Preventing obesity in child care and early education: New national standards on nutrition and physical activity

Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards: Guidelines for Out of Home Child Care, 2nd ed. is the authoritative resource for health and safety best practices in child care and early education settings. Developed by the American Public Health Association (APHA), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (NRC), the 2nd edition full text has been downloaded from the NRC website 35,000 times, and over 35,000 printed copies have been distributed since its release in 2002. The partners APHA, AAP and the NRC are currently in the revision process for a 3rd edition to be published early 2011. NRC, through its cooperative agreement with Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), is coordinating the revision process with 10 subject specific Technical Panels populated with 85 national subject experts to review, update and add standards with the latest evidence-based research and through consensus building. New standards have been developed to address preventing obesity in child care and early education settings. Prevention strategies such as the importance of encouraging breastfeeding, the appropriate and food categories and portions, increased emphasis on healthy foods to be introduced and served in child care settings, promoting physical activities, operating safe play areas and limiting screen time during the hours that children are in child care and early education are addressed. Implementing these standards in settings and encouraging improvement of state licensing regulations are goals with the release of these standards.