Childhood


Strategies for Childhood

Support the development, implementation, and evaluation of policies that promote nutrition and physical activity in Early Care and Education Systems.

Activity Description
Empower Policy Support Empower policy change at ECE, regional, and/or state levels.
Learning Collaborative Participate in learning collaboratives, coalitions and councils to build communities of practice
Staff Development Assist a program or facility to increase staff knowledge, abilities, skills, and improve practices.
ECE-Based Agriculture Train partners to implement and sustain gardens and/or support local food procurement and implementation.
Nutrition & Feeding Practices Support improvements in ECE nutrition practices & environments consistent with Empower Standards, including breastfeeding.
PA Environment Support improvements in ECE PA environments & practices consistent with Empower Standards (e.g. painted playgrounds)
Community Coordination Support ECEs to increase programs & resources that meet an identified need (e.g. food security resources - SNAP Outreach, backpack programs, food pantries)
Community Engagement Engage residents in SNAP-Ed eligible communities in the process and planning using consulting, involving, and collaborating techniques.

Support the development, implementation, and evaluation of policies that promote nutrition and physical activity in schools and other youth-based systems.

Activity Description
Policy Revision and Communication Support written Local Wellness Policy (LWP) and/or Empower review, revision, dissemination & (two-way) communication with school stakeholders
Wellness Committees Support District and School-Level school wellness committiees, including recruitment, formation and participation.
Staff Development Provide school staff with Train the Trainer on evidence-based curricula and resources to support policy implementation and encourge students' healthy behaviors.
School/Youth-Based Agriculture Train partners to impliment and sustain gardens and or support local food procurment and implimenation.
Nutrition Practices and Environment Support improvements in nutrition practices and environments, including the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement (SLM), School Meal Programs and Out-of-School Time (OOST) consistant with Empower.
Physical Activity Practices and Environment Support improvements in PA practices and environments by employing the tenents of a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) eg: active transportation, active recess, adequate Physical Education opportunities, classroom brain breaks.)
Community Coordination Support School and other youth-based programs and resources that meet an identified need eg: food security - SNAP Outreach, backpack programs and food pantries.
Community Engagement Engage residents in SNAP-Ed eligible communities in the process and planning using consulting, involving and collaborating techniques.

Tools for Childhood

Displaying the most recent 21 of 66 total tools.

Youth-Led Participatory Action Research Orientation (YPAR) Intervention

Posted on July 18, 2017

YPAR is a proven framework and model used to engage, empower, and activate youth on research to improve their schools, afterschool programs, communities, and/or service groups. YPAR is a model SNAP-Ed program, as noted in the SNAP-Ed Strategies and Interventions Toolkit. Implementing this program requires a Training and Technical Assistance, which is provided by the Public Health Institute in California: Contact Amy DeLisio, MPH, RD • (916) 265-4042 x109 • amy.delisio@wellness.phi.org

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Food and Beverage Marketing in School Wellness Policies

Posted on June 14, 2017

Model school wellness policy language for limiting unhealthy marketing to students.

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Model Statute Limiting Food Marketing at Schools

Posted on June 14, 2017

This resource is a state-level tool for state boards of education, state policymakers, and school health advocates supporting healthy school food environments.

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Washington Smarter Lunchrooms Toolkit

Posted on May 17, 2017

With a Smarter Lunchroom, your lunchroom team can have a positive impact on your students’ eating habits. This toolkit contains materials and resources that will help make the creation of your Smarter Lunchroom more manageable.

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Local School Wellness Policy Outreach Toolkit

Posted on December 30, 2016

Engage school staff and parents in school wellness using these ready-to-go communication tools. Sharing news about your Local School Wellness Policy is easy with these flyers, presentations, newsletter articles, and social media posts. Your school can personalize them to make them specific to your Local School Wellness Policy activities.

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Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Pattern and One Page Summaries: Infant Meal Pattern

Posted on August 23, 2016

USDA recently revised the CACFP meal patterns to ensure children and adults have access to healthy, balanced meals throughout the day. The changes to the infant meal pattern support breastfeeding and the consumption of vegetables and fruit without added sugars. These changes are based on the scientific recommendations from the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Pediatrics and stakeholder input. CACFP centers and day care homes must comply with the new meal patterns by October 1, 2017.

