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WELLNESS POLICY
Effective: 10/10
Revised: 8/15; 10/17
Reviewed: 8/12, 4/14; 10/17; 01/18; 09/19

 

PURPOSE
Bobby Benson Center (BBC) is committed to providing nutrition education and physical activity for the wellbeing of BBC clients.  BBC will help clients develop healthy habits regarding eating and physical activity in accordance with the Child Nutrition and Specialist Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) Reauthorization Act (Section 204 of Public Law 108-205) and the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (Sec. 204 of Public Law 111-296). 

 

POLICY
Bobby Benson Center will have a wellness committee that will meet quarterly and members will include the following: Food Service Manager, Safety Officer, Program Manager, representatives from staff and clients.  Input will be sought from the client’s families and other stakeholders and will be discussed as needed. 

Policy at BBC is as follows:


1.    Meals will be created and reviewed by BBC Primary Cook and Registered Dietician.
2.    Serve well balanced healthy meals that will include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free and/or 1% milk which will help in the promotion of student health and reduce obesity;
3.    Benefits of health education and physical activity;
4.    A plan measuring implementation of the Wellness Policy to ensure BBC meets all standards.

 

PROCEDURE
All meals/menus will be created and reviewed by the Registered Dietician. 

 

Food

BBC is committed to serving well balanced nutritious healthy meals and snacks.  Clients will learn and understand why eating healthy will benefit them, how making healthy choices affect their bodies and what food choices to make at BBC, dinner outing and at home.  

Promotion of Healthy Foods
Activities and reminders will help clients learn to make healthy choices.  Clients could begin by setting a good healthy food goal to add more fruits and vegetables in their diet.


Celebration
Clients will have the opportunity to choose healthy food for birthdays and holiday celebrations while at BBC. Examples might include yogurt, fruit snacks, boxed raisins, frozen fruit bars, fruit, granola bars, etc…and 100% fruit juices instead of soda and cupcakes.

 

BBC ensures healthy options are available to clients.  Parents are allowed to send care packages with non-perishable food items, ready to eat packaged food items (clients do not have access to a microwave or refrigerator).  Parents are notified when visiting or sending care packages the following are not allowed: caffeinated or energy drinks, gum, sunflower seeds, and homemade items.

 

Nutrition & Health Education
Nutrition and Wellness class facilitated by the Registered Dietician scheduled for both communities every 4th Thursday of each month.  (This class is subject to change if necessary). 

 

Offer a cooking class where clients have the opportunity to learn how to make a nutritious meal and/or snack.

 

Goal: clients learn why it is important to make healthy food choices.

 

Goal: teach clients the benefits of planting a garden: a) clients will tend to eat more vegetables they have helped to grow; b) organic vegetables and root crops; c) gardening increases physical activity, and d) learn and appreciate nature when clients can see and experience how vegetables grow.

 

  • BBC aims to teach, encourage and support healthy eating by clients.  BBC promotes fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods, and health-enhancing nutrition practices; Emphasizes caloric balance between food intake and energy expenditure (physical activity/exercise).

  • Ensure posters are visible promoting vegetables, health, and healthy events. Physical Activity

  • Physical Education group is scheduled every day for clients, Monday to Friday.  Activities include the following:  weight training, volleyball, kickball, touch, and basketball as well as other organized games by staff.

  • Wednesday outing days clients enjoy beach activities such as surfing, boogie boarding, swimming with staff who are certified, lifeguards.  If there are no lifeguards present staff will take clients to beaches that have lifeguards on duty.   

  • Planting a garden, community service, Lo’i, and beach cleanup.

  • Clients will learn and understand that it is important for being physically fit and in their treatment at BBC.  

  • Quality physical education programs facilitate the development of physically active lifestyles and are needed to increase physical competence, health-related fitness, personal responsibility, reduce obesity and enjoyment of physical activity so that clients can be physically active for a lifetime.

  • BBC environment, not just the classroom, will be aligned with healthy living standards that positively influence a student’s understanding, beliefs and habits as they relate to good nutrition, tobacco/substance abuse prevention, good mental health, and regular physical activity.

  • Extra-curricular activities will be held on a regular basis.  Each activity will be focused on different goals. Some of these goals may include healthy living to include sober activities, team building, skill building, etc.

  • On a weekly basis, clients are encouraged to participate in the Milieu’s community meeting.  Clients’ may participate in the suggestion and input of ideas that they feel will augment their nutrition menu planning, meals, snacks and other aspects of their nutrition program.  The implementation of client input will depend on compliance with the Hawaii Child Nutrition Program standards and fiscal ability of the organization.


