Junk food in playschools

MrsKitka

Is it legal for pre-school or playschool child care workers to feed sweets, crisps, fizzy drinks or other junk to their young charges? I have a 23-month-old daughter who has recently started attending and I've heard stories from other parents about the kids being fed junk despite parents packing their own healthy snacks, drinks and lunch. I was a little annoyed on Friday when I was told that my daughter was given salty bagged popcorn as a snack, especially since I get up early to prepare a healthy snack for her.
One of my friends has a child in the same place and has recently complained about this but was told that "if all the other kids eat the candy/crisps/etc. but not HER child then her kid would feel left out". I feel that this is a poor excuse to feed children junk food but I don't know what I can do about it if the other parents don't seem to mind.

Ickle Magoo

Maybe try looking around for another play-school that has a healthy eating policy? I don't think Ireland has the QA scheme or a body like OFSTED that the UK has, it seems to be a case of checking individual policy.

Regulations state:

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/education/pre-school-education-and-childcare/health_safety_and_welfare_of_preschool_childcare_services

Food and drink
A pre-school service should ensure that suitable, sufficient, nutritious and varied food is available for a pre-school child attending the service and there should be adequate and suitable facilities for the storage, preparation, cooking and serving of food, and adequate and suitable eating utensils, hand washing, wash-up and sterilising facilities should be provided.

In August 2004 the Department of Health and Children issued the Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Pre-School Services which advise that children in day care for more than 5 hours per session (full day care) should be offered at least 2 meals and 2 snacks, one meal should be a hot meal.

I can't see anything more substantial than a recommendation re healthy foods.

metrovelvet

Switch schools. Or provide your own snacks. Bad policy on their part.

mariebeth

I don't know about the legalities, but I would be inclined to switch creche's if I were you.

Actually just to clarify a point - is your daughter attending playschool or a creche, because playschools are not supposed to accept children under the age of 2 years and 9 months, and at 23 months your daughter is way too young to be attending playschool.

According to the pre-school regulations (http://www.dohc.ie/legislation/statutory_instruments/pdf/si20060604.pdf?direct=1 PDF)

A person carrying on a pre-school service shall ensure that suitable,
sufficient, nutritious and varied food is available for a pre-school child
attending the service.

So there are grounds that you can complain to the HSE pre-school inspections team if you feel strongly enough about it, or else just take your daughter out of there and put her in to a creche that's more suitable.


As a person who works in a creche, we always feed the children what the parents bring in. There are occasions, such as a child's birthday, Christmas or Easter, when we have treats and we give them to the children, but they're usually no more than a couple of jellies or a small treat sized bar.

deisemum

MrsKitka wrote: »

Is it legal for pre-school or playschool child care workers to feed sweets, crisps, fizzy drinks or other junk to their young charges? I have a 23-month-old daughter who has recently started attending and I've heard stories from other parents about the kids being fed junk despite parents packing their own healthy snacks, drinks and lunch. I was a little annoyed on Friday when I was told that my daughter was given salty bagged popcorn as a snack, especially since I get up early to prepare a healthy snack for her.
One of my friends has a child in the same place and has recently complained about this but was told that "if all the other kids eat the candy/crisps/etc. but not HER child then her kid would feel left out". I feel that this is a poor excuse to feed children junk food but I don't know what I can do about it if the other parents don't seem to mind.

I think the excuse of the child feeling left out is nonsense. What if a child has food allergies or food intolerances, religious grounds etc are they still going to ignore all the reasons including the parents wishes just to include the child?

lynski

I'm sorry WHAT? junk food to babies - and a 23 mth old is a baby - HELLO? who in the right mind would feed junk food to a baby? what 'care giver' would allow any child to eat any junk in their care? No No and No. I would be absolutely stomping mad if I was PAYING someone to look after my child and they gave them junk food!
I would demand a meeting with the manager there is no way any child of that age should see that food in a childcare facility where you are paying. complain and complain again

celsy

Poor quality childcare.

