I serve snack at 8:30 and it is meant more for my kids that come before 7 since it has now been over 2 horus since they ate and that assumes they actually ate that early. For your group you could make breakfast be 8:30 for everyone even if your kids get up earlier and then it is breakfast for some and snack for others. Anyone arriving after 8:30 it is assumed ate at home at the same time you served at daycare. That makes everyone on the same page come lunchtime. In the warmer months or if you hav been active offering a drink - even of water around 10 would be the most I would do.

I understand the push for frequent meals but even as a newborn a child ate every 4 hours and I don't understand why as they get older we need to move to feeding them every 2 hours. It doesn't teach them to feel hunger just to eat whenever they see food offered - not what we want them to learn.

I had to cut out anything except a drink between 9-11 or they didn't eat a proper lunch. I also found when I served full snacks that kids were eating the snacks morning and afternoon and at lunch doing the starchy foods and milk and that was enough to tide them over for the day. Without the chance to fill up in the morning they started eating a better lunch including some meat and veggies because they were hungry. I also made lunch earlier at 11:00 and then a bigger after nap snack of muffin, fruit, milk etc.

Another method I tried that was actually quite effective was no snack and lunch at 10:30. Then we played a bit more and had "dessert" - fruit, crackers, milk ie snack at 12:30 just before nap. I found they ate really well and those that didn't eat enough lunch were sometimes given it back if I was in one of those moods.