Useful Tools and Techniques: The Hot Lunch Brigade
"One of the things that really breaks my heart is to see a child pulling out the same sandwich, sometimes literally the same sandwich, day after day," says Margaret Kelly of St. Alban's Daycare in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Putting together a lunch every day is a real challenge, especially for low-income parents and single parents. Staff at St. Alban's Daycare decided to provide hot lunches for all children.
"It is absolutely worth it," says Kelly. "This is the best thing we have ever done here."
A hot lunch program has to begin with a budget, says Kelly. Staff sat down with Canada's Food Guide and determined they could feed every child for $15 dollars each a month. They then approached parents with a proposal to increase fees by that amount.
"The parents were over the moon with joy because you can't make a month's worth of lunches for only $15," says Kelly. "So we were off."
The next step was for staff members to take a course on safe food preparation offered by the local health department. It taught them how to store food, how to prepare food, how to keep it hot and how to control bacteria.
Certain equipment was necessary. For example, a commercial quality dishwasher was required by provincial regulations to properly sanitize dishes. St. Alban's had an advantage here because it is associated with a church with a kitchen.
The kitchen also had to be licensed. The license has to be renewed annually and regular inspections are part of the requirement.
"The inspectors are your best friends," says Kelly. "They check your equipment to make sure it is safe and they are an incredible source of information. They will make sure you follow the rules but they will also tell you how to do it."
The staff learned some lessons as they went along. "One thing you cannot do if you are going to feed 25 children on a tight budget is to have menus set in stone," says Kelly. "Prices fluctuate and you need to be able to take advantage of the bargains as they come along."
The solution was to create menus in four-week blocks but allow staff to move the menus for each day around to be able to take advantage of bargains.
The kitchen has also provided a great opportunity to enrich the children's experience. "If a child needs a little time out of the program, they can come in with us."
"If anyone is thinking of [starting] a hot lunch program at their centre, my advice is to do it," concludes Kelly.