Early Care and Education
Next to families, early care and education (ECE) settings have more influence on the health and weight of young children (birth to 5 years old) than any other environment. A healthy ECE environment can help children be healthy, ready to learn and grow up at a healthy weight. ECE providers can help young children develop healthy eating and physical activity habits that can last their lifetime.
A healthy ECE environment should:
- Encourage healthy eating
- Provide healthy beverages
- Get kids moving
- Limit screen and media time
- Support breastfeeding
Resources for Alaska's ECE Providers
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Breastfeeding Welcomed Here for Child Care
The Alaska Breastfeeding Welcomed Here for Child Care is a recognition program for child care sites that follow national breastfeeding and infant feeding standards. Parents can find child care sites that support their decision to breastfeed their children. -
Go NAPSACC
Go NAPSACC (Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care) provides easy-to-use online tools for ECE programs to help support children’s healthy eating and physical activity. One-on-one coaching from an Alaska Go NAPSACC Consultant and resources are available to help ECE providers reach their goals. Learn more about Alaska’s Go NAPSACC program
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Wellness Guidelines for Alaska’s Young Children: A Toolkit for Child Care Providers and Families (2017)
This toolkit provides quick and easy information on a variety of policies and practices for obesity prevention in the ECE setting. The Wellness Guidelines follow the national standards from Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards.
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Wellness Tips for Alaska’s Young Children -
Parent Handouts
These parent handouts can help ECE providers educate and engage families in continuing healthy behaviors at home: -
Wellness Guidelines e-Learning Modules
The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development hosts web-based, interactive training courses for ECE educators. Earn free continuing education hours for these nutrition and physical activity modules: - Wellness Guidelines: Module 1 – Weight Matters
- Wellness Guidelines: Module 2 – Nutrition in the Classroom
- Wellness Guidelines: Module 3 – Physical Activity in the Classroom
- Wellness Guidelines: Module 4 – Serving Healthy Food
- Wellness Guidelines: Module 5 – Serving Local and Traditional Foods
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Alaska Alliance for Healthy Kids - ECE Listserv
Join this listserv to get the latest resources and learn what’s happening in nutrition and physical activity for ECE programs in Alaska.
Other Resources
Related PAN Publications
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Contact
For more information about the Physical Activity and Nutrition (PAN) Program community nutrition activities, please email
pan@alaska.gov or call 907-334-5966.