Ohio Administrative Code
Title 5101:2 - Division of Social Services
Chapter 5101:2-13 - Licensing Family Care Homes
Section 5101:2-13-22 - Meal preparation/nutritional requirements for a licensed family child care provider

(1) Serve varied, nutritious and appropriately timed meals and snacks as described in appendix A to this rule.

(2) Follow the portion sizes and nutritional requirements for meals and snacks described in appendix B to this rule.

(3) Serve food that is not a choking hazard, and that is developmentally appropriate in size, amount and texture.

(4) Provide meals and snacks according to the posted current weekly menu, and spaced no more than four hours apart.

(5) Serve only one hundred per cent, undiluted fruit or vegetable juice, if used to meet the fruit or vegetable requirement for meals and snacks. Other fruit or vegetable juice is permitted as a beverage alternative.

(6) Ensure that supplemental food is onsite at the home and that no child goes more than four hours without at least a snack or meal, except when sleeping.

(7) Obtain a physician's written instructions if administering a medical food to any child or if an entire food group is eliminated. When special diets are required for cultural or religious reasons, the provider shall obtain written, dated and signed instructions from the child's parent unless the special diet is part of the provider's program.

(8) Set its own policy regarding the accommodation of a parent's alternate diet for a child when the provider provides the meal. The provider shall ensure that any alternate diet, except those required for religious, cultural or medical reasons as specified in paragraph (A)(7) of this rule, include items from each of the following food groups: meat or meat alternative, grain, fruit/ vegetable, fluid milk.

(9) Provide for the safe storage of all food, including milk (formula and breast milk for infants). If safe storage of milk is not available on routine trips or field trips, milk may be served at snack instead of at the meal. Potentially hazardous foods such as, but not limited to, milk, milk products, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, cooked rice, baked or boiled potatoes shall be refrigerated at a temperature at or below forty degrees Fahrenheit.

(10) Have provisions for safe storage of parent provided food.

(11) Have drinking water freely available to children throughout the day.

(12) Ensure individual servings or individual packages of food or drink that have been served to a child be discarded or sent home with the child if not consumed during meal or snack time. Food or drink that is individually packaged and the package has not been opened may be stored at the provider's home to be served again or sent home.

(13) Not have screens (television, computer, etc.) on during meals and snacks.

(1) Food is not served on bare tables. Food for infants may be placed directly on an individual highchair tray if the tray is removed, washed and sanitized in accordance with appendix A of rule 5101:2-13-13 of the Administrative Code.

(2) Eating utensils and dishes are suitable for the age and developmental level of the children.

Click to view Appendix

Click to view Appendix

Click to view Appendix

Click to view Appendix

Click to view Appendix