1. Eat Well Play Hard in Child Care Settings Farm to Preschool
CACFP
Eat Well Play Hard in Child Care Settings
Farm to Preschool
Josie Ennist, RD Public Health Nutritionist

2. Presentation Overview
Background and overview of New York State Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Eat Well Play Hard in Child Care Settings (EWPHCCS)
Describe Farm to Preschool (F2P) Strategies
Provide overview of F2P Sites, activities and results

3. New York State CACFP Federally funded by USDA
Provides monthly reimbursement for qualifying meals and snacks served to children and adults in day care settings
Focuses on low income children in high need areas
Nearly 300,000 children and adults are served daily in New York CACFP
11/7/2018

4. NYS Department of Health Child and Adult Care Food Program
Resource Management and Operations
Day Care
Homes
Day Care Centers
Obesity Prevention and Outreach
Eat Well Play Hard in Child Care Settings
EWPH In Day Care Homes
EWPH in Child Care Centers
Traditional
Champion
Farm To Preschool
Starting nearly 20 years ago the first EWPH initiative was named EWPHCCS, and was designed for implementing obesity prevention curricula in afterschool programs, and supported by Team Nutrition Grants. Later Team Nutrition Grants were used to develop and implement a curriculum for child care centers that participated in the EWPHCCS project.
Currently (since 2006) the largest EWPHCCS project is funded by SNAP –Ed, and conducted in Child Care Centers, so we refer to ourselves as EWPHCCC.
The EWPH in Day Care Homes project continues with different funding (currently Team Nutrition)

5. Obesity Prevention Background
NYS CACFP implemented a building block approach to develop a comprehensive obesity prevention program
The aims of our obesity prevention strategies are to:
Improve nutrition standards of foods served in CACFP
Integrate nutrition and physical activity education within the early care setting

6. EWPH Core Strategies Increase fruits and vegetable intake
Established in 1998
Revised in 2007 to include:
Increase fruits and vegetable intake
Increase low fat/fat free milk and dairy products
Increase physical activity
Increase initiation, duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding
Decrease screen time

7. EWPH Strategies: Child Care Centers
Target: Preschool Children and Their Parents
Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables,
Increase consumption of low-fat (1%)or fat-free milk and dairy products for children 2 years and older
Reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages
Increase physical activity levels, and
Decrease the amount of time young children spend watching TV and other non-educational screen time

8. EWPH Strategies: Farm to Preschool
Target: Preschool Children and Their Parents
Increase access to locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables
Minimize cost barriers to purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables

9. NYS Farm to Preschool: Planting the Seed…
Explored and researched farm to preschool options
Coordinated with local CCR&R Agency
Trained and oriented Project Managers to follow SNAP-Ed guidelines and project objectives
Conducted Farm to Preschool Pilot
Awarded SNAP-ED Grant Funding
11/7/2018

10. NYS Farm to Preschool: Growing the Project
Center Selection
EWPH/Income eligible
Center Director and staff buy in
Local farmers available
Site Details
Set up Farmers’ Markets
Secure EBT equipment & FMNP/WIC check approvals
Select curriculum
Plan food demos, tastings, recipes, education and movement activities
Plan gardening activities
Plan evaluation

11. NYS Farm to Preschool Growing the Project
Gardening
Produce Purchasing
Education

12. Produce Purchasing Aspect
F2P Models
Farmers’ Market/Farm Stand Upstate Markets
CSA/Food Box Delivery
NYC

13. Produce Purchasing Incentives
Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)
WIC coupons
$2 Health Bucks (NYC only)
$2 NYS Ag & Markets Fresh Connect
$2 Farm to Preschool coupons

14. Educational Aspect
Food tastings-recipe demos for parents & family members
Child Activities
Handouts
Displays at centers
Newsletters

15. Gardening Aspect Indoor or outdoor gardening activities
Provide gardening tool kit and guidance

16. Gardening Toolkit Child sized gardening tools Seed starting supplies
Indoor or outdoor garden materials
Curriculum materials suggested
Early Sprouts
Grow It, Try It, Like It

17. Day Care Center Gardens grow in all shapes and sizes!
Photo for Nassau County Site: container garden

18. Day Care Center Gardens grow in all shapes and sizes!
Photo for Nassau County Site: container garden

20. Weekly Newsletters

21. NYS Farm to Preschool Reach: 24 Sites in 2015
Western Region 4 Sites
Capital District 4 Sites
Long Island 4 Sites
New York City 12 Sites
The New York State Department of Health award focused its efforts in 3 rural counties: Broome, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua. These counties are located on the Pennsylvania border of NYS, northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany. The region boasts of the state’s finest natural resources and agriculture, as well as educational institutions and manufacturing companies.
The NYSDOH contracted with the county health departments in Broome, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua to conduct a continuum of 10 intervention in the early child care setting, schools and the community at large. The work focused on 3 CDC strategic directions to prevent chronic disease: physical activity, healthy eating and tobacco control. The CTG timeframe was September 30, 2012 through September 29, The total population was approximately 415,822.
(Included 8 high needs areas which were geographically defined by school districts’ boundaries: 155,189 - high socioeconomic need and risk and high prevalence of obesity among school-aged children)

22. Program Evaluation Dot Survey (English/Spanish):
Self service research approach
Eight questions displayed on poster boards
Participants indicate responses using colored dots
Participants grouped into 3 categories: staff, caregivers, or the community

23. Farm to Preschool DOT Survey

24. Reach: Farm to Preschool 2015
24 child care centers
2059 parent purchases
6940 total customer purchases
$102,327 in sales
$21,231 subsidized sales (EBT, WIC, Coupons)

25. For more Information:
Josie Ennist RDN Public Health Nutritionist NYS DOH CACFP 150 Broadway 6th Floor W, Albany NY NYS CACFP
11/7/2018

26. Thank You!
Questions?
11/7/2018