QUESTION About Whole Foods and Daycare

I would happily pay more for my son to have whole foods products than winco, we already do at home. I cringe when I see what my son has been eating at daycare. If you are worried about prices, you might want to check the Co-ops, they have better prices, especially People's Co-op in SE. Also I don't know if you have the resources to get this together, but a friend has her daughter in a daycare/preschool where they garden and harvest and prepare the food they grow. Not only does her daughter love it, and is learning a lot, but she says that her behavior has changed markedly. If you do a little research, I'm sure you'll have some citations that will impress parents, and they will feel proud of your efforts.

I would totally pay more. Especially if it's only $5.00 extra a week. It's a great idea.

S.,

We shop at New Seasons and find it is a better price/quality than Whole Foods. And they deliver! We use delivery and I don't really see a difference in price when we shop there or Albertsons... And they have local products much of the time. In addition, there are many organic farms that deliver to your house. Do a google on it and see how many you get.

If I had kids in daycare that would be one of my top priorities, so I would pay extra for it! I am a SAHM so that is not something I need...

I don't have any kids in daycare, but I can say that feeding my kids all-organic, no-trans-fats is a deciding factor in a lot of decisions, including previously my decision not to take 'advantage' of the free/reduced price lunch program, which I'm certain we qualify for ... but we are at a charter school, and I recently found out they have worked out a way to make that program work with food from New Seasons, so I'm TOTALLY applying this year! I may donate the money I save on lunches to the school at Annual Appeal time ;).

I think $5/week is a fabulously small amount to pay to take one more thing off the list of 'things a mom can feel guilty about not providing her kid(s)'--and we all know we keep those lists--or rather, they seem to keep themselves, in our heads ;) !!

You might present it as "$7/week," and then either let them 'argue' you down to $5, if you think you have bargainers in your parent-crowd ... or figure that every three that agree pay for one that doesn't, or offer refunds at the end of the month(/credits for the next month) if you brought it in 'under budget' ... . Or announce it as part of your regular price increases in January or June or whatever, without too much explanation.

One thing: I shop at New Seasons and not at Whole Foods, and I love love love it, but New Seasons doesn't have the no-trans-fats policy that Whole Foods (and I think Wild Oats?) does, so while you are building your online shopping 'favorites' list, you would need to do some initial label-reading to make certain you don't choose any of the few items they carry that don't meet your plan. (They consciously have a 'well, everyone has a vice or two' sort of selection ;). )

I think it's a great idea for you to go all natural, however, as a parent of little ones who refuses to put my kids in daycare due to our bad experiences, I think you should ask the parents if that is okay to feed their kids things that are not processed and let them know that you will have to charge them a little extra due to the cost of the food.

This is not a bad thing whatsoever, and I believe that you are a wonderful person for thinking about not only your kids, but others kids. That is a very rare thing to find in these days.

If it were my business, I would either invite the parents and kids over one night for dinner and have a meeting, or talk to each parent individually so they can get an idea of what you are doing. I think that if you approach them in a personal manner (not sending their kid home with a flyer with the changes) then they would probably be more apt to continue with you even if your rates are going up.

I think you're awesome for making the change, and hope it all works out for you. I may have to go to work full-time soon, and don't want to send my kids to daycare, but may have to change that, so do you as a provider have any advice on what not to look for? I am really jaded to the whole daycare situation, so please be generous and open on topics that may affect my kids.

Thank you and hope all goes well.

Kim B.

I personally thing that an extra $5.00 a week for better meals is cheap. When my daughter was in daycare I would bring her meals to ensure she was getting healthier foods. I actually had to ask my old provider not to giver her sugar cereals and donuts for breakfast.