Rules On Babies Being Fed Prior To Dropoff?

[WBee]

I'm looking for any insight. I have an 8month old who used to be fed his bottle before dropoff. Then it became less and less..."He wasn't hungry today..had a few ozs." Then ,"He hasn't eaten today." Now nothing is said. He is just hungry as soon as I take him out of his car seat when dcm leaves. It's been a few weeks and I have nothing documented in my contract however when DCM started her kids w/me she asked & I said I preferred he be fed prior. Any ideas? What would DCM do if she got a flat tire or something on her way here? No formula with her. Just empty bottles.

[Blackcat31]

I'm looking for any insight. I have an 8month old who used to be fed his bottle before dropoff. Then it became less and less..."He wasn't hungry today..had a few ozs." Then ,"He hasn't eaten today." Now nothing is said. He is just hungry as soon as I take him out of his car seat when dcm leaves. It's been a few weeks and I have nothing documented in my contract however when DCM started her kids w/me she asked & I said I preferred he be fed prior. Any ideas? What would DCM do if she got a flat tire or something on her way here? No formula with her. Just empty bottles.

I require ALL children to be fed before drop off.

My first meal/snack is not served until 9:00 so everyone needs to eat prior to that, INCLUDING infants.

I am required to hold infants while I feed them and I do not have the hands or time to hold and feed a baby the first hour to hour and a half of the morning due to drop offs and transitions so ALL children are required to be fed before being dropped off.

If I notice a baby is requiring to be fed prior to 9:00, I will address it with the parent and expect them to make the alterations to their morning routine to accommodate this requirement.

I will also refuse to take a baby into care if they have not been fed and are going to be hungry before 9:00

[Thriftylady]

Yes, babies need to be fed before drop off. The "he hasn't eaten" at least for me has always turned into "I want you to feed him when he gets here every day". Not okay with me.

[Blackcat31]

I'm looking for any insight. I have an 8month old who used to be fed his bottle before dropoff. Then it became less and less..."He wasn't hungry today..had a few ozs." Then ,"He hasn't eaten today." Now nothing is said. He is just hungry as soon as I take him out of his car seat when dcm leaves. It's been a few weeks and I have nothing documented in my contract however when DCM started her kids w/me she asked & I said I preferred he be fed prior. Any ideas? What would DCM do if she got a flat tire or something on her way here? No formula with her. Just empty bottles.

...totally off the subject but I noticed you said "take him out of his car seat when mom leaves"....

A good rule of thumb to have and to protect yourself is ALWAYS require the parent to remove the child from the car seat, AWAKE and hand them over to you.

At the end of the day, do NOT put the child in the seat, hand the child, again AWAKE back to the parent to do.

This eliminates your liability a lot, especially when it comes to car seats and safety AFTER they leave your home.

[WBee]

Thank you! Also, thanks for the liability tip! Much appreciated. Any ideas on "nice wording" to tell dcm she needs to feed first? I've had a prior issue w/her and she argues a point til I have to be almost rude to be clear.

[Crazy8]

I don't have this in my contract but I probably should add it! I would use BC's explaination and tell mom that you notice baby is coming in unfed and hungry in the mornings lately and that with the craziness of drop offs in the morning you will not be able to feed baby until ___ (insert time) and tell her she really needs to be sure that first feeding is done at home.

[laundrymom]

"hey mom. Baby Johnny must be going through a growth spurt because he's really hungry when he first arrives in the mornings. I know you try to feed before coming but could you adjust your schedule so he gets his first full feed at home? It would make his morning here a lot less stressful."

[Blackcat31]

Thank you! Also, thanks for the liability tip! Much appreciated. Any ideas on "nice wording" to tell dcm she needs to feed first? I've had a prior issue w/her and she argues a point til I have to be almost rude to be clear.

If you hang on I will copy and paste my wording...

I am on my i-pad until my laptop finishes upgrading to Windows 10 so I dont have access quite yet...

