Make An Action Plan
Self-assessments are designed to help you identify your strengths and your needs for improvement. Those needs then become the basis for creating an action plan for healthy change. Action Planning is the fundamental process needed to implement change.
After you complete your Healthy Kids, Healthy Future self-assessment quiz, it is time to implement action planning. Action plans keep you on track by setting goals and timelines, provide guidelines for meeting these goals, assign responsibility to someone for working on the steps, and help to monitor progress and success.
The Action Plan worksheet includes action steps for program staff to assist children, families, and other staff, and add to the program environment and policies.
- The “child” level lists actions that staff can take to encourage and guide children’s learning.
- The “family” level outlines ways that staff can support families in understanding the reason for healthy changes within the program.
- The “program staff” level details activities for staff that increase children’s learning and family support, plus their own knowledge of healthy changes.
- The “program environment” level lists projects that will help move the program towards meeting their goals and completing action steps.
- The “program policies” level indicates changes that the program needs to make to continue new practices.
Healthy changes made across all of these levels will lead to the best outcomes for children in early care and education settings. You should develop one Action Plan for each change you wish to make in your program. Goals should not be extensive; in fact, smaller goals are more appropriate to use early on because they are more realistic and achievable, which will help build self-confidence among the programs involved in the overall Action Planning process.