Surely they gave you a copy of policies & procedures.

Usually if it is a child's birthday, snacks are brought in, but if your child is just routinely given these, you should really get an explanation from the manager (although i can guess it will be along the lines of "very sorry, it won't happen again" & hopefully it won't.

MrsKitka

Well, it's food for thought. (hah!) Thanks, people. So far, no incidences of junk food being served this week. Will keep an eye out.

Kimono-Girl

lynski wrote: »

I'm sorry WHAT? junk food to babies - and a 23 mth old is a baby - HELLO? who in the right mind would feed junk food to a baby? what 'care giver' would allow any child to eat any junk in their care? No No and No. I would be absolutely stomping mad if I was PAYING someone to look after my child and they gave them junk food!

I find this a tad insulting, every child is different and i know at 12/13 months i was eating chocolate/crisps (e.g. snacks)...etc, my sister ate that kind of food too....and now my daughter who is 7 months loves sucking on a chocolate biscuit, or two...and by the time she is 23 months will probally enjoy the odd sippy cup of 7up too. its healthy for them to have a little bit of everything and this healthy eating thing being enforced on children is a load of nonsense. we were all healthy and perfectly fine eating 'junk' food growing up.

fair enough op i don't agree with them giving pop corn as a snack as even as an adult i can choke on it sometimes, but foods like Tayto 'snacks' or 'chickatees' are usually ok for children from a year onwards, and there are a lot of sweets which they can eat too, but if you are against your child eating these you should let them know, just like its up to you to inform them of any allergies, or anything you don't want your child to be doing...

themysteriouson

candlelover wrote: »

fair enough op i don't agree with them giving pop corn as a snack as even as an adult i can choke on it sometimes, but foods like Tayto 'snacks' or 'chickatees' are usually ok for children from a year onwards, and there are a lot of sweets which they can eat too, but if you are against your child eating these you should let them know, just like its up to you to inform them of any allergies, or anything you don't want your child to be doing...

The Op has said that she packs a healthy lunch for the child I think that this in itself would suggest that this is what she wants the child to eat. I have a child just gone two and I would be extreemly annoyed if the creche she is in were to give her sweets or crisps without first asking me. For example she doesnt have chocolate at home as it tends to make her a little hyper and I dont believe in giving Toddlers fizzy drinks when juice is just as good. But thats just my personal opinion.

namurt

I used to work in a creche and initially we had a list of about 5 treats that the children were allowed to get on special occasions (the parents were all aware of the list) but after a few parents complained we were no longer allowed to give any treats. That was fine except some parents still insisted on bringing in treats for everyone on their child's birthday so if that happened we made up a goody bag and the children brought it home....after that it was up to the individual parents what their child was allowed.

I can definitely understand why you would be so annoyed by this.

lynski

candlelover wrote: »

I find this a tad insulting, every child is different and i know at 12/13 months i was eating chocolate/crisps (e.g. snacks)...etc, my sister ate that kind of food too....and now my daughter who is 7 months loves sucking on a chocolate biscuit, or two...and by the time she is 23 months will probally enjoy the odd sippy cup of 7up too. its healthy for them to have a little bit of everything and this healthy eating thing being enforced on children is a load of nonsense. we were all healthy and perfectly fine eating 'junk' food growing up.

fair enough op i don't agree with them giving pop corn as a snack as even as an adult i can choke on it sometimes, but foods like Tayto 'snacks' or 'chickatees' are usually ok for children from a year onwards, and there are a lot of sweets which they can eat too, but if you are against your child eating these you should let them know, just like its up to you to inform them of any allergies, or anything you don't want your child to be doing...

This is not about what is good or not for children this is about what the people paid to look after children do. this is about a parent providing the kinds of foods they want their child to have and paid creche workers providing unhealthy alternatives. the op never said that she would not give her child any junk just that she expected the people she was paying to observe her wishes.
BTW you may believe those foods are 'ok' for young children, i don't and mine would only get crisp snack food on a very limit occasion.