Policy Preamble
The Minnehaha County Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) is committed to providing good nutrition and regular physical activity as part of our overall approach to create a positive learning experience for youth housed in the care of JDC. The Minnehaha County Juvenile Detention Center strives to create and support health-promoting education, activities and food in order to give youth the opportunity to achieve success by establishing healthy habits, during their stay at JDC and in their return to the community. This policy outlines JDC’s approach to provide the opportunity for youth to practice healthy eating and participate in physical activity throughout their stay at the Minnehaha County Juvenile Detention Center.
Wellness Committee
To assist in the creation of a healthy environment at the Minnehaha County Juvenile Detention Center, JDC shall establish a Wellness Committee comprised of a 7-3 shift supervisor and staff and a 3-11 shift supervisor and staff, in addition to the Assistant Director. The committee will provide ongoing review and evaluation of the Wellness Policy including the progress made toward accomplishing the goals outlined in this policy. The Committee shall meet annually to implement, assess, review and make recommendations for changes to the Wellness Policy.
The Wellness Committee will also meet Quarterly with a small group of youth currently lodged at JDC in order to solicit input regarding the menu contents and food quality. The youth will be asked to rate the overall quality and satisfaction of the food, the temperature of the food served, the taste of the food served, the menu items, and the serving sizes offered. The youth are also asked express any comments, concerns, and requests they have regarding the food program. Information from these meetings with be shared with JDC administration.
Nutrition Standards for All Foods
The Minnehaha County Juvenile Detention Center is committed to serving healthy meals to our students. The school meal programs aims to provide meals that meet the nutritional needs of youth and help support health through modeling healthy eating patterns, as part of an overall lifestyle that supports healthy choices while accommodating cultural food preferences and special dietary needs. As needed, menu items will be ordered to accommodate any special diet requirements, including allergy, religious, and/or medical restrictions. Special/Alternative meals will be documented and medical certification will be verified by the youth’s assigned caseworker.
Guidelines for School Meals
The Minnehaha County Juvenile Detention Center is committed to ensuring that:
• All meals meet or exceed current nutrition requirements established under the Healthy Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010 (www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/dietaryspecs.pdf).
• The JDC will plan and order meals for youth based upon a scheduled three (3) meals per day.
a. The planned meals will occur at facility established meal times, and will include the following meals:
i. Breakfast,
ii. Lunch,
iii. Supper, and
iv. Evening snack.b. The facility’s established meal times will not allow for more than fourteen (14) hours of time between serving of supper meal and serving of the breakfast meal.
c. On days in which education programming is provided by the Sioux Falls School District, the youth will also receive an afternoon snack.
2. To properly plan and order the meals, the JDC will be provided menus from the contracted food service provider.
a. Each menu will indicate the items to be served, the serving size of each item, and the temperature at which it will be served.
b. Each menu will be planned in accordance with the USDA’s recommended dietary allowance in order to meet the nutritional needs of the youth in the facility.
i. Each menu will also be planned according to the recommendations of the Food Guide Plate.
c. The JDC’s menu will provide an average 3,000 calories per day to each juvenile.
3. All food temperatures will be recorded on the menu production sheet. Any hot item not at the necessary temperature identified through Servsafe standards will be warmed appropriately in the JDC kitchen oven. Once the food items are verified and prepared for service, the youth will be served their meals.
a. Each youth will be served the proper portion of food of each menu item.
i. The only exception is for youth on a special diet.
b. Each youth will be served the proper type of milk or other beverage ordered for the meal. In addition to the beverage provided each youth will be provided with access to water during their meal regardless of if they are eating in the dining area, gym or their room.
c. Upon service of each individual meal, JDC staff will verify and record that each youth was served the proper food items, proper portions and proper beverage.
4. In the event a youth fails or refuses to eat a JDC-served meal (not including the evening snack), JDC staff will follow-up with the youth to better understand their decision to not eat. a. When possible, JDC staff will encourage the youth to eat their meals.
5. In the event a youth fails or refuses to eat a JDC-served meal across a timespan of twentyfour (24) hours, the shift supervisor will complete an incident report and will refer the youth to the JDC nurse for evaluation.
