Preamble

Whereas, children need access to healthful foods and opportunities to be physically active in order to grow, learn, and thrive;

Whereas, good health fosters student attendance and education;

Whereas, obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the last two decades, and physical inactivity and excessive calorie intake are the predominant causes of obesity;

Whereas, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are responsible for two-thirds of deaths in the United States, and major risk factors for those diseases, including unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity, and obesity, often are established in childhood;

Whereas, 33% of high school students do not participate in sufficient vigorous physical activity and 72% of high school students do not attend daily physical education classes;

Whereas, only 2% of children (2 to 19 years) eat a healthy diet consistent with the five main recommendations from the Food Guide Pyramid;

Whereas, nationally, the items most commonly sold from school vending machines, school stores, and snack bars include low-nutrition foods and beverages, such as soda, sports drinks, imitation fruit juices, chips, candy, cookies, and snack cakes;

Whereas, school districts around the country are facing significant fiscal and scheduling constraints; and

Whereas, community participation is essential to the development and implementation of successful school wellness policies;

Mission Statement

Thus, the Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department’s Educational Program is committed to providing a school environment that promotes and protects the children’s health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity.  Therefore, the mission will be accomplished by the development and implementation of the wellness policy that will incorporate nutrition, education, standards, and physical activity.

Nutrition Education Goal and Guidelines

• The Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department will engage food service professionals and health professionals in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing on sight nutrition and physical activity policies.
• School based as well as community-based activities for students/residents of all grade levels will be provided to promote health, wellbeing, and the ability to learn. In addition, encouragement to be physically active on a regular basis will be promoted.
• Foods and beverages served by the Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department NSLP will meet the nutrition recommendations of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. All food and beverages will be given to each student/resident.
• Qualified child nutrition professionals will provide residents/students with access to a variety of, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students/residents.
• Accommodations for the religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the resident/student population in meal planning will be provided.
• All residents/students will be provided a clean, safe, and pleasant setting with adequate time for residents/students to eat.
• All residents/students will participate in the National School Lunch Programs and School Breakfast Program and provided breakfast and lunch.
• Program staff will provide nutrition education and physical education at each grade level as a part of the sequential, yet comprehensive, standard to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity to establish linkages between health education and school meal programs.

Nutritional Quality of Foods and Beverages Served at Facility

School Meals

Meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs will:

• be appealing and attractive to students/residents;
• be served in clean and pleasant settings;
• meet, at a minimum, nutrition requirements established by local, state, and federal statutes and regulations;
• offer a variety of fruits and vegetables;
• serve only low-fat (1%) and fat-free milk and nutritionally-equivalent non-dairy alternatives (to be defined by USDA); and
• ensure that half of the served grains are whole grain.

Breakfast

To ensure that all children have breakfast, either at home or at school, in order to meet their nutritional needs and enhance their ability to learn.

• The Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department will notify parents and students enrolled in day programs of the availability of the School breakfast and lunch programs.
• The Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department will advise parents, of day programs students, that a healthy breakfast for their children will be provided. Parents will be advised through take-home materials and program orientation.

Free and Reduced-priced Meals

The Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to, and prevent the overt identification of, residents/students who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals. Toward this end, the Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department well provide meals at no charge to all students/residents regardless of income.

Meal Times and Scheduling

The Department:

• will provide students with at least 10 minutes to eat after sitting down for breakfast and 20 minutes after sitting down for lunch;
• shall schedule meal periods at appropriate times, e.g., lunch should be scheduled between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; breakfast between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.
• should not schedule tutoring, club, or organizational meetings or activities during mealtimes, unless students may eat during such activities;
• will provide students/residents access to hand washing or hand sanitizing before they eat meals or snacks; and
• should take reasonable steps to accommodate the tooth-brushing regimens of students with special oral health needs (e.g., orthodontia or high tooth decay risk).

TO ACHIEVE THESE POLICY GOALS

Qualifications of Food Service Staff

Qualified nutrition professionals will administer the meal programs. As part of the Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department’s responsibility to operate a food service program, the department will ensure that Summitt Food Inc. provides continuing professional development for all nutrition professionals. Staff development programs should include appropriate certification and/or training programs for child nutrition directors, nutrition managers, and kitchen workers, according to their levels of responsibility.

Sharing of Foods and Beverages

The department prohibits students/residents from sharing their foods or beverages with one another during meal or snack times, given concerns about allergies and other restrictions on some children’s diets.

