Nutrition: We provide children with nutrition education and cooking activities to reinforce good eating habits (please enjoy some of our recipes). Foods indicative of children's cultural backgrounds are served periodically. Guest speakers are also invited to come speak with the children about eating healthy foods.

Meals: Written menus are provided for parents. A nutritious breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack is provided everyday. To assure that the weekly rotating menus and the nutritional components of the food program meets or exceeds the requirements as specified by the CACFP, all our meals and snacks are prepared fresh daily by our own cook, in our own on-site commercial grade kitchen. To further assure quality, our menus are regularly reviewed by a Registered Dietician for proper nutritional content and balance.

Classroom staff eat with the children, serving as role models. At least five components are served at the lunch meal, which should ensure that your child will enjoy at least some of every meal. If your child has a food allergy or other nutritional need, please include this on the admission form, so that we may try to assist you. Per NYS regulations, a doctor’s note may be required.

Provisions for Babies: Infants are held and talked to while bottle fed. Rainbow Chimes will provide “table foods” for babies once they are able to manage these items. Feeding times and food consumption information is provided to parents of infants and toddlers at the end of each day.

Formula or breast milk and baby food for infants and toddlers are generally provided by parents. Plastic, sanitized bottles and nipples—pre-filled at home—and all food jars, containers, cups, etc. must be indelibly labeled (permanent marker) with your child‘s first and last name. For safety and health reasons, babies may not carry bottles throughout the day. If you work nearby and plan to nurse your baby exclusively while at the Center, NYS regulations require that you provide frozen breast milk or a can of ready-made formula and a sanitized bottle in case you are delayed. Regulations also dictate that bottles or food may not be reheated or reused, and that whole milk be served to children who are no longer formula-fed and are under age two, unless low-fat is requested by your child's physician.