Early Childhood Center Resources
Recent Activities
CHSC community coordinators have been providing training to early childcare center employees for physical activity and nutrition.
PALS (Physical Activity Learning Session) training is a 5 session program for Early Childcare Education (ECE) providers. It includes the following: an assessment of current physical activity practices, education on national recommendations for time and space for physical activity in childcare, different types of physical activity and their impact on health and child development, strategies for family engagement and identifying areas for improvement at their center.
Nourishing healthy eaters training will deepen ECE providers’ understanding of nutrition concepts and the importance of healthy eating in child development. Participants will learn about healthy eating and incorporating healthier foods into child care meals and snacks. They will also learn about division of responsibility in feeding, encouraging children to try new foods, and family style dining and how to incorporate it into meal times. Participants will also discover and discuss fun activities that incorporate nutrition concepts into classroom and program activities.
Resources
The CDC estimates that between 2017 and 2019 over 147 million children were affected by childhood obesity. Childhood obesity can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Getting kids to eat right and be active and moving at an early age is crucial to ensure future health and wellness. Check out the resources below to learn how you can modify policy and practice around wellness.
Nutrition resources |
Healthy eating can look very different based on a child’s age so best practices around recognizing hunger cues and how to feed infants to preschoolers are crucial. |
Physical activity resources |
Staying active keeps kids healthy but it can be difficult to know what activity is appropriate for different age groups. Check out these resources for how to develop age appropriate movement. |
Breastfeeding resources |
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed from birth to 6 months of age. This can be arduous on moms who utilize childcare, check out these resources on how to become a more breastfeeding friendly center. |
CHSC plan |
The Creating Healthy Schools and Communities grant has funding dedicated to helping early childcare centers with nutrition and physical activity policy development and implementation. Check out our 5 year plan. |
Resource Guides
Does your center want or need technical assistance with developing policy and guidance around nutrition, physical activity, and a breast-feeding friendly environment? Check out the resource guides that our community educators have put together. Our community educators work in Cheektowaga, Lackawanna, Springville, and Cattaraugus county. Contact us if you or someone you know would like to learn more about how we can help!
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Vendors
For help to create a wellness program for your early childcare center, please contact the following Coordinators: