Forbidden List For Daycare

[rmhansen]

Hi All,

I'm going back to work and for the first time since my DD has been diagnosed, she is going to daycare . The Center wants me to provide a "LIST" of forbidden foods. My first thought is , yeah right! Where do I start? Can anyone suggest how I might go about compiling this list? I am very nervous about her going somewhere where I can't see what she's eating. I can just imagine her having something she shouldn't , getting diarreah, and me getting canned becuase I have to take time off work to be home with her. HELP!

Becky

[Braunson's-mom]

There are list out there I don't have a website address for it but you other option is to send he meals with her and that way she doesn't get on cross contamination or bad food. I stay at home with my son but we have started to talk about me going to work and I think we will send his food with him. I don't trust anyone to feed my son.

[rmhansen]

We are a military family and the day care centers on post will not allow you to bring in food for the children. Even in this case. We've looked into a certified day care provider in her home, but they follow the USDA food guidelines and the same thing applies. It's beginning to look like a pain in the butt to go back to work! I know where I can get ingredient lists of off-limits foods but do I trust them to read the ingredients on EVERYTHING that may go into her mouth? Not, really. I've never even tried to compile a brand name list fo foods. I hope I can get this figured out! Thanks for your reply too...

Becky

[Braunson's-mom]

This take a lot of time but what if you asked for a food list of what they are going to serve. Brands and mixtures and spices and you go through them and tell them what she can and can't have. FOR EX:: Chicken on top of rice, Peaches and green beans. They would list that the chicken had water and creamof mushroom soup on them then You could say she can have the chicken and rice plain no cream soups. She could also have peaches and green beans. If they sent a list every week home with her then over the weekend you could go through the list and send it back to school. If they have spegetti then send a brand name back that she could have. (corn or brown rice). After a while they will learn what she can and can't have and then you won't have to do it any more. If they don't want to replace item per item then give them other idea's like corn totilla with cheese and chicken, rice cakes with peanut butter, fresh fruit and fresh veggies. Tell them if they every have any questions call. I know it will be a lot of work but it would be worth all the extra work. Good luck.

[Canadian Karen]

I know it would be a bit pricey to print out since it is rather large, but I would print out the Delphi list and give it to them. That way, they have a "these products/brands are safe" list.

I don't know whether your day care caters in or cooks its own food, but I would imagine either way, accomodations could be made. e.g. if they are cooking something that calls for chicken stock, they can check to see which ones are okay. If they are having snacks, they can serve rice crackers instead of goldfish crackers. It will take some getting used to by the day care, but if they care about the children like they should, they should be more than willing to accept the challenge.

I know that the day care my children used to go to, they had their own kitchen and the director/supervisor did the shopping every week at Cosco (buying in bulk) so the ability to be flexible was pretty easy (even though my children are not celiac, there were other allergies that they accomodated.... I know this for sure, I was vice-president of the Board of Directors...... we made sure we accomodated special diets.....)

Good Luck!

Karen

[brdbntL]

This is just a thought. But maybe once they realize how much work they will have to do, maybe they will let you supply the meals. People sometimes think that "ahh it is just wheat how hard can it be?" But once they walk a mile in your shoes they might find away around their regs. Good luck and you will be in my prayers. And I like the idea Braunson's-mom had. I will use that one if the situation ever presents itself. (I would have never thought of it on my own, that is why I love this board)

Laura