Since First Lady Michelle Obama’s announcement of Let’s Move! Child Care (LMCC) on June 8, 2011, nearly 1,300 participants have registered online and joined the fight against childhood obesity. Among the participants are child care providers who have committed to achieving best practice recommendations for the five LMCC goals—physical activity, screen time, food, beverage, and infant feeding—and trainers dedicated to providing technical assistance to child care providers participating in LMCC.

To support the achievement of these goals by child care providers and promote a healthy environment for children in the early care and education setting, the National Association for Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) has developed two series of monthly webinars, one for child care providers and one for LMCC Trainers (individuals providing technical assistance to child care providers), dedicated to the five LMCC goals.

 “With more than 11 million children younger than age 5 years in child care, it is critical that providers help put children on the right path to a healthy future during their earliest years of development,” said Linda K. Smith, NACCRRA executive director. “By partnering with Let’s Move! Child Care, trainers can play a unique role in reaching the nation’s providers and helping to achieve our goal of reducing the childhood obesity epidemic.”

In September, Ms. Geri Henchy, director of Nutrition for the Food Research and Action Center, hosted webinars on the first topic“Healthy Eating Part 1: Research and Policies.” Individual webinars were held for LMCC trainers and child care providers. During the webinars Ms. Henchy discussed research evidence for the food and beverage goals. Understanding the rationale for the goals is essential to being able to communicate their importance and help child care providers to reach them. LMCC is excited to announce the topics for the upcoming webinars starting next month: “Healthy Eating,Part 2” (Trainers: October 3; Providers: October 27), “Physical Activity” (Trainers: November 7; Providers: November 22), “Infant Feeding” (Trainers: December 5; Providers: December 16), and “Screen Time” (Trainers: January 6; Providers: January 24). To register as a Let’s Move! Child Care participant and receive information about upcoming webinars and free interactive tools go to www.healthykidshealthyfuture.org created and hosted by Nemours. 

Let’s Move! Child Care is a nationwide call-to-action that empowers child care centers and family-care home providers to make positive health changes in children, early on, that could last a lifetime. Early care and education providers who choose to participate in Let’s Move! Child Care (LMCC) are recognized when they meet a set of best practices related to the five LMCC Goals—physical activity, screen time, food, beverage, and infant feeding. To help providers reach their goals, a number of online interactive tools including checklist quizzes and action planning guides have been developed through a public-private partnership between the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Association for Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, Nemours, and the University of North Carolina Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and other partners. Visit the Let’s Move! Child Care Web site at www.healthykidshealthyfuture.org to register as a LMCC Participant, access free online tools, or share your story of progress and success.