Growing Up Healthy is Why.
Healthy Way to Grow is helping communities across the nation reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by supporting early care and education programs to improve practices and policies that will create healthier environments for young children. By helping centers achieve best practice guidelines in nutrition, physical activity, screen time and infant feeding, we can help America’s youngest children grow up healthy. With 345 centers participating in the program across nine communities, Healthy Way to Grow is currently impacting over 37,043 children and 4,312 teachers and staff. After participating in Healthy Way to Grow for one year:
Participating centers established an average of 15 wellness policies, including healthy guidelines in nutrition, physical activity and screen time, education for children and staff, and guidelines around other activities like healthy celebrations and creating a center wellness council.
Center directors reported offering significantly more education to early childhood providers, children, and parents on nutrition, physical activity, screen time and infant feeding.
Centers increased the number of best practices they reported as “fully meeting” on the Let’s Move! Child Care Checklist Quiz and reported meeting three-quarters of applicable best practices at the end of the first year.
Our Impact on Communities
“I feel like the Healthy Way to Grow program has made a big difference in the way that staff and families think about nutrition and exercise as it applies to the children here at Day Nursery. As parents and educators, the tools that we give children when they are young are so important to help them develop the healthy habits that they will need for a lifetime of great health. The Healthy Way to Grow program has given us the framework to do that, and we are thrilled to be a part of this program.”
Mary Beth Rogers, Center Director, Day Nursery
“I had a parent ask about food alternative for her twins’ upcoming birthday and I was able to share some of the activities you [Healthy Way to Grow] sent me. She was so excited and impressed that I had ideas so readily available. That was my confirmation that we are going in the right direction and that parents will welcome the change.”
Ida Perez, Center Director, Ibero Early Childhood Services
“Any questions we had, anything we weren’t sure about, she [Healthy Way to Grow Staff] was able to walk us through it. All of the materials, our monthly activity calendars that we hang on the wall, all of that is provided. It’s like anything I think I’m stuck with, I can get on the phone and call her, and she’s there.”
Trina Brown, Center Director, Touched by an Angel Day Care