momofkhm Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 http://www.ncstatesenate.com/2012/05/senate-bill-blocks-lunch-box-police/ The North Carolina Senate unanimously passed legislation Thursday to protect parents’ right to pack their children’s lunches without government intrusion. Under current law, child care facilities must provide lunches meeting U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Lunches must consist of one serving of meat, one serving of grain, and two servings of fruit and vegetables. If a lunch packed by a parent and does not meet the specified nutritional guidelines, the facility must provide a child with additional food. In January a North Carolina preschooler’s home-packed lunch, consisting of a turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips and apple juice, was deemed by a child care provider to not meet USDA guidelines. The student was given a cafeteria lunch consisting of chicken nuggets and her parents were charged $1.25. House Bill 503 creates an exception to these nutritional standards for parents and guardians who pack lunches for their children. The bill also ensures that child care facilities are not penalized for parental choices by prohibiting state agencies from evaluating the nutritional value or adequacy of home-packed lunches. “The contents of children’s lunch boxes should be decided by their parents and guardians, not by government bureaucrats,†said Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham). “While nutrition is very important, we need to make sure our child care providers focus on preparing children for school rather than on inspecting lunches.†Maybe I'm the only one happy about it, but I'm thrilled and I don't even have a kid in preschool in the state! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Common sense prevails - that's always something to smile about. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LillyMama Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Wow, I hadn't heard that story! As a mom whose kids have severe food allergies and sensory issues, I have a tough time feeding my kids perfect meals every day. We try, but it's a SLOW process for us to introduce new fruits and vegetables. I cannot imagine the arrogance that assumes that the government can dictate how every single child should eat, regardless of circumstance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissad2 Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 :party: Thank goodness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Wait a minute. If the packed lunch does not contain the foods in the guideline the facility must provide extra food? How exactly is that part a "win"? Or am I misunderstanding this. What if I don't want the facility to provide extra food? I think that was poor writing (someone correct me if I'm wrong). I think that the policy HAD BEEN that if the homepacked lunch didn't meet standards that the school would provide additional food. I think that the new guidellines exempt homemade lunches and only apply to those from child-care facilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Common sense prevails - that's always something to smile about. :D Yay!! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I talk to the trees Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Common sense prevails - that's always something to smile about. :D Indeed it is! And just short of miraculous these days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 The fact that a law had to be passed is mind boggling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meggie Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 The fact that a law had to be passed is mind boggling. That's what I was thinking. "Really, we have to legislate common sense now?" :banghead: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 The fact that a law had to be passed is mind boggling. :iagree: So we need a LAW to tell teachers it's ok for parents to pack their kids a lunch. Sheesh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 So, originally, a kid in child care (with a subsidized food program, I think), got a full healthy lunch. If their parent gave them a lunch, the food program would provide additional food to flesh out an unhealthy lunch. If their parent gave them a healthy lunch, they did not get additional food. One such program messed up and took away the original lunch, which if I remember correctly was NOT supposed to happen under the rules - the healthy food was supposed to be offered as well as the deemed-unhealthy from-home food. So under the new program, will a kid with an unhealthy lunch get supplementary healthy food, or have to stick solely with the unhealthy lunch? Will a kid with a healthy lunch get supplementary food because the careers can't evaluate the healthiness of the food, thus they have to treat everyone the same and give them all the healthy lunch in addition to whatever they brought from home, healthy or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyCrazyMama Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 The fact that a law had to be passed is mind boggling. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Maybe I'm the only one happy about it, but I'm thrilled and I don't even have a kid in preschool in the state! I fail to see why "parents are always right" is a great policy, as it doesn't leave room for the schools/daycare facilities to help out if parents pack an inadequate lunch (e.g. two crackers, or food is moldy) or gets stepped on or falls in a puddle, then there is no way to supplement. I've posted before that I have seen the consequences of a hungry kid with insufficient, non-nourishing food. And I don't think it's the parents who suffer when they neglect their children, even if it's out of ignorance or accident (e.g. the food spoils or the sandwich fell out in the car). Also, there is intrusion when you take your kid into the public sphere. Many places have restrictions on, say, peanuts. What if someone demands their child eat a daily PB&J and another kid in the class is deathly allergic? Is it intrusive to say no peanuts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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