The Isabel Patterson Child Development Center received a $45,000 grant to keep food in the mouths of its daycare children.
The center, located on the edge of the Cal State Long Beach campus on Atherton Street, received the money for its food program from the Child and Adult Care Food Program, or CACFP, which is part of the California Department of Education Nutritional Services Division.
“Our food costs are about $55,000 a year, so to be reimbursed $45,000 of that from the state helps greatly,” Child Development Center, or CDC, director Rhonda Marikos said.
The amount of money the center receives varies year to year and is based on how many children it serves and the income of the families it serves, which are sent in a monthly report to the CACFP. The CDC receives full reimbursement for some children, partial for others, and in some cases no reimbursement, depending on the family’s income.
The $55,000 budget is strictly for food and food supplies; it does not include the salary of the center’s full-time cooks and two assistant cooks.
Marikos said the center does not vendor out, but instead food is prepared fresh on-site every day.
The CDC provides breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables, chicken, fish and turkey for about 223 children.
“We do not serve beef, pork, or hotdogs,” Marikos said. “And we try to keep colorings, sugars, and preservatives off the menu as much and possible.” Any special dietary needs that the children may have are also taken into account.
This is the 28th year the CDC has participated in the program.
Marikos said, “It is well managed by the California Department of Education and we are grateful to have it all these years.”
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