Is it recommended to include the kitchen as part of a facility tour for prospective families?

Including the kitchen in a facility tour for prospective families is generally not recommended. This is primarily due to health and safety regulations surrounding food service operations. Kitchens can be areas that present potential hazards, such as slips, trips, and falls, or exposure to foodborne illnesses if proper sanitation practices aren't followed. Additionally, kitchens may contain sensitive equipment and processes that are not suitable for public access, especially during active food preparation times.

While cleanliness is an important aspect of food service sanitation, merely ensuring that the kitchen is clean does not address other considerations such as the presence of operational hazards, the need for privacy in food preparation, or the overall impression of professionalism. Similarly, suggesting that only large facilities should include the kitchen in tours does not adequately account for these broader safety and operational concerns. Instead, potential families can be provided with information about food safety and sanitation practices without needing to tour the kitchen itself. This ensures that families feel confident about the facility's commitment to safety and hygiene while maintaining necessary safeguards around kitchen operations.