HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living)
What is HEAL?
The Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) Initiative was launched in May 2016 to strengthen child care settings by instituting policies and practices that improve the food and physical activity environment. The design of the HEAL Initiative was formed by the Marin County Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Plan, from the Healthy Kids from Day One Collaborative work, and other local and national interventions that have been successfully implemented in early care and education settings. The goal of HEAL is to improve the nutrition and physical activity environment of child care settings through a multi‐component approach focusing on improving policies and practices by providing training, one‐on‐one coaching, and resources to providers and engaging and educating children and parents in HEAL activities.
In 2024 Marin Child Care Council received Measure A FARE Grant Funding to help continue the important role of bringing nutrition and garden education to schools and families in Marin County. The focus is on child care meal programs and school gardens. One major area is, connecting Marin County farms with schools for local produce procuring and serving. This Farm to School work is coupled with tailored trainings, workshops and support to child care sites all on related topics such as zero waste, local food procuring, school garden and nutrition education and more.
"My daughter has been given the fundamentals of healthy living and active play outside. New ideas are given to engage my child in the kitchen and cooking. Personally I love to see her coming home dirty and muddy! Shows she's having fun." ~Claudia Mejia Noah’s Ark Parent
Policy, System, & Environmental, Changes with HEAL
HEAL and the Marin Child Care Council support best practices for childcare providers, staff, children, and families. HEAL supports the Policy Systems and Environments (PSE) model for developing lasting positive changes in early childhood settings.
The HEAL program looks toward greater trends in the field of children's health, tracking developing models and global strategies that bring effective and equitable change in early childhood.
Policy
Policy changes are when a childcare site adopts a new policy around children's health and wellness.
This can then be shared and communicated to staff, and families; by handbook, website, cubby, and/or bulletin board.
Please see below for sample policies for Child Care Sites.
System
System changes are when childcare providers look at their routines and daily practices and make changes to it.
This may be how the flow of the day or weekly schedule happens.
Examples of system changes may be:
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Celebrations and holidays are enjoyed with healthy foods and non-treat activities.
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Gardening is woven into the weekly schedule- to sustain a garden program students need to be able to learn and access it often. By weaving it into your daily or weekly schedule children can support the need of the garden such as watering and planting but also get to see seeds and plants grow and connect and make meaningful connections to the place.
Environment
Environmental changes are when the indoor or outdoor learning playscape is changed, added to, or altered using the early childhood lens of developmentally appropriate learning tools and or childcare site needs.
Examples of environmental changes look like this:
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Adding more physical activity materials such as tumbling mats, yoga mats, balls, rope, and more
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Adding garden beds or adding elements to your learning playscape
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Offering a breastfeeding area for families at your childcare site.
