Join us on October 9 for a free coffee chat with the authors— Register now! Mealtimes in early learning settings present rich opportunities for connection, learning, and positive food experiences. Make the most of mealtimes—and prevent and address common feeding challenges—with this user-friendly planning guide, the first of its kind for early childhood educators and care providers. Written by a cross-disciplinary team of professionals, this book empowers you to make meaningful changes to mealtime routines that benefit children of all ability levels and cultural backgrounds. Through a tiered approach based on MTSS, you'll deliver mealtime supports that respond to each child's needs and foster safety, autonomy, connection, nourishment, interest, and inclusion for all. How-to guidance, helpful examples, and practical tools make the strategies easy to implement, and the focus on equity and cultural responsiveness will help you consider how to shape mealtimes that welcome children with diverse experiences and backgrounds. With the flexible, practical, and inclusive approach in this book, you’ll use best practices to make mealtimes fulfilling and meaningful experiences for all young children. LEARN HOW TO: Identify and address feeding challenges  in proactive and culturally responsive ways - Develop a vision for mealtimes and  set clear goals  to improve the mealtime experience - Apply five core practices that can enhance your current mealtime routines - Encourage children to explore and build comfort with a variety of foods - Incorporate literacy, math, and other skills into mealtime to make it a powerful learning experience - Use mealtime conversations  to increase children’s social connections, autonomy, and awareness of food origins and food justice  - Use ongoing assessment to make decisions and track progress toward your goals - Strengthen the connection between your program and home by cultivating collaborative relationships with families "A welcome addition for early childhood settings to ensure all children, even those who may have difficulties at mealtimes, approach meals with eagerness for not only nourishment, but to learn about themselves and others." -- Sharon Feucht, M.A., RDN Dr. Yev Veverka is a Behavior Analyst and Research Scientist at the University of Washington Haring Center for Inclusive Education. Yev received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and her M.Ed. in Early Childhood Special Education at the University of Missouri. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington in Early Childhood Special Education with an emphasis on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Yev's work as a Research Scientist at the Haring Center consists of projects related to early support for young children with developmental disabilities, enriching mealtimes in early learning settings, and the reform of practice of Applied Behavior Analysis. Yev also teaches courses in the ABA graduate program at the University of Washington. She co‐owns and directs Align Behavioral Solutions, a platform dedicated to demystifying the science of behavior and making it accessible to all. Yev finds her most transformative role is that of being a mom to three children. This role has enriched Yev's understanding of child development and caregiving, especially related to mealtimes beyond her professional and academic expertise. In her free time, Yev enjoys spending time outdoors and exploring new places with her husband, three children, and two dogs. Susan has been in the field of nursing for many years. Initial nursing experiences included time in inpatient settings at Harborview Medical Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital in Seattle, Washington, where she gained experience in surgery units. After completing her master's degree at the University of Washington, she was able to work as a Clinical Nurse Specialist helping to support the pain management needs of pediatric patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital. A strong interest in the developmental needs of children led her to her nursing position at the University of Washington Haring Center. She has enjoyed working with all the children attending the center, including children with and without disabilities. Being able to work with the children's families and support them in their parenting has offered opportunities to lead parenting classes and provide support that has allowed her to gain a deeper knowledge of the rewards and challenges parents feel in raising children. This has included struggles parents have felt in the area of feeding their child. She was able to connect with other clinicians associated with the Haring Center to discover ways of providing support to families and early childhood providers around feeding and mealtimes with the goal of providing environments in which children flourish and providers and caregivers feel listened to and supported. Christy grew up in Portland, Oregon. She earned a bachelor's degree