ST. LOUIS, Oct. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With
funding provided by Monsanto Fund, the American Heart Association
and Nemours Children's Health System (Nemours), are launching
Healthy Food Alliance for Early Education, a technical assistance
program for early care and education settings in St. Louis aimed at improving healthy eating
and food access among children from birth to five years of age. The
program provides direct, hands-on assistance, customized training,
resources and tools to support healthy lifestyles in early care and
education environments. Healthy Food Alliance for Early Education
is underway with the program's childcare specialists currently
recruiting early care and education programs for participation.
Components of the program include: identifying food access gaps
and partnerships to support early care and education programs,
developing and adopting a center wellness policy, providing
training and technical assistance, engaging parents, and
encouraging and recognizing progress towards best practices and
policies for nutrition, physical activity, screen time and infant
feeding. In addition, the program manager and childcare specialists
will work to improve healthy food access at participating centers
and in the communities they serve. This work is designed to
collaborate with local organizations and enhance current
initiatives in the community.
According to Child Care America, nearly 11 million children in
the United States under the age of
five spend at least part of their day in regular child care
arrangements. These early care settings have become important
components to ensuring children receive proper nutrition and
physical activity. Introducing fruits, vegetables, whole grains and
physical activity to children early in life may reduce the risk of
cardiovascular diseases in adulthood.
"The American Heart Association is committed to helping all
Americans lead heart-healthy lives and recognizes that helping
children develop healthy habits today can lead to a healthier
America in the future," said Dr. Michael
Lim, volunteer Board President of the American Heart
Association, St. Louis. "By
working with early care centers throughout St. Louis, Healthy Food Alliance for Early
Education will ensure healthy practices are implemented in these
centers every day, with a special focus on proper nutrition. AHA is
pleased to work with organizations like Nemours and Monsanto Fund
to make a positive impact on children in St. Louis."
"Nemours is thrilled to bring Healthy Food Alliance for Early
Education to St. Louis, where
strong work to address childhood obesity and food insecurity is
already underway," said Debbie
Chang, Senior Vice President of Policy and Prevention for
Nemours Children's Health System. "Through Healthy Food Alliance
for Early Education, Nemours and the American Heart Association
will collaborate with others working locally and at the state level
to increase the number of early care and education providers who
receive customized support and resources on how to make best
practices in healthy eating and physical activity a part of
everyday life for the children and parents they serve. We are
eager to launch the program, expanding the number of children in
St. Louis living, learning and
playing in healthier environments."
"Monsanto Fund's support for this program extends beyond the
farm as we work with dietitians, non-profits and others in the food
supply chain to increase the availability, access and consumption
of a variety of protein sources, fruits and vegetables," said
Al Mitchell, President, Monsanto Fund and Vice President of Community
Relations for the company. "Teaming with the technical expertise of
the American Heart Association and Nemours will help us better
understand how to encourage healthy diets among consumers, identify
obstacles to healthy eating and provide assistance to children and
families who need help."
For more information on Healthy Food Alliance for Early
Education, Healthy Way to Grow and availability in your
community, please visit www.healthywaytogrow.org.
About the American Heart Association
The American
Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease
and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the
world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative
research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide
lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these
diseases. The Dallas-based
association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary
organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To
learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1,
visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the
country. Follow us
on Facebook and Twitter.
About Nemours
Nemours is an internationally recognized
children's health system that owns and operates the Nemours/Alfred
I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, DE, and Nemours Children's
Hospital in Orlando, FL, along
with major pediatric specialty clinics in Delaware, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Established as The Nemours
Foundation through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont,
Nemours offers pediatric clinical care, research, education,
advocacy, and prevention programs to all families in the
communities it serves.
About Monsanto Fund
The Monsanto Fund, the
philanthropic arm of Monsanto Company, is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to strengthening the communities where farmers and
Monsanto Company employees live and work. Visit the Monsanto Fund
at www.monsantofund.org.
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SOURCE American Heart Association