HEALTH: Healthy Early Childhood Activities Lead To Healthy Kids

Martha Hiett

Health Policy Administrator

Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education

Early Childhood: Critical to Growing Healthy Communities!• More children are in child care programs that

ever before.• The potential for successfully addressing

childhood obesity in child care settings is great.

• Early childhood is an important period for developing good nutrition and physical activity behaviors.

• Practices of child care facilities can improve children’s diet and exercise.

• Childhood obesity remains a pressing public health concern.

• Over the past three decades, obesity rates have nearly tripled for children ages 2 to 5.

• Unhealthy weight leads to chronic health problems/issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and others, even in younger children.

• Overweight 2 to 5 year olds are more than four times as likely to become overweight adults as their normal weight peers.

• According to the statewide BMI assessment process, in 2007-2008 approximately 35% of the children in Arkansas entered school overweight or at risk of overweight.

• Teaching healthy lifestyles at a young age helps insure healthy lifestyles in adulthood.

More on Why Child Care Programs Should Be Involved

• Currently, Arkansas has 2881 licensed child care programs throughout the state.

• These programs serve approximately 200,000 children.

• Licensed programs include center-based, family child care homes, ABC/Pre K (for 3 and 4 year olds), and Head Start.

• ABC/Pre K Programs expect to serve around 25,000 children this year.

• Every community has at least one child care program, and most of you have ABC/Pre K Programs operated by the school district.

• One study shows that children of this generation may be the first to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education

We are committed to helping address obesity in young children and improving the health of the next generations and are currently involved in several health related programs and activities.

Showing those programs in action would be nice but………………………………….

The Nutrition and Physical Activity Self Assessment for Child Care Project

(NAP SACC)

Goal: to promote healthy eating and

physical activity in young children

in child care and preschool settings.

NAP SACC - Overview

• Intervention program aimed at improving nutrition and PA environment, practices and policies in child care facilities in order to facilitate healthy weight behaviors in young children

NAP SACCImplementation

In 2006-2007, five school-based ABC Programs helped implement NAP SACC in Arkansas.

Four additional sites implemented NAP SACC in 2007-2008.

What Programs said about NAP SACC

• “The training was helpful and provided assistance to “non health professionals” on how to develop plans to improve the health of students.”

• “The nutrition components helped parents and children select better snacks.”

• “NAP SACC was useful in determining the nutrition and physical activity needs of the center.”

• “Participating in ECHI/NAP SACC helped plant “seeds for the future.”

What’s Happening Now?

• Currently, 40 sites throughout the state are implementing NAP SACC.

• Fit Kids training is now offered with NAP SACC training.

• Fit Kids is an innovative program which provides helpful information to help plan regular physical activity and nutrition education experiences for children in child care.

What Can You Do?• Make sure you include child care programs and young children in

your community efforts.• Consider implementing NAP SACC and Fit Kids in your

community.• Link with child care providers in your community to improve

communication and nutrition and physical activity for children and families served by child care programs.

• Be an advocate for early intervention and the health of young children.

• Remember that child care offers an abundance of opportunities to interact with parents and families.

• Keep up all of your good work!

Additional Resources• www.napsacc.org

• www.fns.usda.gov/fns/nutrition.htm: Team Nutrition; Eat Smart, Play Hard; Food Guide Pyramid

• www.colormehealthy.com: a program that teaches preschoolers good health habits.

Final Thought

• A thought which does not result in an action is nothing much, and an action which does not proceed from a thought is nothing at all.

Georges Bernanos

Questions?Comments?

• Thanks!

• Contact information: Martha.hiett @arkansas.gov or 501-683-0976