CHILD CARE / PRE-SCHOOL FOOD AND ACTIVITY ENVIRONMENT
ENACT STRATEGY: Staff Training
Provide training to staff to lead activity sessions, prepare healthy food options and model positive eating and activity behaviors
Preschool and daycare settings offer an ideal opportunity to instill a lifetime of healthy habits in even the youngest children. Young children learn new behaviors from those around them, including from childcare staff. Training staff to lead activity sessions, prepare healthy meals and snacks and model positive eating and activity behaviors can encourage children to eat well and be physically active.
Colorado State University's Guide to Feeding Young Children
A brief overview of facts, principles, and tips for feeding young children.
Connecticut's Team Nutrition Program
Nutrition fact sheets for early childhood educators.
The SPARK Early Childhood Physical Activity Program
The Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) program, aimed at three to five year olds, focuses on developing basic motor and positive social skills while engaging the child in moderate to vigorous physical activity. When an agency or organization chooses SPARK Early Childhood (EC), they receive three components necessary to create an exemplary physical activity program: curricula and materials, training for staff and follow up support.
Be a Healthy Role Model
Children watch and imitate adults, and look to them to learn proper behavior. Just as children pick up positive habits—saying please and thank you—they can also pick up attitudes about food. As role models, parents and care providers need to monitor their own behavior so that their children acquire healthy attitudes toward eating.
Creating an Environment that Supports Breastfed Infants in Childcare
This USDA chapter on feeding infants describes steps childcare providers can take to encourage the feeding of breast milk to infants in childcare settings, including how to promote breast feeding by mothers on site and how to safely handle and store pumped breast milk.
University of Idaho Feeding Young Children in a Group Setting
Includes brief information sheets for childcare providers on how to create a responsive mealtime environment, ideas for positive mealtime conversation topics, and how to evaluate the mealtime environment.
University of Idaho Feeding Young Children in a Group Setting
Feeding Young Children in a Group Setting is an educational project developed by the University of Idaho designed to help caregivers provide a nurturing feeding environment for children.
California Department of Education
“Resources and information related to child nutrition, nutrition education, food distribution programs, and the Child Nutrition and Physical Activity Advisory Council.”
North Carolina Physical Education is Active
“This web site is dedicated to keeping you informed about physical, education, health education, athletics, and sports medicine in North Carolina and the nation.” This web site also provides lots of helpful information and resources.
PE Central
Provides up-to-date information about developmentally appropriate physical education programs for children and youth.
Child and Adult Care Food Program
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal program that provides supplemental funds for meals and snacks served to low-income children in childcare centers. These meals must adhere to specific nutrition standards. If you are interested in participating, please contact your respective State agency.
The Child Care Nutrition Resource System
“Provides recipes, resources, and information on preparing nutritious meals and food safety. Day care providers who participate in USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and receive reimbursement for meals served will find the information useful.”
Child Care Centers Play and Important Role in Obesity Prevention (PDF)
This article provides evidence demonstrating the importance of child care settings in shaping children’s’ nutrition and activity levels, gives an overview of best practices, and discusses the importance of more uniform standards and evaluation in this setting.
Story M, Kaphingst K, French S. The Role of Child Care Settings in Obesity Prevention. Childhood Obesity Edition of The Future of Children. 2006; 16(1): 143-168.