Part of strengthening your community is helping parents make healthier choices for their families. Parents play a key role in making healthy choices and shaping lifelong healthy habits. Kids learn about healthy eating from their family and from what is served at home and in their community. Parents and community members can model healthy decisions about physical activity and nutrition. In today’s busy world, this isn’t always easy. Parents and caregivers need a community of support. Here are some ways cities and towns can enact changes that give parents the tools they need to make healthy choices:

• Launch a city website with information for parents on healthy living.
• Work with local childcare providers and after-school programs to implement evidence-based standards for nutrition, physical activity and screen time within childcare settings.
• Improve food choices for children in public venues in your city.
• Improve restaurant meals for children in your city.
• Encourage hospitals in your community to become Baby-Friendly Hospitals.
• Form a community coalition tasked with identifying local barriers to healthy living.
• Promote local community organizations that provide access to healthy activities.