs of young children change rapidly over a period of weeks or months, periodic reassessment is necessary. It also is important that parents share with appropriate personnel special nutritional and feeding requirements for children with disabilities.
In assessing children's nutritional status, it is important to recognize that healthy children have individual differences and patterns of growth. Rather than comparing one child's development to another's, one should involve a health professional or a nutrition specialist in the review of nutritional data, as well as in the development of treatment and follow-up plans.
Head Start children receive nutritional breakfasts, lunches, and snacks using the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) of the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences as a guide.
OWCAP Head Starts Nutrition Specialist is involved in providing nutrition services that compliment those of the child's home and community. She also develops menus based on assessing nutrition-related data, family eating patterns, cultural preferences, special dietary requirements for each child, and the special needs of children
Food-related
activities and leisurely meal times provide opportunities for the development
of positive attitudes toward healthy foods; for decision-making, sharing,
communicating with others; and for the development of muscle control and
eye-hand coordination. Children also learn appropriate eating patterns and
meal time behavior when they observe adult behavior at family style meals.