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Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Pattern and One Page Summaries: Child and Adult Meal Pattern

Posted on August 23, 2016

USDA recently revised the CACFP meal patterns to ensure children and adults have access to healthy, balanced meals throughout the day. Under the new child and adult meal patterns, meals served will include a greater variety of vegetables and fruit, more whole grains, and less added sugar and saturated fat. The changes made to the meal patterns are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, scientific recommendations from the National Academy of Medicine, and stakeholder input. CACFP centers and day care homes must comply with the new meal patterns by October 1, 2017.

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Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Pattern and One Page Summaries: Best Practices

Posted on August 23, 2016

The new CACFP meal patterns lay the foundation for a healthy eating pattern for children and adults in care. USDA also developed optional best practices that build on the meal patterns and highlight areas where centers and day care homes may take additional steps to further improve the nutritional quality of the meals they serve. The best practices reflect recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the National Academy of Medicine to further help increase participants’ consumption of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, and reduce the consumption of added sugars and saturated fats. Best Practices are optional and not required for meal reimbursement.

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Arizona Tri-Agency Child Care Matrix

Posted on August 23, 2016

Use this matrix to compare the differences in early child care systems in Arizona.
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Model Joint Use Agreements

Posted on June 9, 2016

The National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN) developed model joint use agreements to aid the development of such agreements. There is no one model joint use agreement and there is no single method to develop an agreement, but these are a great start.

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Implementing Safe Routes to School in Low-Income Schools and Communities: A Resource Guide for Volunteers and Professionals

Posted on June 9, 2016

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs and projects help schools and communities improve safety, and get more children walking and bicycling to and from school. This resource guide focuses on schools and communities where at least half of students or community residents are low-income; it is intended to fill that gap.

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Minimizing Liability Risk: A Factsheet about Safe Routes to School Programs

Posted on June 9, 2016

This fact sheet explains why liability fears shouldn’t keep schools from supporting Safe Routes to School programs, and offers practical tips for schools and community advocates.

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Playing Smart: A National Joint Use Toolkit

Posted on June 9, 2016

This toolkit is a nuts-and-bolts guide designed to help school staff and other community leaders craft and implement joint use agreements. Complete with model agreement language and success stories from communities around the country. This toolkit provides a comprehensive overview of the most common ways to finance joint use arrangements, and guidance on how to overcome obstacles that may arise in negotiating and enforcing a joint use agreement.

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Safe Routes to School: Approaches to Support Children Walking and Bicycling to School Roadmap

Posted on June 9, 2016

This illustrated roadmap outlines thirteen policy options that can help make Safe Routes to School a permanent part of our communities. The accompanying brochure breaks down the policy options even further.

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Safe Routes to School: Approaches to Support Children Walking and Bicycling to School Brochure

Posted on June 9, 2016

This illustrated roadmap outlines thirteen policy options that can help make Safe Routes to School a permanent part of our communities. The accompanying brochure breaks down the policy options even further.

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Safe Routes to School Guide

Posted on June 9, 2016

This guide is a comprehensive reference manual designed to support the development of Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs. It provides links to other SRTS publications and training resources. It contains several chapters about specific topics of a SRTS program and is an “all-inclusive” guide.

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Walking School Bus

Posted on June 9, 2016

This tool aims to help get kids more physically activity on their way to school. This resource identifies areas to work on in order to get a walking school bus in your community which includes where to start, reaching more children, identifying potential routes, finalizing logistics and kicking off the program. To learn more, please visit: http://www.walkingschoolbus.org/

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What is a Joint Use Agreement? A Factsheet for Parents, Students, and Community Members

Posted on June 9, 2016

This fact sheet provides an introduction to and basic information about joint use agreements.

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Family Style Dining Guide: A Mealtime Approach for Early Care and Education Programs

Posted on April 4, 2016

This guide is intended to help early care and learning professionals and their programs, including center based, family child care, Head Start and public preschools, successfully implement Family Style Dining practices. This guide focuses on serving meals family style with toddlers and preschoolers, though afterschool programs may adopt these practices as well.

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How to Enforce a Wellness Policy: A Factsheet for Parents and Community Advocates

Posted on February 25, 2016

This fact sheet is designed to help parents and community advocates ensure that their district’s policy is enforced.

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Key Contacts for Childhood

Melisha Alhambra

Melisha Alhambra

Early Care and Education Systems Specialist
Kathryn Faull

Kathryn Faull

School System Specialist