Developing healthy eating habits and providing opportunities for active play and exploration early in a child’s life is crucial to creating a foundation for their physical health for years to come. Eating patterns, or choices regarding the amount and quality of food and nutrition, begin developing in children as young as seven months, so starting children on the right track early is important.

Spotlight

Cindy Hodges, provider, Tioga Early Childhood Development Center, Tioga, Texas

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) requires that states develop consumer education information for Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) parents, providers, and the general public on the following topics:

On Friday, April 22, 2016, the USDA announced that it has finalized meal pattern revisions to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). This rule updates the meal pattern requirements to better align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which was required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

News coverage from Louisville, Kentucky highlights a World Health Organization report that found that 41 million children worldwide are overweight or obese. In Louisville, 18 percent of children entering kindergarten are overweight or obese. This is only slightly higher than the national numbers:

All children develop and learn at a different rate, but some children may need more play, practice or teaching of certain skills in order to master them. Developmental monitoring and screening can provide parents, caregivers and physicians reassurance that a child’s development is on track, or might signal that a child may need additional support.