The purpose of the cultural competence plan at Tots Learning Center & Child Care, LLC is important to children, families and staff because it demonstrates the following:

• Respecting each other’s cultural difference
• Providing tools, resources, and material in the classrooms exposing children to different cultural backgrounds, and books available to help children understand diversity among their family and friends; diverse foods in the dramatic play area, community helper dress up costumes, etc.
• Meeting the needs of children, families, and staff by providing opportunities to involve them in our Center, and display what we do with the children. Staff is continually developing in cultural competency to better meet individual needs of children and families in our program.
• Cultural competency is shared with children, families, and staff through daily lesson plans, information provided in parent folders, electronic communication (class dojo, facebook), family style meal serving, center activities that include children, families, and staff.

We participate in the Michigan Food Program for centers. 

Breakfast is served until 8:45 a.m.; Lunch is served at 11:45 a.m.; dinner at 5:45 p.m.; and snacks at 10:15 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. 

If you want your child to eat at any of the meal or snack times, please ensure they arrive on time for
serving.

Infant formula (Enfamil with Iron) is provided for infants 1 year and under. Parents are to provide special formula for their baby if they cannot take the Enfamil. This will not cause a change in the weekly tuition.

A parent must provide special milk other than cow’s milk provided (Fat Free and Whole Milk). Milk substitutes must have the nutrients equivalence as normal cows milk fat free or whole milk. If your child has a food allergy; they will not be served that food item. We typically remove
such items from our menu. If you have a food preference, we will try to accommodate to the best of our ability. However, you are welcome to bring alternatives in on the days the non preferred food is being served. If you choose to bring your child’s meals and/or snacks, the
weekly tuition remains the same. The meals brought in must met nutritional requirements, and not high in sugar.

Infant bottles must be prepared before arriving to the center, and labeled with your child’s first and last name, date it was brought into the center, and what contents are in the bottles. This is a state requirement.

Please do not send your child in with gum, high sugar foods (fruit snacks, chips, etc,) and/or drinks.

If you arrived past a meal or snack time, and just did not have the time to feed your child before care, they are welcome to bring in a premade, nutritional meal or snack to eat before entering the class population. Our apologies, but out teachers can not leave the classroom to prepare a meal
or snack after serving time. If your child comes to care with high sugar foods, they may be sent back home with the parent, or put up until pick up. Best practice is allowing your child to eat the nutritional snacks and meals that are provided to them on a daily basis, at the center. This way it spares us all a lot of confusion.

TLC & CC follows the child care nutritional guidelines recommended by the USDA, CACFP (Child, Adult Care Food Program) for all the foods we serve. To provide a healthy and balance diet that includes: fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and limits foods and beverages that are high in sugar, and/or fat. Our nutrition plan includes the following:

• Fruits & Vegetables
  – We serve fruit at least twice a day
  – We offer a vegetable other than white potatoes at least once a day.
• Grains
  – We serve whole grain foods at least once per day.
• Beverages
  – We limit juice intake to once per day in a serving size specified for the child’s age group.
  – When served, the juice is 100% fruit juice
  – We do not serve sugar sweetened beverages,
  – We serve fat free milk to children ages 2 years and older.
  – Fats & Sugars
  – High fat meats such as bologna, bacon, and sausage are served no more than twice a week.
  – Fried or pre-fried vegetables including potatoes are served no more than once per week.
  – We limit sweet food items to no more than two times per week.

Meal and snack times are planned so that no child will go more than 4 hours without being offered food. Parents who would like to send their child with individual lunch and/snacks should follow our meal plan.

TLC & CC will work with parents when they are ready to potty trained their child. When the parent is ready, please sit with your child’s teacher to discuss a plan for potty training. It is important that all parties involved are on the same page for this to be a successful milestone for
your child. It is also important for the child to be developmentally ready for training.

Suggestions for a successful toilet training experience is using timers, limiting the fluid intake as the day goes on, keep the bathroom accessible to the child during potty training. It is the consistency that helps the child develop the feeling of the urgency to use the toilet when its time.

If your child exceeds 30 months and still not potty trained, they may remain in the 2.5-3.5-year- old classroom until they become fully toilet trained.

Your child is considered fully potty trained when they can use the bathroom unassisted, and have minimal to no accidents.

If the weather is 37 degrees above zero, including wind chill we play outside. Please dress your child accordingly. On the days that it is too cold or raining, muscle movement activities are done in the center.

All children are required to go outside. If you child is too sick to go outside; then your child is too sick to come to care, unless there is a medical reason stated from a licensed physician stating as to why the child cannot partake in the outdoor activities.

Please bring boots for your child to wear outside during the spring months to prevent from their
gym shoes getting muddy, as it will happen.