Infants
Lil’ Bears Childcare follows Safe Sleep practices to reduce the risk of SIDS…
Babies are always placed on their back to sleep.
Each Infant/toddler are allowed to follow his/her own sleep/rest pattern, unless specific written documentation from the physician is in the Child’s file.
Soft objects, toys and loose bedding are kept out of the baby’s sleep area.
Pacifiers are encouraged for napping.
Babies are visually monitored every 15 minutes while napping.
Room temperature is kept at a comfortable level to assure babies do not overheat while sleeping.
Bibs and garments with ties or hoods are removed before placing an infant in the pack & play to sleep.
Babies are never swaddled.
Cribs, cots, and play yards are only be used by one Child at a time.
Tummy Time is encouraged several times throughout the day to strengthen head, neck, and shoulder muscles. Each infant’s position is changed at least every 30 minutes when the child is awake. The use of equipment (bouncers, swings, etc.) is limited to 30 minutes at a time.
Strategies to cope with a crying, fussy or distraught child….
Determine if the child has any physical needs: hungry, tired, sick
Rock the child, hold the child close or walk with the child
Stand up, hold the child close, and gently bounce
Sing or talk to the child in a soothing voice
Gently rub the child’s back or tummy
Turn on soothing music
Breastfeeding
Giving infants a healthy start helps them develop healthy habits for life. Our program is committed to breastfeeding and other developmentally appropriate infant feeding practices.
We invite mothers to breastfeed on site and/or provide breastmilk for us to feed to their infants. Mothers may breastfeed enrolled infants at any time during the day at childcare. There is always refrigerator and/or freezer space available for storage of breastmilk. Provided breastmilk must be labeled with the child’s name, dated, and stored or discarded in accordance with the Family Child Care Provider Licensing Rule.
Formula
Lil’ Bears provides formula for infants. Prepared formula is used within 2 hours of preparation and within 1 hour from when feeding begins. If the prepared formula is not used within 2 hours, the bottle is stored in the refrigerator and used within 24 hours.
Formula must be made from commercially prepared products. Homemade formula solutions are prohibited.
The feeding schedule amount and type must meet the Infant’s needs.
Provider will hold Infants who are not independently bottle-feeding in their arms for feeding.
Children who are independently bottle-feeding will be in a seated position within reach of a Provider.
If breast milk or formula is to be warmed, bottles will be placed in hot (not boiling) water for no longer than five minutes, after which the bottle must be shaken well, and the temperature tested before feeding. Bottles of formula or breast milk must never be warmed in a microwave oven.
A chair or table used for feeding Infants and toddlers must be designed to prevent the Child from slipping or falling.
Dishes and bottles used for feeding are made of unbreakable material or sheathed in material that prevents shattering and may not contain bisphenol A (BPA).
Parents will be immediately informed if a Child is accidentally fed another Child’s breast milk. Providers must have information available regarding follow-up testing and sharing results.
Infant Foods
Around 6 months of age, we work with families to begin introducing solid foods. Our program provides a variety of healthy meals and snacks for infants each day, including iron-rich cereals, pureed/mashed vegetables and/or meats without added salt, and pureed/mashed fruits without added sugar. Families will provide information about known allergies and already introduced foods.
Infant Feeding Practices
We strive to use “best practices” when feeding infants to help them build healthy eating habits right from the start. These best practices include feeding infants when they begin to show signs of hunger and ending feedings when they show that they are full. Our feeding practices are flexible to the needs of families. For example, we can avoid large feedings at the end of the day before mothers intend to breastfeed. Families should inform us of their preferences. Lil’ Bears will provide bottles for childcare that are the brand/type that children use at home. Infants who are not independently bottle-feeding are held in provider’s arms when feeding. Children who are independently bottle-feeding are in a seated position within reach of the provider. Bottle warmers are used when bottles need to be warmed.
Education and Support
We provide/participate in professional development on breastfeeding and other infant feeding and nutrition topics. Information about the importance of breastfeeding, and what we do to support breastfeeding, is provided to all families enrolling infants. Additional resources regarding breastfeeding, infant nutritional needs, and feeding are made available as infants age. We ask that families complete an Infant Feeding Plan upon enrollment that provides us with needed information.