Preventing Childhood Obesity: New tools for childcare providers, licensors, and legislators

The 2nd Edition of Preventing Childhood Obesity is a focused set of guidelines from Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards: Guidelines for Out of Home Early Care and Education, 3rd ed, and is the authoritative resource for obesity prevention best practices in child care and early education settings. Developed in a collaborative effort by the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (NRC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Public Health Association (APHA), the 3rd edition full text can be downloaded from the NRC website and is distributed by AAP. New standards were developed in 2010 and revised in 2011 to address preventing obesity in child care and early education settings. Prevention strategies such as the importance of encouraging breastfeeding, the appropriate 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 child care and early education settings and encouraging improvement of state licensing regulations are goals. The NRC also is preparing to release additional new tools for caregivers, licensors, and legislators. Subjects addressed include juice guidelines, infant feeding, screen time, physical activity, limiting sugar, and nutrition in child care.