L,B,J & C Head Start Will Continue Free Meals For Children

Children of L,B,J & C Head Start sites will continue to have free meals as USDA has renewed the organization’s food care program.

Director Penny Meadows said not every child has a guaranteed meal at home making healthy food at Head Start locations a must.

“Monday mornings we always try to serve a heartier breakfast. We try to make sure we have heartier meals on Friday,” Meadows said. “Just for the fact that sometimes the children come in on Monday morning and that’s the best meal they eat.”

Meadows said all 21 head starts serve homemade breakfast and lunches each day. Meadows said as a part of the program, all menus are certified by a dietitian with balanced servings.

“We make our food by scratch. We don’t buy already prepared food,” Meadows said. “We peel our potatoes. We make our own banana bread and so on. Children need a certain amount of nutrients to grow. At that age, their brain is developing just as much as their body.”

Meadows said L,B,J & C buys the food up front and sends a report in every month of how many meals were provided. Meadows said then, USDA reimburses the money spent.

“You are audited by the people that give the money out for the program,” Meadows said. “They will look at your menus, look at what you say you prepare and make sure the children are getting appropriate serving sizes.”