Brewer-Porch Children’s Center (BPCC) shall be committed to providing an environment that promotes and protects clients’ health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. Therefore, it is the policy of Brewer-Porch Children’s Center that:
Brewer-Porch will provide nutrition education and physical education to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity, and will establish links between health education, school meal programs, and related community services.
Brewer-Porch Children’s Center will create, strengthen, and work within existing committees to develop, implement, monitor, review, and as necessary, revise school nutrition and physical activity policies. The Environment of Care/Client Rights Committee and the BPCC Advisory Board will also serve as resources to the center for implementing those policies.
The Child Nutrition Program and Wellness Advisory Committee is composed of a parent, teacher, students, CNP Food Coordinator, Aramark representatives, and other BPCC Team Members to assist in menu planning and to ensure that all students at Brewer-Porch Children’s Center have access to high-quality, nutritious, and appealing meals. The committee will also promote an environment that protects clients’ health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. The committee will met quarterly.
Meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs will:
be appealing and attractive to clients;
be served in clean and pleasant settings;
meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by local, state, and federal statutes and regulations;
offer a variety of fruits and vegetables;
serve only low-fat (1%) and fat-free milk and nutritionally-equivalent non dairy alternatives (to be defined by USDA); and
ensure that all grains served are whole grain.
A whole grain is one labeled as a “whole” grain product or with a whole grain listed as the primary grain ingredient in the ingredient statement. Examples include “whole” wheat flour, cracked wheat, brown rice, and oatmeal.
To ensure that all clients have breakfast in order to meet their nutritional needs and enhance their ability to learn:
BPCC will operate the School Breakfast Program.
BPCC will, to the extent possible, arrange daily schedules to provide adequate time for preparing, serving, and consuming breakfasts.
BPCC residential clients will be served free meals. Outpatient program clients will be enrolled in the free and reduced priced meals program according to applicable standards.
BPCC will not participate in the Summer Food Service Program.
will schedule meal periods at regular times. Agency policy requires 3 meals be provided during each 24-hour period
should not schedule educational, counseling, or recreational activities during mealtimes, unless clients may eat during such activities;
will provide clients access to hand washing or hand sanitizing before they eat meals or snacks;
BPCC will employee a qualified Child Nutrition/Food Service Coordinator to assist the food service personnel will administer the center’s meal programs. As part of the agency’s responsibility to operate a food service program, BPCC will provide continuing professional development for all food service personnel. Staff development programs should include appropriate certifications and/or training programs for food service supervisors, managers, and other food service employees, according to their levels of responsibility.
BPCC shall discourage clients from sharing their foods or beverages with one another during meal or snack times, given concerns about allergies and other restrictions on some client diets.
Snacks served at BPCC during or after the school day will make a positive contribution to client’s diet and health. 3 snacks are served daily in compliance with the CNP USDA food program.
Agency policy prohibits the use of food as a disciplinary measure, and BPCC will not withhold food or beverages as a punishment. All children will have access to the primary snack/meal served as soon as they are able.
Foods and beverages provided by BPCC on field trips for clients will meet the nutrition standards for meals.
is part of not only health education classes, but also individual or group counseling, or basic life skills instruction.
includes enjoyable, developmentally-appropriate, culturally-relevant,
participatory activities, taste testing, and appropriate outings;
promote fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods, and health-enhancing nutrition practices;
For students to receive the nationally-recommended amount of daily physical activity (i.e., at least 60 minutes per day) and for students to fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior, students need opportunities for physical activity beyond Therapeutic Recreation class. Toward that end:
classroom health education at BPCC will complement physical education by reinforcing the knowledge and self-management skills needed to maintain a physically-active lifestyle and to reduce time spent on sedentary activities, such as watching television;
opportunities for physical activity will be incorporated into other subject lessons; and
classroom teachers will provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate.
BPCC will support parent’s efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children. Therapists and teachers will support parent’s efforts to provide a healthy diet and daily physical activity for their children.
The center highly values the health and well-being of every team member and will plan and implement activities and policies that support personal efforts by staff to maintain a healthy lifestyle. BPCC will participate in the University of Alabama’s WellBAMA Program which is implemented by the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness. An employee will be nominated as an ambassador each term to represent the center and serve on The University’s committee to promote wellness programs.
All clients will receive daily physical education (or its equivalent of 150 minutes/week for elementary school students and 225 minutes/week for middle and high school students) for the entire school year. All physical education will be taught by a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. Students will spend at least 50 percent of physical education class time participating in moderate to vigorous physical activity.
The Executive Director or designee will ensure compliance with established agency nutrition and physical activity wellness policies. BPCC’s Food Service Supervisor will ensure compliance with those policies and will report on compliance to the Executive Director or designee.
Food service staff will ensure compliance with nutrition policies within food service areas and will report on this matter to the Executive Director or CNP Food Coordinator. In addition, the agency will report on the most recent USDA School Meals Initiative review findings and any resulting changes.
BPCC will review policy compliance, assess progress, and determine areas in need of improvement annually. As part of that review, the BPCC will review the nutrition and physical activity policies.