• The Minnehaha Juvenile Detention Center will never withhold food as a punishment. All youth will be provided the opportunity to the full meal served at JDC regardless of their status on Restrictive Detention, Short Term Isolation, or Confinement.
• Students are provided at least 10 minutes to eat breakfast and at least 20 minutes to eat lunch after being served.
Foods and Beverages Sales Outside of the School Meals Program
• No food and beverages will be sold and served outside of the school meal programs. Youth housed at JDC will not have access to the vending services provided to staff in the staff breakroom. Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools (Smart Snacks) rule. The standards are available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/healthierschoolday/tools-schools-focusing-smart-snacks.
•No foods and beverages regardless of if they meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks standards may be sold through fundraisers to youth residing at JDC. The sale of food/beverages to youth residing at JDC is not permitted for any reason.
Food and Beverage Marketing
JDC will restrict food and beverage marketing to only those foods and beverages that meet the nutrition standards set forth by USDA’s Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools (Smart Snacks) rule. Marketing includes brand names, trademarks, logos, or tags except when placed on a food or beverage product/container; displays, such as vending machine exteriors; corporate/brand names, logos, trademarks on cups, posters, school supplies, education materials, food service equipment, and school equipment.
Foods Provided but Not Sold
All foods offered during school hours shall meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards this includes food items that are provided at celebrations and parties, including classroom snacks and incentives brought by staff. Any exceptions must have prior approval by the director or his designee. No family members shall be allowed to bring in food of any kind into the JDC facility.
Nutrition Education Provision
JDC shall, in collaboration with the SDSU Extension Office and Health Connect, provide nutrition education that helps students develop lifelong healthy eating behaviors. Additionally, JDC shall provide, in collaboration outside programming resources such as SDSU Extension Office, Health Connect, Urban Indian Health and Falls Community Health, programming encourage youth to make choices that have a positive impact on their overall health and wellbeing. Nutrition education shall be provided to families via handouts in the JDC waiting room and conference room. These designated areas will also contain postings on local health screening and healthy lifestyle opportunities. The handouts and posters will be prominently displayed for both youth and parents at both locations.
Additionally, Students shall receive consistent nutrition messages that promote health throughout classrooms and dining area. Posters containing health conscious messages shall be displayed in the main classroom (classroom #3), utilized for school, and in the main dining area.
Physical Activity Requirements
The Juvenile Detention Center will provide appropriate opportunities to engage in physical activity. All youth will be afforded the opportunity for at least one (1) hour every day for structured large-muscle group exercise. Exceptions to this will be made if a youth is on “no gym or exercise participation” status, each youth will be expected to participate in some level of exercise activity. Youth on “no gym or exercise participation” status in accordance with JDC will be allowed to participate in recreational activity in place of the scheduled exercise. If an additional exercise activity is offered during the same day, youth may choose to participate in a recreational activity rather than additional exercise activity.
Youth placed in short-term isolation, confinement or restricted to their room due to a health service issue will be afforded exercise information allowing for the opportunity to complete at least one (1) hour of large-muscle group exercise in their individual JDC room.
Youth in the custody of the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) will be allowed to participate in activity (recreational, programmatic, or exercise) outdoors, daily, as weather permits. If a portion of youth request to remain indoors, JDC staff will consider their request on a case by case basis, taking into account the available JDC staff, the number of youth being supervised, and other factors deemed important at the time. Youth on the “No Outdoor Activity” list will not be allowed to participate in outdoor activity. An alternative activity will be provided for youth on this list during outdoor activity time. The following weather-related circumstances will prevent daily outdoor activity: Heat index of 90 degrees or above, Wind-chill of 40 degrees or below, Current precipitation, and/or Issued warnings regarding severe weather (or current severe weather). Public Content A link to this wellness policy will be posted for the public on the Minnehaha County Juvenile Detention Center’s Website.
Triennially the Building Progress Report and Assessment will also be posted on the website outlining JDC’s progress in meeting the wellness policy goals. Due to the unique nature of the Juvenile Detention Center operating within the parameters school lunch program, JDC will not host any wellness events, but will provide brochures and posters for community wellness events in both the waiting room and conference room at JDC. Documentation of the Building Progress Report and Assessment will be also be posted on the Juvenile Detention Center’s website outlining how the Juvenile Detention Center aligns with and models the policies outlined above.