Snacks

Snacks served after-school care or enrichment programs will make a positive contribution to resident’s diets and health, with an emphasis on serving fruits and vegetables as the primary snacks and water as the primary beverage. The Department will assess if and when to offer snacks based on timing of school meals, children’s nutritional needs, children’s ages, and other considerations.

• If eligible, the Department will pursue receiving reimbursements through the National School Lunch Program for snacks.

Rewards

The Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department will not use foods or beverages as rewards for academic performance or good behavior and will not withhold food or beverages as a punishment.

Celebrations

The Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department does not participate in fund raising activities and class parties are not permitted.

Nutrition Education and Physical Activity Promotion and Food Marketing

Nutrition Education and Promotion

Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department’s Educational Program aims to teach, encourage, and support health, wellbeing and the ability to learn for all students/residents. The Department provides nutrition education and engages in nutrition promotion in physical, school-based, and community activities that:

• is offered at each grade level as part of a sequential, comprehensive, standards-based program designed to provide residents/students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health.
• is part of not only health education classes, but also classroom instruction in subjects such as math, science, language arts, social sciences, and elective subjects.
• includes enjoyable, developmentally-appropriate, culturally-relevant, participatory activities, such as contests, promotions, and taste testing.
• 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);

Food Marketing

School-based marketing will be consistent with Competitive Food Nutrition Standards of nutrition education and health promotion in cafeteria area. Otherwise, marketing is prohibited at the Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department’s.However, if it were allowed it would be consistent with the regulations set forth by Competitive Food Nutrition Standards and the Department of Agriculture. As such, schools will limit food and beverage marketing to the promotion of foods and beverages that meet the nutrition standards for meals or for foods and beverages provided through the Galveston County Juvenile Justice Departments National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. School-based marketing of brands promoting predominantly low-nutrition foods and beverages is prohibited. The promotion of healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products is encouraged.

Staff Wellness

The Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department’s Educational Program highly values the health and well-being of every staff member and will encourage all staff to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Safe Routes to School

The Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department will assess and, if necessary and to the extent possible, make needed improvements to make it safer and easier for students to get to school. When appropriate, the Department will work together with county school districts, local public works, public safety, and/or police departments in those efforts.

Responsibilities and Record Retention

The Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department Administrator or designee will ensure compliance and the Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department Wellness Policy and report to the Chief Juvenile Probation Officer.

• The Principal will ensure compliance with the nutrition education developing and monitoring curriculum and report on this to the Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department Administrator or designee.
• The Health Service Coordinator will ensure and report any physical restrictions or participatory activities to the Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department Administrator or designee.
• The Program Supervisors for the Special Programs will ensure compliance with the physical activities protocols and ensuring physical assessments are completed on all Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department students. A report on the findings shall be given to the Galveston County Juvenile Justice Department Administrator or designee.
• The Health Service Coordinator and the Special Program Supervisor/JJAEP will retain all records for three years.

Monitoring and Triennial Assessment of Policy

Quarterly Monitoring

The Deputy Director of Detention or designee will monitor the FSMC Quarterly to ensure the FSMC is operating the NSLP according to the contract and in compliance with all regulations and guidelines. In addition, compliance with established nutrition and physical activity wellness policies will be reviewed.

Summit Food Inc. food service staff will ensure compliance with nutrition policies within food service areas and will report on this matter to the Deputy Director of Detention.

Triennial Assessment.

An assessment will be conducted every three years to review policy compliance, identify any areas in need of improvement, nutrition and physical activity practices, and as necessary revise the Galveston County Juvenile Justice Departments Wellness Policy.

Upon completion of the Triennial Assessment, the document will be published on the Galveston County Juvenile Justice Departments web page.

Committee Members

Glen Watson, Galveston County Juvenile Chief Probation Officer (Director)

Dink T. Watson, Galveston County Deputy Director – Detention

Jesse Miller, Galveston County Detention Superintendent

Victoria Gilcrease-Hill, Galveston County Deputy Director - Special Programs

Brittney Spencer, Special Programs Supervisor

Warren Denefield, Galveston County Supervisor JJAEP

David McConnell, Dickinson ISD, Principal

Rashad See, Dickinson ISD, Assistant Principal

Earnestine Bryant, VitalCore Health, Galveston County Health Service Coordinator