First 5 Association of California

An Association of County Children and Families Commissions

Investing in Nutrition and Physical Activity For Children Birth to 5

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Home > County Profiles > Sacramento

First 5 County Profiles

Sacramento

2010 Updates: Funded Projects

• The Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition draws community groups and community members together through garden activities. Through parents and children participating in the gardening activities, sampling fresh fruits and vegetables, and connecting with others at the community meal, the group hopes to decrease childhood obesity, increase networks, and reduce life's pressures on families.
• The WIC-run community lactation project will supplies education, support groups, breast pump loans, and a breastfeeding helpline to pregnant and postpartum women.
• Los Rios Community College will offer nutrition education for children and parents of children enrolled in the pre-school center at the College.
• Mother-Baby Connection Classes will be provided by The Training Source for the Baby Friendly Hospital Training support program at Los Rios Community College.
• The Learning for Parents and Children Together: Learning PACT project will provide staff training, parent and caregiver nutrition education, through a series of family-centered workshops.  The workshops will cover four nutrition topics using Learner-Centered Education (LCE) principles and practices. 
• Families Understanding Nutrition and Food Access (FUN Fare) is a program to improve children's and their family's health by engaging parents and childcare providers in nutrition and food education and providing access to fresh produce.
• Community based parent and caregiver education to improve nutrition and physical activity among families with children ages 0-5 will be offered in the Arden Arcade community of Sacramento.

2008: One of the primary result areas for First 5 Sacramento is “Improved Nutrition.” The Commission has designated $5 million towards addressing this area over 3 years. Three million has been allocated to breastfeeding support and they are in the process of awarding over $1.9 million towards three additional strategies: 1) Parent/Caregiver/Preschool Education 2) Indoor/Outdoor Tot Lots and 3)Farmer’s Markets and/or Small Garden Kits. The Commission funds the local WIC Program for a Community Lactation Assistance Project. This project is aimed at increasing the number of mothers breastfeeding at discharge from the hospital and continuing for at least one year afterward. WIC provides mothers with access to lactation consultants who assist and support them with breastfeeding. They also provide funding to local hospitals to help them move towards becoming “Baby Friendly.” Baby Friendly hospitals encourage breastfeeding, provide instruction and support to mothers who would like to breastfeed their babies and allow mothers and infants to room together 24 hours a day. In March 2007, First 5 Sacramento held a Children’s Nutrition Summit with the Health Education Council, Sacramento County Office of Education, and Sacramento County Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health to map nutrition and physical activities resources for all children in Sacramento County. Information captured at the event is being converted into a searchable database by UC Davis’s Nutrition Department. Participants also voted on the five First 5 Sacramento Commission-approved strategies and made recommendations for children ages 6 to 18 as well.