CHILD CARE / PRE-SCHOOL FOOD ENVIRONMENT
ENACT Strategy: Water
Serve water to drink; have clean sources of tap water and/or working water fountains
One of the most important, and often overlooked, beverages children should be consuming is water. The health benefits of water are far-reaching, including reducing mild dehydration that can result in fuzzy short-term memory, difficulty focusing on the printed page, and daytime fatigue. Although bottled water can be a healthier alternative to sodas and other sugary drinks, bottled water carries a high environmental cost including increased air pollution from transportation and toxic emissions from plastic production. Plastic water bottles are also one of the fastest growing sources of municipal waste; only 23% of bottles are recycled, most end up in a landfill. Municipal tap water in the United States is more tightly regulated than bottled water, and is delivered through an energy-efficient infrastructure. By ensuring access to fresh, clean sources of tap water, childcare settings will be serving the health of both their students and the environment.
- Allow easy access to free, fresh drinking water
- Provide and maintain water coolers and/or water fountains
- Water sources available in other locations than just bathrooms
- When age appropriate, serve water in pitchers at meal and snacks for practice pouring
- For younger children, encourage parents to pack reusable sippy cups or bottles
This document provides quick facts on the health benefits of water, risks of dehydration, and amount of water children need to drink.
Bottled Water: Learning the Facts and Taking Action
This resource from the Sierra Club provides a summary on the environmental costs of bottled water.
The New Day School in Portland, OR has established a comprehensive food policy that addresses a holistic approach to food in their preschool. This policy includes the rationale behind their food choices as well as complete guidelines outlining the availability of drinking water at all times, balanced vegan meals throughout the day, and intolerance for processed and GMO foods.
Water Quality Funding Sources for Schools
This guide developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, helps schools and child care providers identify potential funding sources to improve the water quality at their sites.
This checklist allows schools, and other children’s environments to access the availability of drinking water throughout the school day.
New York City Child Care Policy
The New York City Board of Health amended the health code to include stricter guidelines for nutrition standards, and quality physical activity at all public and private group day care services operating within New York. The updated code requires that water shall be made available and be easily accessible to children throughout the day, including at meals.
The Think Outside the Bottle Campaign is “the collective effort of major national organizations, cities, prominent people, communities of faith, student groups, and concerned consumers across North America.” Think Outside the Bottle encourages consumers to choose tap over bottled water and support the efforts of local elected officials to do the same at the city, state, and national level.
“In the war between bottled water and tap water, which should you choose?”
This article, published by IntelliHealth, discusses the merits of tap water versus bottled water.