Tag Archives: Physical Activity

Nemours looking to partner with ECE/Childhood Obesity Organization to test ECELC revised Toolkit

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Nemours Children’s Health System is pleased to announce a search to fund an organization to test an Early Care and Education Learning Collaborative (ECELC) Toolkit beginning October 1, 2017.  The ECELC Toolkit will guide a state/community through developing and implementing a childhood obesity learning collaborative for early care and education (ECE) providers.  For additional information regarding Nemours National ECE Learning Collaborative model, please visit https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/about-ecelc/.

Nemours’ National ECELC is an evidenced informed model that, with funding from CDC, has reached over 1,670 early care and education programs and over 170,000 children nationally over the past five years.  As childhood obesity prevention efforts in the United States continue, policy and practice based interventions to promote healthy eating and physical activity best practices help shape healthier environments for children attending early care and education programs.  Over the past five years, early care and education programs participating in Nemours ECELC have improved healthy environments in their programs and continue to implement healthy eating and physical activity best practices.  Through self-assessment tools, we have learned, the ECELC model contributes to increases in child nutrition, physical activity, breastfeeding support, outdoor play and learning, and screen time best practices and healthy policy changes in early child care and education programs across the country.[1]

The ECELC model has been implemented with large grants to public and private partners and technical assistance from Nemours and CDC.  As part of the project, Nemours has developed an off-the-shelf ECELC Toolkit to guide organizations on how to run a learning collaborative for ECE providers focused on childhood obesity prevention. Nemours is seeking a partner organization to test whether the model can be implemented with limited technical assistance using the ECELC Toolkit and a small amount of funding.  The ECELC Toolkit can provide a tremendous opportunity for an organization to build upon their current professional development repertoire for early care and education programs in a targeted community.  As an added bonus, all training materials and resources are provided at no additional costs to the partner organization!   Piloting the ECELC Toolkit before full dissemination will allow Nemours and CDC to enhance the content and supportive resources with key information to ensure success of learning collaborative(s) launched by other organizations.

The selected organization will collaborate with Nemours beginning October 1, 2017 through September 2018.

The selected partner organization will receive the user-friendly Nemours ECELC Toolkit manual, all training materials and resources online, limited technical assistance support, and a small amount of funding from Nemours.  The partner organization will provide a designated staff member for the project, funding to support the project needs beyond the Nemours grant, and participate in a formal evaluation process.

An informational webinar is scheduled for Monday, August 21, 2017 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET to provide potential partner organizations information regarding Nemours ECELC Toolkit project and application process.  For questions or to register for the webinar, please contact, Content Specialist Kevin Cataldo at kevin.cataldo@nemours.org.

Nemours Children’s Health System is committed to improving the health of children.  As a nonprofit children’s health organization, we consider the health of every child to be a sacred trust.  Through family-centered care in our children’s hospitals and clinics in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida, as well as world-changing research, education and advocacy, Nemours fulfills the promise of a healthier tomorrow for all children – even those who may never enter our doors.

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[1] Smith TM, Blaser C, Geno Rasmussen C, Shuell J, Plumlee C, Yaroch AL. Assessment of nutrition and physical activity practices using self-report and observation in early care and education across multiple US states. Public Health Nutrition. March 2017:1-7. doi:10.1017/S1368980017000155.

 

Smith, T. M., Blaser, C., Geno Rasmussen, C., Shuell, J., Plumlee, C., Gargano, T., & Yaroch, A. L. (In Press). Real world implementation of a project aimed to improve nutrition and physical activity policies and practices in early care and education. Preventing Chronic Disease.

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Keeping All of Us Healthy Why We Value Physical Activity and Nutrition in Early Care and Education

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Early Care and Education Innovations Series Audio Conference:
January 10, 2017
8:00 to 8:45 pm ET
7:00 to 7:45 pm CT
6:00 to 6:45 pm MT
5:00 to 5:45 pm PT

Why is it important for you to help children stay physically active and well nourished?

Join this webinar to learn more about why healthy eating and physical activity is important for the children in your program. Panelists will discuss important topics including:

  • Feeding infants
  • Helping families obtain healthy and culturally appropriate food
  • Giving children safe spaces to play
  • Providing positive adult examples

Presenters:
Facilitator: Emily Keenum
Virginia Early Childhood Foundation

Panelists:
– Mona Liza Hamlin, Nemours
– Christine Twait, Partners in Nutrition
– Dianne Stanton Ward, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Who Should Participate?
This webinar is designed for early care and education providers including teachers, administrators, and family child care providers working with children from birth to five and their families.

