If your nursery provides a hot lunch, does it also allow you to opt out and send a packed lunch instead?

[Paolosgirl]

DS's nursery has just advised of "exciting changes" to lunch provision in a very vague letter home tonight. They intend to start providing a hot lunch in the New Year after careful consultation with parents - another . Will use an outside agency, and the cost will be included in our monthly fees, oddly enough.

Thing is, I don't want him to have a hot lunch - we eat dinner as a family at night, and we all eat packed lunches. Nothing in the letter about opting out of a hot meal - can they force me to take this "exciting change" (which I imgine will also see my monthly fees rocket)?

Our nursery offers a hot lunch but we've opted out and ds gets packed lunched. Absolutely no problem.

Bargain price?

If we opted in, the lunch would cost £1.50 per day iirc so not much really.

Are you happy with the nursery? This seems to be a major issue for you but is that because other aspects don't suit you either?

Sounds about the same as the cost of a school meal then. It's good to hear that you haven't experienced any problems with opting out.

No - very happy with the nursery in all other areas. My other 2 went to the same one aeons ago.

So will this be a deal-breaker if they won't allow you to supply a packed lunch?

And one of the selling points for me was that I could choose what he eats - just as I do with the other 2 who are at school. It all comes down to choice, I believe. If you want a hot meal, fine; if you don't, then that's fine too. Schools manage to provide 3 tray options each day, and allow children to take in packed lunches - I can't see what a nursery wouldn't offer the same choice. Seems crazy...

I posted earlier that I spoke to her today, but she didn't really know what was going on - which is kind of worrying! Time will tell, I suppose.

Off to make the 4 sets of packed lunches for tommorrow now (maybe 5, if I'm feeling kind towards dh!)

I hate making chuffing packed lunches....

Exactly, Shineon. Outside agency (unless the nursery has negotiated a watertight contract) = big increase in fees (as if the increase last year wasn't enough) that they "don't have any control over, sorry".

Right. Back to those packed lunches. White bread chocolate spread pieces, anyone?

My nursery allow us to give a packed lunch, it's a good job really as my DS never eats until later in the day when we go home (he is only in for half days) so i'd be chucking money away if I had to sign up to that!