An Association of County Children and Families Commissions
Investing in Nutrition and Physical Activity For Children Birth to 5
2010 Updates: Funded Projects
Boston Alley offers a county-wide physical fitness program that includes nutrition, gymnastics, balance, and music.
2008: First 5 Amador is a relatively small county commission that funds a wide range of programs and activities that support nutrition and physical activity. They are part of a two-county nutrition and fitness collaborative,Connecting HANDs (Health,Activity, and Nutrition Directions), a coalition of over twenty public service organizations operating in Amador and Calaveras counties. Their first major health initiative, “Take a Step to Health,” was developed through the California Nutrition Network funded by USDA. The purpose of the initiative is to support individuals and groups in their efforts to increase healthful diets, increase physical activity and reduce tobacco usage and exposure. So far over 1,000 residents have joined the “Take a Step to Health” effort. Part of the Take a Step to Health includes a toolkit designed to help adults to take steps to improve their health. See groups.ucanr.org/takeastep/.
The Commission’s BabyWelcomeWagon home visiting program includes breast-feeding support. In addition, the Commission’s mini-grant program makes breast pumps available to families that can't afford them.
First 5 Amador also distributes nutrition information through local family resource centers and school readiness programs to encourage parents to make healthy choices for their children and themselves. Additionally, the Commission awards mini-grants for up to $3,000 that can be used for physical activity and nutrition projects. Grants have included funding for the Color Me Healthy curriculum and the “Every Body Needs PE” project. Twenty percent of the participating parents returned pledges to make a healthy lifestyle change and all of the teachers receiving curricula found it valuable.