Do you have questions?
If you have questions about healthy eating and physical activity, please send them to a_l_schwartz@yahoo.com with the subject header “Question for the Keeping All of Us Healthy Webinar”. We will answer as many questions as we can during the webinar.

How to Register:
Go to: https://nemours.webex.com/nemours/j.php?MTID=m1690099263d99ab3c6420fa4c066cade and complete the form to register for this audio conference. Presentation materials will be sent with a reminder on the day of the session.

Sponsored by Healthy Kids, Healthy Future.

Convened by the Early Care and Education Innovation Collaborative, an ad hoc activity associated with the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Strategies to Support and Encourage Healthy Active Living course

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November 2014

The Strategies to Support and Encourage Healthy Active Living course is an online, interactive self-study course for Head Start and Early Head Start staff. It is focused on healthy, active living for children and families. Practice building skills to effectively communicate and engage with families around creating and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.

Source: The Head Start National Center on Health and the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center

Available at: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/health/healthy-active-living/story.html

Let’s Move! Child Care Initiative and Head Start: Share Your Experiences

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3/13/14

This June, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and Office of Head Start (OHS) are celebrating the fourth anniversary of the Let’s Move! Child Care (LMCC) Initiative. Since its beginning in 2011, this initiative has inspired efforts across the country. LMCC supports work that gives young children opportunities to be active and eat healthy meals and snacks while in early care and education settings such as child care centers, Head Start, Early Head Start, and family child care homes.

OHS has embraced LMCC, and local Head Start and Early Head Start programs are doing great work to improve the health of the young children they serve. We want to hear your stories of progress and success! Whether your program has made big or small changes to promote LMCC’s five main goals, the achievements are worth sharing. Your story can energize and inspire others to make changes to support healthy children and families.

We Want to Hear From You!

Describe how you have added creative movement and increased physical activity in your daily schedule. Share the success of a child or a family as a result of improvements you have made in everyday nutrition practices. Tell us how you have promoted breastfeeding with your Early Head Start mothers and supported their decision to nurse their infant. Be sure to include a photo or two, if available.

How to Share

To share your story, send an email to LMCCStories@cdc.gov.

Select stories will be featured as part of the fourth anniversary celebration in June. Other stories will be promoted every few months on the LMCC website.

Questions?

For free tools and resources related to LMCC best practices, visit HealthyKidsHealthyFuture.org. If your program has not already registered to be part of the initiative, sign up now!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Source: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center

Promoting Physical Activity in Early Child Care and Education Settings

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December 12, 2013 3-4pm ET

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH), which has regulatory authority over group child care centers in NYC, modified the health code to promote obesity prevention in early childhood settings. Specifically, the regulations implemented in 2007 strengthened the requirements for physical activity opportunities offered and limited screen time provided to children.  In order to better understand the implementation of these policies, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CDC Foundation, NYC DOHMH, and ICF International worked collaboratively to conduct an evaluation of this effort.  This webinar will highlight key findings from this work related to promoting physical activity within a group child care setting, focusing on providing practical recommendations and tools that child care providers can use to improve the delivery of physical activity opportunities within child care and promote childhood obesity prevention.

Source: ICF International

Available at: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/552320583

Kicking Off the 2013 Let’s Read! Let’s Move! Summer Series

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7/12/2013

“To make your dreams come true, it takes hard work,” Michelle Kwan said to a room of young learners at the kick-off of this year’s Let’s Read! Let’s Move! summer enrichment series at the U.S. Department of Education. The Olympic figure skater and member of the President’s Council on Fitness reminded them that it’s important to “practice, practice, practice.”

Kwan, along with Secretary Duncan, Sam Kass, White House chef and Let’s Move! executive director, and Congressman John Kline (R-MN) chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, came together as part of the Corporation for National and Community Service’s United We Serve: Let’s Read! Let’s Move! initiative, which engages youth in summer reading and physical activity, as well as provides information about healthy, affordable food.

More than 175 preschool and elementary school children from the DC area participated in an afternoon filled with an interactive cooking lesson from teacher, chef and advocate for children’s nutrition Kathy Powers, story time with Picky Peggy and Can I Play Too?, and activities like “Shopping Cart Nutrition Race” and “Make a Salad Relay,” with the help of the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington.

