State Success Stories
Since the September 16th Healthy Kids, Healthy Future Conference, many advancements have occurred in the field of obesity prevention in early care and education. Policy and practice changes at the federal, state and local levels are supporting development of healthy habits early in life. These changes would not be possible however without multi-sector collaboration. We would like to take a chance to acknowledge states that have, since the conference, made efforts to support cross sector collaboration and as a result have had positive impacts in the field:
ARIZONA:
The Arizona Department of Human Services Bureau of Nutrition and Physical Activity is in the process of successfully implementing child care nutrition and physical activity standards through state licensing. The Bureau first piloted a voluntary program titled “Empower,” that reduced licensing fees for centers that participated in the Empower program. Participants were asked to implement 10 nutrition, physical activity and tobacco prevention standards. Following successful adoption of these standards, the Bureau pushed for mandating that standards become a condition of licensing. Arizona legislature ARS36-883 grants ruling of child care standards through licensing and will become effective November 2010. Information on the Empower program, as well as the state licensing regulations can be found in the compendium/resource center section of the website.
KENTUCKY
With four pilot day care centers in high-risk communities, the Healthy Kids, Healthy Kentucky initiative targeted physical activity and nutrition interventions for preschool-age children. It provided staff training, purchased physical activity resources and nutrition curriculum for the centers. Results informed the development of early childhood objectives that were added as an update to Kentucky’s 2005 Nutrition and Physical Activity Action Plan. New partnerships established through the initiative are now focusing on additional policy standards for this setting. Although the effort was led by the state’s Cabinet for Health and Human Services, it involved an implementation team representing the state education department, researchers from the University of Kentucky, and a nonprofit community services organization.
MICHIGAN:
Staff from the Michigan Department of Community Health (DCH) and the Michigan Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) attended the Healthy Kids, Healthy Future Conference. Prior to the meeting, there was little dialogue between the two groups. Post conference however, a state level child care work group was established that includes several key agencies. The CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Program Coordinator said she “never imagined it could be so easy to get things rolling…it took one phone call. Of course though,” she said, “the conference helped as well.”
TENNESSEE
In conjunction with the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Health, the Department of Health created Gold Sneaker as a voluntary certification program to improve physical activity and nutrition policies within these facilities. Gold Sneaker, as the Healthy Kids, Healthy Tennessee Initiative was named, partnered with child care and preschool centers to promote healthy eating and increased physical activity among the state’s youngest residents. Providers received the Gold Sneaker designation after completing specific training and meeting nutrition and physical activity standards in their facilities. The state leveraged additional funding from a variety of public and private sources, extending the reach of the initiative’s activities and ensuring that it would continue. As its traction increases, Gold Sneaker is raising awareness among providers and parents alike of the importance of developing healthy habits early in children’s development.
WISCONSIN:
Prior to attending the Conference, members of the Wisconsin Departments of Child Care Licensing and Public Health rarely engaged in collaboration. After attending the September 16th meeting however, the two Departments are no longer working in silos. Together, these two groups are communicating and developing ways to impact nutrition and physical activity change in child care.
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