Policy: Breastfeeding, Infant Feeding, and Child Nutrition
Policies help clarify program practices.
The best practices (per GO NAPSACC) and the related resources in this section focus on developing and implementing policies at your child care program that will ensure that staff and families have the same understanding of program nutrition requirements and procedures. To achieve this, it is important that all employees understand and follow the same policies. Written policies are also helpful when explaining to parents how your program operates.
Best Practices
Select each GO NAPSACC best practice goal below to find related resources.
Breastfeeding: "There is a written policy on promoting and supporting breastfeeding that includes a variety of topics related to the breastfeeding environment and support and education for families, teachers, and staff."
Action Guide: For Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies
Summary: A guide for creating policies including rationale, steps for creating policies, and policy recommendations.
Source: Connecticut State Department of Education
Caring for Our Children Basics
Summary: Outlines a set of voluntary, foundational health and safety standards for early care and education programs. Based on best practices, these standards are designed to help protect children and support their healthy development in child care settings.
Source: National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, Administration for Children and Families
Community Lactation Support Guide
Summary: Designed for community champions who want to build or strengthen breastfeeding‑friendly environments in community settings, workplaces, and early childhood programs. Find practical steps, examples, and tools for getting started.
Source: Michigan State University Extension
Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Free for providers. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the appropriate assessment opens a suite of planning, learning, professional development, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen in your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Healthy Beverage Consumption in Early Childhood: Recommendations from Key National Health and Nutrition Organizations
Summary: CDC’s recommendations and rationale for child care policies and practice regarding breastmilk and other beverages.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Healthy Kids, Healthy Future
Summary: Click on the Support Breastfeeding Circle to get information about how to support breast feeding in a day care setting as well as tips for setting up a breastfeeding area. Use the menu to the left to find more policy activities and resources.
Source: The Nemours Foundation
Sample Child Care Center Breastfeeding Policy
Summary: A sample policy to promote breastfeeding in child care centers.
Source: Florida Breastfeeding Coalition
Sample Policy for Breast Feeding at Child Care
Summary: A sample policy to promote breastfeeding in child care centers
Source: Arizona Department of Health Services
Sample Policy: Supporting Breastfeeding in the Child Care Setting Parent Handbook
Summary: Sample policy that can be included in the infant/child feeding section of a parent handbook.
Source: Michigan Breastfeeding Network
Storage, Handling, and Preparation of Breast Milk in Early Care and Education (ECE) Programs
Summary: Simple tip sheet storing, handling, preparing, and disposing breastmilk.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Ten Steps to Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Centers Resource Kit
Summary: A resource kit to promote breastfeeding in child care centers in 10 simple steps.
Infant Feeding: "There is a written policy on infant feeding and nutrition that includes a variety of topics related to how, when, and what infants are fed, and how this information is communicated to teachers and families."
Action Guide: For Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies
Summary: A guide for creating policies including rationale, steps for creating policies, and policy recommendations.
Source: Connecticut State Department of Education
Caring for Our Children Basics
Summary: Outlines a set of voluntary, foundational health and safety standards for early care and education programs. Based on best practices, these standards are designed to help protect children and support their healthy development in child care settings.
Source: National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, Administration for Children and Families
Early Care and Education Nutrition and Physical Activity Guide
Summary: Designed for community champions who want to build or strengthen nutrition and physical activity for young children in early childhood programs. Find practical steps, examples, and tools for getting started.
Source: Michigan State University Extension
Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Free for providers. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the appropriate assessment opens a suite of planning, learning, professional development, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen in your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Healthy Beverage Consumption in Early Childhood: Recommendations from Key National Health and Nutrition Organizations
Summary: CDC’s recommendations and rationale for child care policies and practice regarding breastmilk and other beverages.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Healthy Kids, Healthy Future
Summary: Under the section “Nurture Healthy Eaters,” scroll down to find feeding resources for both infants and toddlers. Resources are geared towards child care providers and parents. Source: The Nemours Foundation
Infant and Toddler Nutrition
Summary: Resources for families and providers that are CACFP operators. Find guidelines, training slides, worksheets/handouts, videos, and even an interactive training game.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service
Child Nutrition: "There is a written policy on child nutrition that includes a variety of topics related to how, when, and what children are fed, and how this information is communicated to teachers and families."
Action Guide: For Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies
Summary: Guidelines for feeding practice policies and practices that support child nutrition.
Source: Connecticut State Department of Education
Caring for Our Children Basics
Summary: Outlines a set of voluntary, foundational health and safety standards for early care and education programs. Based on best practices, these standards are designed to help protect children and support their healthy development in child care settings.
Source: National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, Administration for Children and Families
Early Care and Education Nutrition and Physical Activity Guide
Summary: Designed for community champions who want to build or strengthen nutrition and physical activity for young children in early childhood programs. Find practical steps, examples, and tools for getting started.
Source: Michigan State University Extension
Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Free for providers. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the appropriate assessment opens a suite of planning, learning, professional development, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen in your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Model Policies for Creating a Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in Child Care Settings
Summary: Nutrition toolkit that describes model policies and provides tips to on how to fulfill them.
Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Community Food and Nutrition Assistance
Sample Child Care Nutrition Policy
Summary: A sample policy that allows a center to fill in the blanks and customize to meet their needs.
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