Healthy Kids, Healthy Future Technical Assistance Program  

Launched in 2018, Healthy Kids, Healthy Future Technical Assistance Program (HKHF TAP) provides high-quality technical assistance (TA) and supports state partners to integrate healthy eating and physical activity best practices into early care and education (ECE) systems and settings. Among these best practices are ensuring toddlers and preschoolers receive fruits or vegetables at every meal and that babies have short periods of ‘tummy time’ every day. 

Guided by the CDC’s Spectrum of Opportunities framework, Nemours collaborates with departments of health, child care resource and referral agencies, and other ECE organizations to accelerate the integration of best practices into broader state systems, such as TA networks, professional development, licensing, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS). 

HKHF TAP also includes the Physical Activity Learning Session (PALS) Project. PALS trains and coaches ECE and health staff that work directly with ECE programs (Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, family child care, prekindergarten). PALS builds state capacity to support the promotion of physical activity best practices for infants and young children in ECE.

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Nemours is currently funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under a five-year Cooperative Agreement (6NU38OT000304-03-01) to support statewide early care and education (ECE) organizations to integrate best practices and standards for healthy eating, physical activity, breastfeeding support, and reducing screen time in ECE systems and settings.

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