[Blackcat31]

This is what my infant meal/snack policies say:

"Morning drop off times are often busy and chaotic as children and families are being greeted and welcomed in at different times. Because licensing requires that all infants be held while feeding, as well as be directly supervised during meal times, I am unable to accommodate infants that require a meal/snack within the first 60-90 minutes of arrival. All infants are required to be fed PRIOR to drop off. Any infant being dropped off without being fed will be documented and filed in the child's folder. If it becomes a repeated issue, termination may occur."

[AmyKidsCo]

...totally off the subject but I noticed you said "take him out of his car seat when mom leaves"....

A good rule of thumb to have and to protect yourself is ALWAYS require the parent to remove the child from the car seat, AWAKE and hand them over to you.

At the end of the day, do NOT put the child in the seat, hand the child, again AWAKE back to the parent to do.

This eliminates your liability a lot, especially when it comes to car seats and safety AFTER they leave your home.

I get the not putting a child in the seat, but what's your concern about taking a child out of the car seat? I have many parents bring little ones in car seats - especially in the winter when it's bitter cold.

[Blackcat31]

I get the not putting a child in the seat, but what's your concern about taking a child out of the car seat? I have many parents bring little ones in car seats - especially in the winter when it's bitter cold.

Long ago I heard a story about a child that was asleep in the car seat.

Parent dropped off in the afternoon with the intention of the child only being there for a short while as parent's shifts overlapped by only a small time frame.

Provider took sleeping child into care and set the car seat aside not wanting to disturb the baby.

Second parent arrives to pick up child. Provider goes to retrieve child and the baby is dead in the car seat.

I know many states have laws and rules about safe sleep and where a baby can and can't sleep but I also know many providers will still "risk it" and/or the provider is unlicensed and doesn't feel they need to follow those safe sleep rules.

Anyways, the lesson in this is that ALL children should be awake and alert when handed over to the provider. It's a good way for the provider to do a quick "spot check" that the child appears to be in good health/condition and it's a good way for a parent to be able to safely say their child was in good condition upon drop off too.

I guess I look at it like better safe than sorry. kwim?

It's sad that we have all this liability placed on us and have to go to such extremes but I guess it is what it is and I do what I can but that particular story has always stuck with me so I use it as a preventative measure and don't allow a sleeping child to be handed off to me.

[Thriftylady]

I just don't allow the car seats to come in, I can't store them. And then if they somehow get broken who has to pay for the car seat? How do I know it didn't arrive broken? I have so many reasons for not even allowing car seats.

[Febby]

Most centers I've been at have asked parents to please feed (and change) their infant prior to drop-off. The logic was the same; drop-off time is chaotic and even in a designated infant room, it's still not practical to welcome the new arrivals AND feed/change all of them.

I've never been at a center that required the parents to give us the awake infants, but most do require that parents are the ones who remove the infant from the car seat and then either hand us the infant or place the infant in their crib (on their back). I do see the reasoning for it, though.

[renodeb]

I don't really have a rule in my contract about kids being fed before drop off except if there going to be dropped off after a meal. It would be wise of this mom to feed the baby before drop offs for those unforeseen circumstances you had mentioned. With babies I always ask when they ate last so I have a reference point. Just remind her of her original agreement.
Deb

[LysesKids]

I get the not putting a child in the seat, but what's your concern about taking a child out of the car seat? I have many parents bring little ones in car seats - especially in the winter when it's bitter cold.

I'm in agreement with the kid must be awake & taken out group....
I don't allow carseats to come into my home at all once a child is 6 months old, even then it's only during nasty weather. I have had an incident where baby was sound asleep at drop-off, but turns out mom had doped him & not said anything (they are no longer in care); I require babies to be awake at drop off for that reason alone. two, I have no room for carseats in my home to begin with - they can also transport germs & bugs because they end up everywhere - gyms, bathroom floors etc.