About Us
Healthy Way to Grow (HWTG) is a national, science-based, early childhood technical assistance program to help improve practices and policies for obesity prevention. The American Heart Association is dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities and is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Nemours is a nonprofit pediatric health system dedicated to life-changing medical care and research — helping kids grow up healthy and advocating for kids nationally.
How To Know if HWTG is a Fit for your Community
The Ways We Help
With 60 percent of American children spending a majority of their day in early childhood programs, the goal of Healthy Way to Grow is to help early childhood programs (serving children from birth through age five) to improve and sustain nutrition, physical activity, screen time, infant feeding, sleep habits, staff wellness, and family engagement. Healthy Way to Grow provides support to participating centers through subject matter experts and guides policy change as centers implement key HWTG components.
Our participating communities
Interested in becoming a Healthy Way to Grow community?Learn More!
Becoming a healthy Way to Grow Community

How do you know if HWTG is right for your community?
If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then Healthy Way to Grow is a fit for your community.
American Heart Association (AHA) and Nemours are partnering with communities across the country to deliver HWTG to early childhood programs.
Our Participating Communities

What Our Participants Say

“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