A new food program at the childcare center at the Lakeshore Family YMCA provides nutritious hot lunches, as well as breakfast and snacks, for about 45 kids every day.
The program came about through the Warren Consolidated School District They have access to a federal grant that provides food for child care centers, and since the neighborhoods around the Lakeshore Y met the income criteria, thy applied for and won the grant for this school year.
“I think it’s very positive for all the kids,” says Sara Voss, childcare director at the Lakeshore Y. “It shows them healthy eating habits and gives them a variety to choose from.”
The federal program is meant to address childhood hunger. Unlike kids who are in K-12 school all day and have access to the free lunch program, children in childcare centers are reliant on what their parents can provide. When parents are trying to keep up with child care fees, bills and regular expenses, it can be difficult to keep food on the table even with full-time work. The grant is aimed at these families and ensure children will get at least one nutritious meal every day.
The program is available to all children at the child-care center regardless of income because of the income composition of the surrounding neighborhood, and meals are provided to children free of charge. 
Food is brought to the Y from the Warren Consolidated Schools central kitchen, and kept at temperature with heat-retaining bags. Sara says she toured their central kitchen and was really impressed with the cleanliness and efficiency.
It’s been a very popular program with both kids and parents, Sara says. Parents like it because they are freed from the task of packing a lunch their child will eat, and it gives their children a greater variety of foods to try than they might venture to taste at home.
“A lot of parent look at it as since they all have the same thing for lunch it will broaden their eating habits,” she says. “The first lunch was blueberry pancakes — they really liked that one!”
The program will continue through this school year, and Sara says she hopes it get it funded again.
