CACFP Childcare Wellness Grant Program November 2010 – November 2012

1. CACFP Childcare Wellness Grant ProgramNovember 2010 – November 2012

2. Grant application • Promote nutrition and physical activity in child care settings • Provide technical assistance/training to centers, sponsors and providers • Perform outreach campaigns • Make innovative use of technology

3. Alaska’s Grant proposal • Wellness in Alaska Child Care (WIACC) • Received $200,000 grant award for 2 year project • Created Work Group • Provided Training • Disbursed Mini-Grants • Conducted Outreach • Received Evaluations • Provided Best Practices

4. Work group • Conference Call with Participants • Head Start, Family Day Care Home Sponsor and For-Profit Center • Discussed Grant Goals & Timeline • Training • Blog site for online discussion • Mini-Grants (applications due to SOA by 5/13/11) • Physical Activity Resources • Nutrition Education Resources • Family Style dining Resources • Farm to Childcare Resources • Sharing via web-based focus group • Outreach Planning • Child Care Licensing (state and local) & Child Care Assistance • WIC

5. Training – April 2011 • Topics & Trainers • Physical Activity – Dr. Diane Craft • “Active Play!” • Family Style Dining – NFSMI • Happy Mealtimes for Healthy Children • Nutrition Education – NFSMI • More Than Mud Pies • Trainers paid with WIACC state portion of grant • 3 Area Locations • Juneau – 17 attendees (12 centers/sponsoring orgs) • Anchorage – 89 attendees (47 centers/sponsoring orgs) • Fairbanks - 39 attendees (19 centers/sponsoring orgs)

6. 3 Regional Trainings Worked with state a licensing for training hour credit Registration open to CACFP Centers Had space so we opened to non-CACFP licensed centers Still space so we opened to family day care home providers

7. Training Attendees • CACFP Centers & Sponsor staff • Non-CACFP center staff • Provided travel scholarships for CACFP organizations • Received ‘Active Play!’ ($30 value), More than Mud Pies, and Happy Mealtimes for Healthy Kids

8. Mini-Grants • General Mini-Grants related to the 3 training topics • Application Due Date May 2011 • Additional Resources • April 2012 • Farm to Child Care • April 2012

9. MIni-Grant after Training • Training attendees had opportunity to apply for mini grant • Reimbursement after purchase with receipt documentation • Provided a few advances • $125 per home • $275 per center site • Additional funding for large centers with multi classrooms $100/classroom • Responsibility of grantee • Purchase supplies • One page quarterly blogging with quarterly report • Host parent night • Participate in outcome evaluation at the end of grant period

10. Active Play! Curriculum • Physical activity that can be conducted indoors and outdoors, in both large & small spaces. • Activities require inexpensive items that might exist in one’s home already. • Children who have mature fundamental movement skills are more likely to choose to be physically active into their teenage years.

11. Active Play! activities • Swat the Fly • Alligator Pit • Bubble Wrap Jumping • Clean out the Backyard

12. More than mud pies • Foods can be described by size, smell, texture, temperature, taste, and form. • Lots of physical activity, outdoor play, nutritious food, and water help children have strong and healthy bones. • Provides nutrition education lessons that will help children understand 5 basic concepts: • Eat a variety of foods for good health. • Foods can be identified by group, source, part of the plant, where grown, where purchased, or nutrition content. • Foods can be described by color.

13. Happy mealtimes for healthy kids • Family Style Dining (FSD) Curriculum. • FSD correlates with healthy eating habits in young children. • FSD: food is offered in serving bowls and platters, and beverages are offered in pitchers on the table. Children are encouraged to serve themselves, or serve themselves with help from an adult.

14. Additional grant opportunities • Additional Resources • Awardee’s purchased nutrition education books and family style dining equipment. • Allowed for easy implementation of FSD and nutrition education. • Farm to Child Care • Increase youth understanding about how food gets from it’s original form to the plate. • Promote healthy food choices. • Encourage a preference for food grown and harvested in Alaska.

15. Additional resources Mini-Grant Overview • Requirements • Purchase designated resources • Participate in Outcome Evaluation • Submit photo of resources in use • Maintain records

18. Farm to child care

19. Farm to child care snapshot • Enep’ut Children’s Center Planted a garden containing tomato, marigold, basil, lettuce, chives, parsley, spearmint, lemon mint, broccoli, zucchini, carrot, green onion, and sweet peppers. The garden has been a focal point for several nutrition education activities. On nice days, the children go sit and sketch what they see in the garden. The children have learned where food comes from and how plants grow.

20. Farm to child care snapshot Petersburg Children’s Center • Children have planted radishes, carrots, basil, and thyme. • Has sparked a genuine interest in all things flora, as well as their sense of responsibility in helping to maintain their garden. • Children are eager to water the garden and see what new plants have developed.

21. Farm to child care in Family day care homes Gave Providers: Pots Bags of Dirt Seeds Books related to gardening Grow It, Try It, Like It

22. Farm to child care in Head start

23. outreach • Outreach Brochures • Child Care Licensing • Child Care Assistance • WIC Offices around the state • Resource & Referral Agencies • WIC Posters • Provided list of all CACFP Centers to WIC • WIC Posters mailed directly to every center

24. Outreach Continued availability of brochures to all agencies around the state

25. Evaluation – parent surveyprovider gave to parents & collect • My child is making healthier choices • Strongly Agree 47% • Agree 43% • Neutral 21% • My child has increased desire in physical activity & active play • Strongly Agree 47% • Agree 43% • Neutral 8% • My child needs education in good nutrition & physical activity • Strongly Agree 25% • Agree 42% • Neutral 22% • Disagree 8% • The mini-grant provided good information • Strongly Agree 22% • Agree 49% • Neutral 22%

26. Evaluation – center/sponsorsurvey monkey • Activities were well received by the children • Strongly Agree 42.9% • Agree 57.1% • Rating Average 4.43 • The grant activities helped children develop fundamental movement skills • Strongly Agree 28.6% • Agree 57.1 % • Rating Average 4.14 • The children are making healthy choices on their own after activity • Strongly Agree 7.7% • Agree 69.2% • Rating Average 3.85 • I found implementation process challenging • Strongly Agree 7.1% • Agree 28.6% • Rating Average 3.00

27. Evaluation – Center/Sponsor survey monkey • Grant money was spent on: • Outside equipment • Gym equipment (hoola hoops, parachutes, Frisbee, bubble wrap, foam noodles, streamers, orange cones, beach balls, bean bags, tunnel course • Musical tapes and cds • Musical instruments • Family style dining equipment • Gardening supplies (dirt, buckets, wheelbarrow, raised bed supplies, seeds, plants, watering cans, etc.)

28. Wellness in Alaska Child Care Best practices http://education.alaska.gov/tls/cnp/pdf/wicc_best_practices.pdf

29. Wellness in Alaska Child Care Mini-grant(WIACC)Ann-Marie Martinannmarie.martin@alaska.gov(907) 465-87811