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The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) supports the nutrition and health of more than 3 million infants and children and more than 114,000 impaired or older adults, primarily from low-income households. Institute of Medicine recommends that USDA implement new meal requirements that promote eating more fruits and vegetables, and whole grain-rich foods, and foods that are lower in fat, sugar, and salt.

Child Care Wellness Tool Kit: Child and Adult Care Food Program

This tool kit provides an overview of national best practices and strategies for implementing good nutrition and physical activity in the childcare setting.

Childhood Obesity Prevention Advocacy Tools for Physicians

• Physician Advocacy "Menu"
• Beverages Can Impact Children's Health
• Books that Promote Health
• Websites that Promote Health
• Selecting a Quality Child Care Provider
• Food Assistance Resources in San Diego County

These documents have been designed in collaboration with the Schools & After-school and Early Childhood domains.  They are to be used as resources to assist physicians in their efforts to advocate for childhood obesity prevention.

Farm to Preschool: Harvest of the Month Program

This specially adapted version of Harvest of the Month (HOM) provides teachers with  a variety of lessons and activities to build young learner's (ages 2-5) healthy eating habits.  The HOM curriculum takes preschoolers on a "journey" to meet farmers and learn about local agriculture, explore the multiple benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables, and sample the fruits of California's bountiful harvest.

First 5 Commission San Diego

The first five years of life are critical to a child's development. These years shape a child's success in school and in life. First 5 Commission educates and helps parents and others help children during these early years. We are committed to the vision that all San Diego children will enter kindergarten "Ready to Succeed."

Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Policy

This is a sample of a written policy promoting wellness within a childcare facility, courtesy of YMCA Childcare Resource Services.

Healthy Habits for Life Child Care Resource Kit

This resource kit provides early childhood providers with tools for conducting interactive nutrition and physical activity lessons in the childcare setting and encouraging families to adopt similar practices at home.

Keeping Children Healthy in California's Child Care Environments

This report intends to make recommendations to reduce obesity and promote healthy lifestyles among California's children and youths. These recommendations are not intended to be independent of each other; rather, they are intended to be implemented together as a comprehensive, coordinated plan involving public and private partners at all stages.

Let's Go Learning Adventures

A number of field trip guides that help early childhood educators to support children to actively explore their community, building concepts and knowledge that last a lifetime.

Preschool Learning Foundations

This document provides early childhood providers with a clear overview of the California Department of Education's educational expectations for young learners entering kindergarten. The resource also includes materials targeted towards parents on the State's learning foundations, their purpose, and the skills and knowledge children should attain at 48 and 60 months of age.

Preventing Obesity in the Childcare Setting: Evaluating State Regulations

Establishing healthy eating and physical activity habits in preschool-aged children is critical to developing their life-long habits for healthy eating and physical activity.  With such large numbers of U.S. children in child care, child care providers are in a unique position to support and facilitate healthful eating and promote physical activity among young children.  Duke University School of Medicine examined state child care regulations from the fifty US States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands.  Findings are available by state.

Preventing Childhood Obesity in Early Care and Education Programs

This report outlines standards that support key national campaigns for early development of healthy lifestyle habits and specifically assists early care and education programs with the development and implementation of best practices, procedures, and policies to instill healthy behavior and healthy lifestyle choices in our nation's youngest children.

Tools for Use in Preschools or Day Care

Eat Smart, Move More is a North Carolina initiative that promotes increased opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity wherever people live, learn, earn, play, and pray.  This organization has outlined several resources available to early childhood providers to create healthy environments for young children.

YMCA Childcare Resource Service Childcare Finder

All licensed child care centers and family child care homes, nanny agencies and license-exempt school based programs are listed in this free referral database.

WIC Cooking Live! Program consists of cooking demonstrations and a hands-on cooking class. Participants are given the opportunity to taste and cook with unique and flavorful ingredients, spices, and herbs. Clients will learn how to create delicious, healthful homemade meals using the foods included in the WIC package.