Physical Health
The Leaguers Head Start/ Early Head Start program works with families and children to understand how to achieve and maintain optimum physical health. This includes:
- Linking families with access to medical care.
- Ensuring all enrolled students receive developmental, sensory i.e. visual and auditory and behavioral screening within 45 days of the child’s enrollment.
- Ensuring all enrolled students receive wellness physical examinations based on the New Jersey Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) schedule.
If concerns are found, families are supported in obtaining further evaluations, treatment, and any follow-up recommended by a medical professional.
Daily health checks are conducted by classroom staff and ongoing conversations with parents are held to help the program to individualize health-related services and education for each child.
Children are engaged in a healthy learning environment where appropriate injury prevention strategies are applied to promote child safety and prevent injuries.
Nutrition
Family-style dining is practiced at all of our centers. Both the children and staff eat together sharing the same menu reinforcing the importance of family-style dining. Children are encouraged to serve themselves to help learn responsibility. Children are allowed to have the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with adults and peers to develop social relationships. The children learn about healthy foods and nutrition, while enjoying fun classroom cooking activities as well.
The program currently follows the meal pattern requirements for serving meals to infants and children according to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The amounts and components of MyPlate are served during breakfast, lunch and snack. Menu planning meetings are organized for parents and staff to contribute to the ongoing process of designing the monthly food menus and etc.
The types of available foods and formulas reflect that the individual needs of the children involved are taken into consideration. For example, if a child is lactose intolerant and only drinks soy-based formula, these options are made readily available.
Oral Health
The Oral Health program assists children and pregnant mothers to establish an ongoing source of preventive and primary oral health care with diagnostic testing, examination and treatment. Children are taught and guided on how to brush their teeth at least once every day after a meal while in class. This helps to ensure that good habits are formed and continue while at home.
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