Regulations 4

Good nutrition and eating is basic to a child’s health. The foster care regulations guide foster parents as to any restrictions or special considerations around food and the foster child. This course lists those guidelines and offers ideas in terms of good eating and nutrition practices.

A foster home should follow guidelines from the State of Alaska Child Care Food Program for all meals and snacks. A chart summarizing these requirements is included in this self-study. These menus do not have to be written out, but your meals and snacks should follow the same nutritional principles as listed in the chart. Fresh foods may be harder to find or more expensive in rural areas. Use good judgment in applying these nutritional guidelines to the resources the community you live.

A foster parent should also find out about any existing food allergies or special dietary needs of each child (such as for a child with diabetes) and shall plan that child’s meals accordingly.

EXAMPLE: If your foster child is allergic to wheat products, you will need to plan meals for him with non-wheat based products.

Snacks are also included in the guidelines. Have a place for healthy snacks that children can have when they get hungry such as a fruit bowl or a shelf in the refrigerator with yogurt or an accessible shelf with raisins or crackers.

WHAT DO THE REGULATIONS SAY ABOUT

If a child is in your home full time, you should try to provide foods reflecting the ethnic background of children in care, including foods provided by a child’s own family. This shows respect for the child and his family’s culture. For home canned food, follow basic safety guidelines. The top should be indented and make a “whoosh” sound when you open it to make sure the jar was sealed in canning. The Cooperative Extension Office nearest you has information on canning, food preparation and storing. For foods that come with the child, remember that Native foods may have a strong odor--so that doesn’t mean the food is spoiled! Dried foods are generally safe. Look for Native Alaska Food cookbooks at bookstores.

EXAMPLE: A Native Alaskan child is in your home and a family member gives you salmon or dried fish or seal. You should make every attempt to serve the food to your foster child. If you do not know how to prepare a dish, ask the family member or another foster parent for ideas.

EXAMPLE: If a Filipino child is in your home, you should try to find dishes familiar to him to serve at some of your mealtimes.

WHAT DO THE REGULATIONS SAY ABOUT

FOOD AND DISCIPLINE?

Except for medical reasons, a foster home may not deny a meal or snack to a child, force feed a child, or otherwise coerce a child to eat against the child’s will for any reason. Encouraging a child to eat is okay. Mealtimes should not turn into a fight over food and eating. Food should not be used to control or punish foster children. The sharing of food should be a pleasant time for you and the child.

Þ You cannot force-feed a child by spooning the food in yourself if he does not want to eat.

Þ You cannot punish a child by taking away her supper and sending her to bed hungry. (If a child refuses to eat the meal you have prepared and goes to bed hungry by her choice, that is not denying a meal to a child.)

Þ You cannot punish a child for not eating by serving him his uneaten meal from the day before.

You can encourage a child to eat, plead with him, and refuse dessert if the main meal is not eaten as long as you are not threatening a child or forcing him to eat against his will.

On the following pages are guidelines set up by the State of Alaska Child Care Program Food Program. This is your guide to what kinds of meals you should serve in your home. Another article in this packet looks at children’s eating habits.

REQUIRED FOODS	MONDAY	Eval	TUESDAY	Eval	WEDNESDAY	Eval	THURSDAY	Eval	FRIDAY	Eval
BREAKFAST Juice/Fruit/Veg Bread/Cereal Milk
MID-MORNING (Select Two) Juice/Fruit/Veg Lean meat or alternate Bread/Cereal Milk
LUNCH Lean meat or alternate Fruit/Veg (2 or more) Bread or alternate Milk
MID-AFTERNOON (Select Two) Juice/Fruit/Veg Lean meat or alternate Bread/Cereal Milk
SUPPER Lean meat or alternate Fruit/Veg (2 or more) Bread or alternate Milk

Sometimes, a child in foster care may have problems around eating. These problems may stem from how food was handled in other homes he lived in or from the secondary results of trauma. Always follow the guidelines for nutrition and food outlined in the regulations. In addition, here are some suggestions for dealing with three common food problems in foster children.

Remember, many children in foster care may not be used to healthy, nutritious meals. They may only want to eat junk food or sweets and drink soda instead of milk. Some children (such as those affected by FAS/FAE) may physically crave sugar and do not seem to ever get enough. In some cases, a child may not eat your food because it is strange to her or she may be used to foods you do not serve in your home.

Determining the reason why children do not eat healthy foods will help you deal with this more effectively. Serve a variety of foods that may appeal to the child and offer foods that the child is familiar with or are her favorites. If a child has some physical disabilities, she may be very sensitive to certain foods, tastes and textures, so her reluctance to eat may be related to what you are serving. Consult a health provider for assistance.

Restrict access to unhealthy and “junk” foods in your house. An occasional sweet or trip for hamburgers is okay. Always remember -- be patient. You can help a child learn to eat better and more healthily. But it may take a child a long time to change the habits she brings to your home.

Sometimes children may eat too much, seeming to gorge themselves at every meal. This may be because he is not used to regular meals or did not know where the next meal was coming from. He may eat foods from the cupboard or refrigerator without permission. Help this kind of child put limits on his food intake. Offer enough food so that children will not go hungry. If a child does not know when to stop eating, or gets into a pattern of gorging himself at every meal, you may need to put a limit (2-3 helpings) on food. Have snacks available to the child and put these in a clearly defined spot. Children need the security of knowing that they will be fed regularly each day. Have regular meal and snack times and constantly reassure children that there will be another meal.

Hiding food is not uncommon in children who have been neglected, abandoned or not fed regularly. Some children may hide food in their rooms. You may find food hidden in drawers, under beds or even in clothes. Many of these problems are related to a child’s insecurities or neglect. Follow the suggestions given in the section on EATING TOO MUCH. Have snacks available to the child. Constantly reassure children you will take care of them. Provide regular mealtimes so that a child learns to trust that he will be cared for.

Hoarding food has to do with inner insecurity. It does not mean a child is not getting enough to eat in the foster home. It may lessen only when children feel stable and cared for. Do not punish a child for hiding food. Provide reassurance. If food hoarding is a severe problem, you may need to let children keep food in their room, but only if it cannot spoil. (Examples: nuts, raisins, dried fruit, dry cereal, crackers). Another idea is to designate a special snack shelf in the kitchen that has these same items and keep it filled.

Eating habits take a long time to change. Try to make the sharing of food a pleasant and nurturing time. Do not make food a means of punishment or try to control children by threatening or bribing with food. A child’s eating is not a reflection of how good a parent you are. Think of eating as a habit. You are trying to get all your children to get into the habit of eating well. Some children may have a harder time learning and need your patience and guidance.