What must food brought by parents be labeled with?

Food brought by parents must be labeled with the child's name to ensure that the correct food is given to the appropriate child. Labeling food helps prevent mix-ups, especially in group settings where multiple children may have similar or identical food containers. This is particularly important in a family child care environment where safety and clear identification are essential for managing meals and snacks, as well as for maintaining a healthy and organized atmosphere.

While other labeling aspects, such as the date of preparation, allergy information, and parent's contact number, can be beneficial in certain contexts, the critical requirement for ensuring that the food is associated correctly with each individual child is identification by the child's name. This helps caregivers quickly recognize whose food belongs to whom, minimizing the risk of errors and promoting a safer environment for the children in care.