Child Care Aware® of America Announces Grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Washington, D.C. – Thanks to a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) will expand its technical assistance activities in targeted states emphasizing health, nutrition, and obesity prevention, key components of Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) implementation. This two-year grant will leverage this unique opportunity to work with 6 – 8 states to integrate healthy eating, nutrition, and obesity prevention best practices in their state plans and priorities. To accomplish this, CCAoA will partner with and provide tools, resources, and on-site training and technical assistance to Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies and their community-based partners in early care and education focused on moving the needle on healthy communities. Ultimately, this grant will encourage states to incorporate health and nutrition as key components of quality child care.

“We’re looking forward to using this grant to expand our work in childhood obesity prevention,” said Lynette Fraga, Ph.D, executive director of Child Care Aware® of America. “We are thrilled to collaborate with CCR&Rs in states in our collective efforts to reach young children early and partner with their caregivers (both providers and parents) in building a foundation for healthy living,” she continued. “We’re honored to have received this grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, an organization committed to helping all children grow up at a healthy weight.”

Child Care Aware® of America is excited to launch this pilot and hopes that it leads to future opportunities to work with RWJF on matters of health and early care and education.

About Child Care Aware ® of America
Child Care Aware of America is our nation’s leading voice for child care. CCAoA works with state and local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) and other community partners to ensure that all families have access to quality, affordable child care. CCAoA leads projects that increase the quality and availability of child care, offer comprehensive training to child care professionals, undertake research, and advocate for child care policies that improve the lives of children and families. To learn more, visit usa.childcareaware.org. Follow them on Twitter @USAChildCare and on Facebook at facebook.com/usachildcare.