Healthy Eating, Active Living in Child Care

illustration of kids eating at a table

Healthy child care grows healthy kids. Denver’s Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) in Child Care Program is a voluntary and free program, committed to supporting licensed child care providers in creating a healthy environment for children and staff.

Colorado’s childhood obesity rate is ranked 23rd in the nation and is rising faster than in any other state. Since children develop a large amount of eating and physical activity habits during the formative years, caregivers can play an important role in shaping the healthy habits that will follow children into adulthood. 

HEAL in Child Care focuses on five key areas:

  • Get Kids Moving
  • Reduce Screen Time 
  • Nurture Healthy Eaters 
  • Provide Healthy Beverages 
  • Support Breastfeeding

Once child care programs express interest in participation, the first step is scheduling an appointment.  During the initial meeting, our program administrator goes through an assessment with child care staff to find out about their current practices.  Based on this information, the program is given a personalized list of suggested healthy practices to implement. 

More Information

Culture of Wellness in Preschools Partnership

The Culture of Wellness in Preschools (COWP) is a childhood obesity prevention program that supports evidence-based policy, system and environment changes to increase opportunities for students and staff to be physically active and eat healthy foods. HEAL in Child Care has partnered with this highly successful program to offer COWP’s facilitated action planning process to additional child care sites in Denver. 

Participation Levels

  • Level 1 incentive: Complete an assessment to receive: a healthy eating book, yoga activity cards, or garden vegetable kit (choose 1).
  • Level 2 incentive: Complete an assessment and implement three new best practices to receive: recognition on program website. 
  • Level 3 incentive: Complete an assessment, implement three new best practices, and host a HEAL staff training or AIM-P wellness team meetings to receive: $75.00
  • Level 4 incentive: Complete an assessment, implement five new best practices, and host three HEAL staff trainings (at least one to staff) or AIM-P wellness team meetings to receive: $150.00

Resources

Resources available to participating child care programs include:

  • No-cost trainings for staff and families
  • Health lessons for children
  • Sample policies
  • Healthy recipes
  • Information posters

 

Participating Child Care Programs

The following participating child care programs have implemented at least three new healthy polices, system or environmental changes at their sites:

1080 Learning Center, 1080 Kalamath St.

  • 15 new best practices related to physical activity, healthy eating and breastfeeding support
  • Reported March 2017

Annie Thomas, 3070 Glencoe St

  • 3 new best practices implemented into the home related to physical activity and screen time
  • Reported June 2019 

Auraria Early Learning Center, 950 9th Street Park

  • 14 new best practices related to physical activity, screen time reduction, healthy eating and breastfeeding support
  • Reported April 2018

Denver Child Care Center, 3151 W Florida Ave

  • 3 new best practices related to physical activity and healthy eating.
  • Reported June 2019

Escuela de Guadalupe, 660 Julian Street

  • 14 new best practices related to physical activity, screen time reduction, healthy eating, healthy beverages and breastfeeding support
  • Reported April 2018

Greenlee Extended Day, 1150 Lipan Street

  • 8 new best practices related to physical activity, screen time reduction, healthy eating, healthy beverages and breastfeeding support
  • Reported April 2018

Home Away from Home, 3126 Gaylord St

  • 6 new best practices implemented into the home related to physical activity, screen time, and healthy beverages.
  • Reported June 2019

Humble Beeginnings, 18981 Chaffee Pl.

  • 5 new best practices implemented into the home center related to physical activity, screen time reduction, and healthy eating.
  • Reported June 2019 

Jane Rost, 1203 S. Patton Ct.

  • 10 new best practices related to physical activity, screen time reduction, healthy eating, healthy beverages and breastfeeding support.
  • Reported August 2017

King Baptist Child Development Center, 3370 Ivy St

  • 3 new best practices related to screen time, healthy beverages, healthy snacks, and healthy eating.
  • Reported June 2019 

Mountain View Child Care Center, 3939 W Florida Ave

  • 12 new best practices related to physical activity, screen time reduction, healthy eating and breastfeeding support.
  • Reported August 2017

Open Door Ministries, 1567 Marion St

  • 3 new best practices related to physical activity and healthy eating. 
  • Reported June 2019

Paula’s Family Child Care, 1892 S Fairfax St

  • 7 new best practices implemented into the home related to healthy eating and physical activity.
  • Reported July 2019 

Rose Locke

  • 6 new best practices related to healthy eating and healthy beverages
  • Reported April 2018

Ruth Aragon

  • 12 new best practices related to physical activity, screen time reduction, healthy eating and healthy beverages.
  • Reported August 2017

Salvation Army Denver Red Shield Corps

  • 17 new best practices related to physical activity, screen time reduction, healthy eating, healthy beverages and breastfeeding support
  • Reported August 2017

 

Contact Us

HEAL Childcare Program
Megan Berry, MPH
megan.berry@denvergov.org
303-476-8817

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