Snacks and lunches are NOT provided by the school. All students are required to bring their own healthy snacks to school each day. Students who stay after 12:00 p.m. need to bring their own lunch. Faith is a Licensed Early Childhood Center. With that license, we are required to ensure that all children have the daily nutritional requirements for their snack and lunches:

• 1 vegetable daily
• 1 fruit daily
• 1 protein daily

We follow the USDA CACFP requirements.

It is important to keep in mind your child’s health during this crucial time in growth and development. We, along with the Department of Children, Youth and Families, ask that you continue to follow the minimum licensing requirements for child care in Washington State and provide your child with the daily nutritional requirements. All allergies, special diets, and life-threatening or severe food reactions must be filled out on our health intake form, so teachers are made aware. All allergies and special diets will be posted in each classroom.

We also would like to inform you that:

• Staff sit with children and have casual conversations during mealtimes, using values-neutral language about food and bodies.
• Children decide how much to eat, which foods they will eat, and in what order they will consume the food available in their lunchbox.
• Food is not used as a reward or punishment.
• As part of the school curriculum and learning, the class may engage in cooking projects and be offered the opportunity to taste the food they prepared (children with special diets will be considered).
• Cultural and ethnic food items may be served to honor cultures represented in this school (e.g. sticky rice, lefse, flan, sambuusa or “mush-mush”).
• If food is made at home, caregivers must sign a waiver agreeing it is okay for their child to eat it.
• The use of non-food items to celebrate special occasions is encouraged.