Reimbursable School Meals
All reimbursable meals and snacks shall fulfill Federal nutrient standards as required by the National School Lunch Program.

 

Meals served through the Child Nutrition Programs will:  Be appealing and attractive to youth served and diverse backgrounds, be served in clean, safe, and pleasant settings, strive to offer fresh fruits and vegetables daily in each meal, with a variety of choices that, when practical, will be from local sources, include only one-percent fat and nonfat milk options, offer whole grains whenever possible and introduce new whole grain products as they become available, include food items suggested by clients, whenever possible, from information gathered in community meetings, and client surveys.

 

BBC offers breakfast, lunch and an afterschool snack under the nutritional guidelines of the USDA’s National School Lunch and Breakfast Program. BBC encourages all clients to participate in breakfast and lunch opportunities.  In particular, BBC will make an effort to ensure that families are aware of need-based programs for free or reduced-price meals and that eligible families apply post graduating from the Center.  Family input regarding nutrition programs and meals will be considered if they meet Hawaii Child Nutrition Program standards and if BBC can meet the financial costs involved.

 

Facility

  • BBC offers a comfortable and relaxed environment where clients are able to enjoy their meals.  Foodservice staff ensures the cleanliness of the dining hall is maintained. 

  • A comfortable and relaxed eating condition is important to Bobby Benson Center. BBC will have a clean and orderly environment, pleasant food services staff, adequate seating, positive reinforcement of client conduct rules and adequate client supervision.  The kitchen and dining area will meet all Department of Health and Office Health Care Assurance standards.

  • Supervisory staff particularly Youth Counselors will receive training in appropriate dining practices from the Facilities Coordinator.

  • BBC will post nutrition guidelines that are visible to both clients and that promote student health and reduce obesity i.e. healthy snacks and celebrations healthy options.  Additional signs and posters will be posted indicating food groups, client basic rights, and nutrition standards and expectations for each SFA participating in the National Child Nutrition Program.


Other Activities
There is regular professional development for BBC Food Service Staff: (1) Professional development includes nutrition education.  (2) Foodservice staff will attend professional development promoting Hawaii’s Wellness Guidelines in health, nutrition, physical and wellness education provided by Hawaii Child Nutrition Program.

Staff Wellness

  • BBC highly values the health and well-being of every staff member and will offer educational activities that support personal efforts by staff to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Staff will be encouraged to model healthful eating and physical activity habits to demonstrate the support of healthy lifestyle habits to the clients.  

  • BBC staff serves as role models for clients and is the key to the successful implementation of student wellness programs.  Therefore, BBC will offer staff wellness programs.  This may include workshops, consultations, and presentations on health promotion, education and resources that will enhance morale, encourage healthy lifestyles, prevent injury, reduce chronic diseases, and foster exceptional role modeling behaviors.

  • BBC will promote staff wellness initiatives (i.e. fliers, emails, sharing of resources).  The promotion will outline ways to encourage healthy eating, physical activity, and mental wellbeing amongst its staff.

 

Measurement and Evaluation
Assessment and evaluation will be an integral part of ensuring the adoption and implementation of the Wellness guidelines.  The Wellness Committee shall be responsible for updating the Wellness Policy annually.  
The Wellness committee ensures the measurement implementation and evaluation by:

  1. Addressing health issues.

  2. BBC Registered Nurse will obtain monthly height and weight measurements and will communicate concerns to appropriate staff. 

  3. Improve and maintain BBC's health environment by promoting an emphasis on physical activity and nutrition education. The client’s participation in physical activity will be documented on a daily basis.  Feedback on activities provided will also be obtained from clients during community meetings and communicated during Quality Assurance Meeting (QA).  

  4. Facilitate collaboration between administrative and instructional staff.

  5. Evaluate and provide necessary technical assistance.

  6. Facilitate collaboration between BBC and other agencies and organizations in the community who have an interest in the health and wellbeing of children and their families.

  7. Obtain feedback from clients on a weekly basis during community meetings regarding meals/wellness programs offered.  

  8. Evaluate the results of the Wellness Policy with specific timelines to ensure accountability.

  9. Family feedback regarding the client’s wellness and nutritional needs will be obtained through family surveys.  Registered Dietician will complete an assessment within two weeks of intake and wellness and nutritional needs will be communicated to appropriate staff.

  10. The primary cook will attend quarterly Quality Assurance (QA) meetings to report and assess the nutritional needs and progress of clients and will also obtain a report from a dietician to address in QA Meeting. 
     

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