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It's a New Day in Public Health.

The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

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Nutrition and Menu Planning

Contact the Child Care Food Program

  •  850-245-4323
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  •  

    Fax

    850-414-1622
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    Mailing Address

    Bureau of Child Care Food Programs  

    4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin A-17 

    Tallahassee, FL 32399 

Children eating at a child care facility

Select your category to learn more about specific nutrition information.

  • Feeding Infants
  • Feeding Children
  • Farm to Preschool
  • Special Dietary Needs
  • Nutrition Education
  • Preschool Lesson Plans

Infant Meal Pattern Requirements and Guidance

Infant Feeding Forms

Creditable Foods

Menu Planning Tools

Breastfeeding Support

Both mothers and children who are breastfed experience lasting health benefits. Providing a breastfeeding-friendly atmosphere at your child care center or home can encourage moms to continue breastfeeding after returning to work or school.

Complete the child care facility self-assessment to find out if your child care facility qualifies. If your facility meets all six standards and has a breastfeeding policy, you may qualify to receive Florida's Child Care Food Program's Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care Facility designation.

Parent Education Materials

Child Meal Pattern Requirements and Guidance

Creditable Foods and Food Purchasing

Nutrition Labeling

Milk

 Grains

Menu Planning

Standardized Recipes

Farm to Preschool (F2PS) encompasses efforts to serve local or regionally produced foods in early child care and education settings; provide hands-on learning activities such as gardening, farm visits, and culinary activities; and integrate food-related education into curriculum.

Boy playing with fruit and veggiesFlorida Farm to Preschool for Early Care and Education Providers
Created by the Florida Department of Health, Children and Families, and Agriculture and Consumer Services, this guide brings the farm to preschool with quick tips on outside play, school gardens and locally-produced foods.

 

Benefits of Joining

  • Young children learn where their food comes from
  • Increases children’s willingness to try new foods
  • Encourages lifelong healthy eating habits
  • Promotes physical activity through gardening activities
  • Opportunity to increase access to healthy environments for improved early eating habits and obesity prevention

Providers

Parents

Fact Sheets

Children's Books