Did you know that the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) has new online dashboards with the latest data and trends about NC’s Pre-K and child care programs? Visit their website to explore the interactive dashboards. Data can be downloaded and sorted by star rating, type of provider, or county.

A recent brief by Healthy Eating Research, a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, states that NAPSACC (Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care) has the “best evidence for impact” on obesity prevention in young children.

Developed by the Children’s Healthy Weight Research Group at the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, NAPSACC is an evidence-based program with a proven track record of reducing childhood obesity risk. It guides child care providers through a five-step process to help them create environments that foster healthy eating and physical activity.

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Check out May’s updates on the latest content, events, and more from the Center on the Developing Child! Included are:

• A new, practical, how-to video that shows adults and children serving and returning. Serve and return interactions are fun, easy, and an excellent way to build a strong foundation in a child’s brain for future learning and development.
• Based on the Center’s previously released full report, a new InBrief: Applying the Science of Child Development in Child Welfare Systems explores how insights can be used from cutting-edge science to improve the well-being and long-term life prospects of the most vulnerable children in society. Read more about how the following three principles can be used to apply the science to child welfare program and policy change and design, to improve practices and better serve children and adults.
  • Reduce sources of stress
  • Support responsive relationships
  • Strengthen core life skills

Learn more, read the Center’s May News!

Congratulations to Chatham Child Care Health Consultant, Dorothy Rawleigh! She received the Public Health Staff Recognition Award through the NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation’s 2018 Child Health Recognition Awards program. The award was presented at the NC Public Health Association conference in December 2018. This award recognizes her work on developing partnerships resulting in healthier food, higher immunization rates, and better emergency preparedness planning in child care facilities.

Additionally, the Chatham County Public Health Department Immunization Program was recognized with a NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Child Health Recognition Award. Chatham County regularly ranks number one in the state in immunization rates among children ages 0 to 36 months. The Chatham County Health Department achieved this by blending policy changes, training, tracking, feedback gathering, and follow-up with child care facilities.