Section 7.50.460. Nutrition.

	(a)  A facility shall ensure that all snacks and meals meet the child care food program requirements set out in 7 C.F.R. 226.20, revised as of January 1, 1995.  
	(b)  In a residential child care facility, menus, including snacks, must be planned in advance, be posted in an area open to visitors, and reflect actual food served. A residential child care facility providing emergency shelter care is not required to plan menus in advance, but must retain a record of actual food served.  
	(c)  Deleted 7/1/2000.  
	(d)  A residential child care facility providing care for infants shall observe the following requirements for bottle feedings:  
		(1) bottle feedings may be prepared by the parent or the facility; however, if the facility prepares the bottle feedings, it shall consult with the parent to ensure consistency with the bottle feedings given at home;  
		(2) an infant must be fed on demand;  
		(3) a child on bottle feedings  
			(A) must either be held or fed sitting up or, if unable to sit up, always be held by a caregiver during the feeding; and  
			(B) may not be permitted to hold or carry its bottle at times other than the feeding; and  
		(4) bottles may not be propped for a child.  
	(e)  A full time care facility shall attempt to provide ethnic food reflecting the ethnic background of children in care in the facility's menu, including food provided by a child's own family.  
	(f)  A facility shall obtain information concerning any food allergies or special dietary needs of each child and shall plan that child's meals accordingly.  
	(g)  Except for medical reasons, a facility may not deny a meal or snack to a child, force-feed a child, or otherwise coerce a child to eat against the child's will for any reason. Mere encouragement to eat without any element of compulsion is not prohibited.  

Authorities

44.29.020;47.35.010

Notes

Reference

7 AAC 50.425
7 AAC 50.635

Authority

AS 44.29.020 AS 47.35.010 Editor's note: A copy of the child care food program requirements referred to in 7 AAC 50.460(a) may be obtained from the Division of Family and Youth Services, P.O. Box 110630, 350 Main Street, Room 404, Juneau, Alaska 99811-0630, or any other office of the division in the state. ________________________

History

Eff. 1/1/96, Register 136; am 3/1/98, Register 145

References

7.50.460