Children were encouraged to continue reading this summer with a new book and book bag compliments of Target. At the end of the afternoon, each child left with full bellies, bright smiles, and inspiration to continue to work hard to reach their dreams.

The next installments of the Let’s Read! Let’s Move! series will be on July 17, 24, August 1 and 6. Each event supports First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, which promotes healthy eating and an active lifestyle, while also encouraging strong early learning programs to ensure bright futures for children. Watch the video below for highlights from the kickoff event.

Source: U.S. Department of Education

Available at: http://www.ed.gov/blog/2013/07/kicking-off-the-2013-lets-read-lets-move-summer-series/

Spending Time Outdoors Matters for Infants and Toddlers!

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This podcast shares some of the benefits that infants and toddlers gain by spending quality time outside and offers some ideas for how to make the most of outdoor time.

Reflective Questions:
After you’ve seen or heard the podcast, consider these questions:

  • How often do you take infants and toddlers outdoors? Where do you take them? How long do they spend outside? What, if any, changes might you make to the daily schedule to support greater exposure to the outdoors?
  • What outdoor experiences do you currently offer infants and toddlers? What other kinds of experiences might you offer?
  • How do you involve families in planning outdoor experiences? How do you support them in spending time outdoors with their children?
  • How do you feel about spending time outdoors? Is it something you enjoy? Something you are not comfortable doing? How might your personal feelings affect children’s access to the outdoors and/or the types of experiences children are offered?

Source: Early Childhood Knowledge and Learning Center

Available at: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/ehsnrc/Early%20Head%20Start/multimedia/podcasts/SpendingTimeOut.htm

Rising Prevalence and Neighborhood, Social, and Behavioral Determinants of Sleep Problems in US Children and Adolescents, 2003–2012

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3/2013

We examined trends and neighborhood and sociobehavioral determinants of sleep problems in US children aged 6–17 between 2003 and 2012. The 2003, 2007, and 2011-2012 rounds of the National Survey of Children’s Health were used to estimate trends and differentials in sleep problems using logistic regression. Prevalence of sleep problems increased significantly over time. The proportion of children with sleep problems in children. 

Source: Sleep Disorders

Available at: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/sd/2013/394320/

User Guide for the Licensing Toolkit Action Sheets

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2012

NRC Goals for Licensing Toolkits to Limit Screen Time in Child Care:

  • To develop tools and products to support states’ child care licensing personnel and child care providers in ensuring environments that promote healthy weight by focusing on high-impact standards of best practice related to reduced screen time
  • To facilitate conversations among licensors, child care and early education providers, legislators, health professionals, and families

Administrators of State Licensing programs have numerous responsibilities. Developing and revising state licensing requirements are among the most important. In areas where new findings are rapidly accruing, it is difficult to be aware of all the research and information that may influence licensing requirements. This Licensing Toolkit is intended to assist Licensing Administrators as they develop and revise licensing requirements addressing guidelines for reduced screen time in the prevention of childhood obesity.1

The Toolkit consists of three components:

  1. Licensing Agency Action Sheet
  2. Child Care Provider Action Sheet
  3. Legislator Action Sheet

Here you will find suggested uses for each of the three Action Sheets.The NRC encourages you to find other uses for the Toolkit. Please let us know how you use them.You can email us at info@nrckids.org. We will share your ideas with others in the professional licensing community.

Source: National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education

Available at: http://nrckids.org/ToolKit/LimitScreenTimeinChildCare.pdf

Hip-Hop to Health Jr.

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2/2012

Hip-Hop to Health Jr. was a community-based program that aimed to promote healthy eating and physical activity habits in young children ages 3-5 years. The 14-week intervention was implemented within existing Head Start programs in Chicago and included 45-minute instructional sessions three times each week. The sessions began with a five-minute transitional period, followed by a 20-minute hands-on activity related to healthy eating and exercise, and concluding with a 20-minute aerobic activity. Parents of the participating children were sent weekly newsletters related to the topic being reviewed in class, and they were also sent weekly homework assignments related to the newsletter content. Parents were compensated $5 for completing each homework assignment. The intervention also included free, voluntary, 30-minute low-impact aerobic sessions for the parents twice each week (Fitzgibbon et al., 2002).

Source: Promising Practices Network

Available at: http://www.promisingpractices.net/program.asp?programid=278#programinfo