Implementation Strategies Used by States to Support Physical Activity Licensing Standards for Toddlers in Early Care and Education Settings: An Exploratory Qualitative Study  

Lessard, L., Speirs, K., and Slesinger, N. Childhood Obesity (September 2018). 

Background: Childhood obesity is a major health concern that affects even very young children, like those served in early care and education (ECE) settings. Participating in at least 90 minutes of physical activity each day helps young children establish healthy routines and make them less likely to experience obesity. States can make sure children in ECE are getting enough physical activity by setting licensing regulations for the time and intensity of daily active play. This study looks at strategies and obstacles to enforcing those regulations.  

It happens every other year. Child Care Aware^® of America hosts a Symposium that brings together individuals from across the country to discuss the latest research, policy and practices related to the early child care and education community.  This year’s 4-day event offers participants opportunities to hear from and connect with thought leaders, Congressional staff and other early education professionals.

Being a reflective practitioner means continuously asking yourself questions about your practice, evaluating your decisions and creating plans to apply new knowledge. Self-reflection is not a difficult skill to learn, but it can be challenging to integrate reflection into your daily practice. Sometimes it is easier to stay where we are, rather than make changes to our practice. Sometimes, we might not even realize a change is necessary. 

One way that early childhood education (ECE) professionals can employ self-reflection to improve practices and enhance skills is to ask themselves some of the following questions before, during and after engaging in professional development (PD). 

The health status of the early care and education workforce in the USA: A scoping review of evidence and current practice  

Lessard, L.M., Wilkins, K., Rose-Malm, J., and Mazzocchi, M.C. Public Health Reviews (January 2020).  

Background: Ten million young children in the U.S. are enrolled in an early care and education (ECE) program such as child care, Head Start or pre-kindergarten. These programs would not function without a workforce of roughly two million ECE teachers and support staff. The ECE workforce is made up almost entirely of women, disproportionately women of color, who earn low wages and receive few benefits. These factors suggest that the ECE workforce may be at a high risk for chronic diseases, but we know little about individuals’ health status. This paper looks at what information we have about the health of the workforce and what types of programs are being used to improve ECE workers’ health.  

In 2017, the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County (ELOC), the not-for-profit agency tasked by the state of Florida to ensure young children’s school readiness, which serves families and early childhood programs in the greater Orlando community, launched a new professional development (PD) program called LENA Grow as a way to increase quality in infant and toddler classrooms.

Added Sugars Intake among US Infants and Toddlers 

Herrick, K.A., Fryar, C.D., Hamner, H.C., Park, S., and Ogden, C.L. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (January 2020). 

Background: Eating and drinking foods with added sugars has been associated with several health conditions including asthma, obesity, dental cavities and high blood pressure in children. The current national guidelines for nutrition only provide recommendations for people over the age of 2. This study looks at added sugar consumption rates among infants and toddlers by race, age, sex and family education and income level.