Health & Nutrition

nutrition

Good nutrition is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy foods helps children get the nutrients their bodies need to stay healthy, active, and strong. Our staff supports children build healthy eating habits and shares nutrition assistance information with families. 

York County Head Start programs participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), a Federal program that provides healthy meals and snacks to children and adults receiving care.

All children enrolled in our programs are served nutritious meals daily. Children attending four (4) hours per day receive breakfast and lunch; if a child attends five (5) hours or more, they receive breakfast, lunch and snack. Children are encouraged to serve themselves and pour their own milk and water.

Culturally inclusive menus are sent home to families monthly, so you will be kept informed on what is being served to your children. See a Sample Monthly Menu. 

Following the Office of Head Start Performance Standards, we also encourage breastfeeding or chestfeeding and better align with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

 

Total Meals Served in 2022-23 School Year:
34,637

We utilize diverse range of strategies to ensure that the children in our program grow healthy and build healthy eating habits. Some of those approaches include:

    • Support families to enroll in WIC and SNAP programs if they are not yet enrolled.
    • Family Style meals: teachers and students eat together and have age-appropriate conversations to highlight the importance of mealtimes as a social experience and family bonding.
    • Compliance with the CACFP program requirements: age-appropriate portion sizes and increased dietary-quality of the served meals.
    • Utilization of I am moving/I am learning (IMIL) program designed to increase daily moderate-to vigorous physical activity, improve the quality of movement activities, and promote healthy food choices among preschool children.

Health

Healthy eating, getting medical and dental checkups, and taking medicine are some of the topics that we teach the children in the Program.

Our goal is good health for your child and your entire family. We will work with you to help your child learn how to keep their body healthy and safe. 

Head Start programs provide the following screenings within 45 days of your child’s enrollment and as needed throughout the school year:

  • Hearing
  • Vision
  • Height
  • Weight

If you do not have a doctor or dentist for your child, or lack of insurance, our staff will help you and your family. We will support you through the process of obtaining MaineCare services.

To learn more about the depth of care we provide to the children in our program regarding their health, check out the Health section of the Family Handbook.