Becky Barron, Owner/Director of Kidz & Co in Farmington (St. Francois County), was new to early childhood educators when she opened her program in 2023. She and her staff were eager to learn new skills that would benefit the children and families in their program, with a capacity of 99 children. The Go NAPSACC project seemed to be a good fit in that Becky had found setting goals to obtain results was the best way to see growth in anything worth pursuing.
When Becky and her staff started the project in April 2024, they chose to work on the Child Nutrition module of NAPSACC as they had not changed their menu in six months. The vegetables served consisted of mostly raw carrots or canned. With the help of their TA Specialist, Rose Muñoz, they set the goal of adding more of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to their menu. They added sliced sweet peppers, fresh-cut broccoli and tomato slices, leaf lettuce, watermelon, and fresh orange wedges.
Becky stated, “We did not limit the updated menu to what we thought the children would like or what we liked. Often, we were surprised by what they would choose to eat. When a new fruit or vegetable was introduced, we offered a known fruit or vegetable once a child had tried the new food. We began using the “no thank you bite.” The children had to try the new food but always had the option to say “no thank you” if they did not like it.
Becky added, “Sometimes we need to get out of our own way. The children love trying new things. It was an opportunity for everyone to step out of our comfort zones.”
Rose Muñoz, TA Specialist supporting Becky’s program, stated, “Becky set goals for her meal planning and has also changed some of the items she now serves the children. Since she has participated in NAPSACC, she feels that she is making changes in the children's lives, helping them understand the importance of nutrition and healthy choices.” Moving forward, Kidz & Co will continue to provide new foods to add to their weekly menus while maintaining the favorites.
If you are interested in learning more about Go NAPSACC, click here.
To register for the group of 18 programs starting in April 2025 group, Click here to register.
If you have questions, please contact Lauri Choate, Director of Training at lauri@mochildcareaware.org or 314-754-1603.
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