TRAINERS – HOW TO GET STARTED
The first step for ECE trainers is to introduce Healthy Kids, Healthy Future to their programs. Healthy Kids, Healthy Future continues the work from Let’s Move! Child Care, part of the childhood obesity prevention initiative launched by Former First Lady Michelle Obama. When providers implement small healthy changes in their programs, they are part of a bigger movement. They have the power to impact entire families and teach a new generation of kids how to live healthier lives.
2. Talk About the Goals
Review the five healthy goals and the best practices under each goal with your child care and early education providers. Use the Presentation Slides to present more detail on each healthy goal. Refer to the Technical Assistance Manual to understand common challenges providers face and suggestions for overcoming resistance.
3. Engage Providers
As your child care and early education providers take the self-assessment quiz, remind them that they are not being judged on how their program is doing. They are simply comparing their current practices to the Healthy Kids, Healthy Future best practices, and then develop a concrete action plan to put proposed changes into effect.
- Start by taking the quiz yourself to familiarize yourself with the process and provide better technical assistance to your providers.
- Next, providers should take the quiz to review best practices and rate how their program is doing.
- Discuss their results with them and help them come up with a realistic Action Plan.
4. Use Resources to Meet Goals
Point your child care and early education providers in the right direction for specific resources to prevent childhood obesity. Encourage your providers to take pictures and take notes as change happens to share with parents or display on a storyboard.
Resources for each healthy goal:
5. Encourage Success Story Submissions
Once child care providers have completed the steps in their Action Plan, encourage them to also submit their success story.