Announcing States Selected for Healthy Child Care, Healthy Communities Project

By Chrisi West on October 15, 2015

Arlington, VA – Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) is pleased to announce the states and organizations selected to participate in the Healthy Child Care, Healthy Communities project – an initiative supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

 

 

Participants include:

  • Alabama: Alabama Partnership for Children
  • Colorado: Qualistar Colorado’s Healthy Child Care Colorado Program
  • Indiana: Indiana Association for Child Care Resource and Referral
  • Missouri: Child Care Aware of Missouri
  • New York: NYS Early Childhood Advisory Council
  • North Carolina: North Carolina CCR&R Council

The Healthy Child Care, Healthy Communities project aims to help states identify ways to implement systems level changes that have a positive impact on child health.

Led by Krista Scott, Senior Director Child Care Health Policy, CCAoA, participants will develop a state profile that provides data on rates of child care access and rates of obesity. The profile will also provide information on the states existing regulations and initiatives that impact child health, nutrition and obesity prevention work. Child Care Aware® of America will support States as they work plan on healthy practices in child care. After the work plan identifies the shared initiatives, the team will implement strategies to promote health, nutrition, and obesity prevention activities in the child care setting, based on their state’s specific needs.

In the first year of the two year project, participants will develop strategies to advocate for health, obesity, and nutrition issues in child care settings, and state-specific tools and materials promoting child health, nutrition and obesity prevention.

Child Care Aware® of America looks forward to partnering with the selected organizations in this engaging and critical work within the child care community.

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.

 

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Topics: Systems Building, Health & Safety, News

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Are You Prepared? Getting Ready for Emergency Preparedness Month

By Lynette Fraga, Ph.D. on September 11, 2015

It’s no coincidence that we’re headed into hurricane season just as Emergency Preparedness Month is beginning. Hurricane Katrina, now ten years ago, has shown us where we’re lacking in disaster and emergency preparedness as a country, and where we need to step up as organizations and individuals.

Topics: Systems Building, Health & Safety

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Open Applications for Healthy Child Care, Healthy Communities Project

By Chrisi West on August 28, 2015

Washington, D.C. – August 28, 2015 – Thanks to a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) is pleased to announce that we are expanding our Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) technical assistance activities in targeted states to emphasize health, nutrition, and obesity prevention with the Health Child Care, Healthy Communities project.

Topics: Health & Safety, News

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Children and Obesity Prevention: What Works

By Lynette Fraga, Ph.D. on August 03, 2015

We’ve seen recent numbers showing that rates of obesity are continuing to increase among some low-income children ages 2-5 – but there is hope on the horizon.

New results from the first of its kind study show that obesity measures significantly improved among children ages 2-5 who participate in Head Start Center-based nutrition and healthy living programming, such as Thriving Communities, Thriving Children (TC2), when compared to children not in the program.

Topics: Health & Safety

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Reauthorization of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

By Guest Blogger on July 22, 2015

The reauthorization of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) has a congressional Fall deadline. The CACFP is a federal program serving more than 3 million children in child care, Head Start, and after school programs across the country. With more science and academic reports explaining the benefits of healthy diets for kids, Congress will need to appropriately fund the program in order to ensure access to quality and nutritious foods for all children.

Topics: Systems Building, Policy & Advocacy, Health & Safety

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Preventing Child Vehicular Heatstroke

By Guest Blogger on July 01, 2015

It’s that time of year again – when temperatures start to rise all over the country and life altering accidents have the potential to occur when we’re least expecting it.

Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths of children now according to SafeKids.org. On average, one child dies every 8 days from heatstroke in a vehicle – and it’s an event that can happen to any family at any time. Responsible parents can have a bad morning or a change in routine that allows them to forget their child in the backseat of their car for hours, or even an entire day.

Topics: Best Practices, Health & Safety

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