Early Learning Health Update: October 2016

Healthy Active Living Learning Collaborative

Call for Applications!

One in four U.S. children under age five is either overweight or obese. These children experience greater school absenteeism, miss learning opportunities, and have increased medical costs. Early education centers have a chance to support national obesity prevention efforts through interventions and supportive policies that promote nutrition and physical activity. The National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness (NCECHW) is now accepting applications from programs to

participate in a Learning Collaborative process. This professional development initiative will give 10 teams the chance to implement healthy active living interventions in their program.

About the Learning Collaborative

Participants will engage in two in-person trainings to build fundamental knowledge and skills. Activities will promote team building and peer-to-peer learning for healthy active living initiatives around several areas. These include staff wellness, nutrition education, physical activity, and family engagement.

In addition, quarterly virtual training and technical assistance will be offered between learning sessions. Teams will use an action planning process to improve program quality. The teams will participate in a final in-person session in order to document successes, best practices, barriers, and implementation strategies.

Who Should Apply?

• Head Start programs,
• Early Head Start programs,
• child care centers,
• family home child care programs, and
• preschool programs are eligible to apply.

This training is open to programs with previous experience in implementing policies and practices related to healthy active living, as well as those programs seeking to begin this work in this area.

The Application Process

Selected programs will receive $3,000 each to assist with the costs of facilitating activities that focus on programmatic and policy interventions. For more details about the award, please:

·         Review the full Call for Application Guidelines: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/health/docs/ncechw-hal-learning-collab-application-overview.pdf

• Complete the Online Application: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2016HALLearningCollabApplication.
• Download and complete the Budget Template: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/health/docs/ncechw-hal-learning-collab-budget-template.pdf.

Important Dates and Deadlines

Applications are due no later than 4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. This includes the Online Application and completed Budget Template. Applicants will be notified of an award decision the week of Nov. 21, 2016. For all other dates, review the full Call for Application Guidelines.

Immunization Reporting: Centers, ECEAP and Head Start

Family home child care programs are not required to report at this time.

Thank you to all of you for reviewing your children’s immunization forms and for those who have already reported! Please remember to submit the required report by November 1, per state law (WAC 246-105-060). Here are a few important immunization updates and resources for early learning programs.

Email all questions related to reporting to: oicpschools@doh.wa.gov.

Annual Immunization Reporting

·        All child care centers, ECEAP and Head Start programs must fill out a reporting form and email or mail it to us rather than filling out a report online. The reporting form can be accessed here. Family home child care programs are not required to report at this time.

·        Look at our web page to find general information about child care reporting.

Immunization Requirements Resources

Parents can request a copy of their child’s Certificate of Immunization Status from our Immunization Information System (IIS). Click here for more information.

·        A new Certificate of Immunization Status will be available in the IIS in the near future. Click here to watch a recorded webinar to learn more about the new CIS.

• Vaccines Required for Child Care/Preschool Attendance chart shows all the vaccines required for child care.
• Individual Vaccine Requirements Summary is a detailed clinical companion to the Vaccines Required chart.
• Immunization Manual for Schools, Preschools, and Child Care Facilities provides general information on immunization and reporting requirements.

Thank you very much for all your efforts to promote healthy children!

Department of Health Office of Immunization and Child Profile

PO Box 47843

Olympia, WA 98504-7843

Phone: 360-236-3595

Email: oicpschools@doh.wa.gov

Website: www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Schools/Immunization.aspx

“The Department of Health works to protect and improve the health of people in Washington State.”  

Back to School Immunizations

It’s back to school time… are you and your family ready? August is typically the time of year that many families get their children ready for school, and are busy checking the school supply list to ensure their children have the proper school supplies for a successful start to the school year.  There is no denying that this is an important part of school readiness. Often overlooked, but equally important are immunizations.

Schools, child care facilities, and preschool programs are prone to outbreaks of infectious diseases.  Children enrolled in these settings can easily spread illness to one another due to poor or improper hand washing techniques, interacting in crowded environments, and not covering coughs or sneezes.

Vaccines provide a safe and powerful tool to protect children from serious infectious diseases, such as measles, mumps, and chicken pox to name a few. 

When children are not immunized they are at an increased risk of contracting infectious diseases.  They can easily spread the disease to others in their classrooms, playgroups, to family members with weakened immunity due to age or health conditions, and the community they live in.

To help families navigate the requirements for immunizations and how to obtain a copy of a child’s immunization, or to answer questions about the safety of immunizations, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have the following links that can provide valuable and current information regarding immunizations and vaccinations.

• Department of Health Immunization   
• CDC Vaccine Safety website 
• CDC parents’guide on vaccines   
• Common Immunization Questions 
• Provider resources for vaccine conversations with parents 

Together let’s keep all children in Washington healthy and ready to learn.

 

Licensed Child Care Providers: Lead Exposure Survey

Attention Child Care Providers:
Para español, véase más adelante

Recent detection of lead in drinking water systems has raised public awareness of the effect that lead can have on young children’s development. Governor Inslee has directed State agencies to assess lead exposure risks to the public and to develop a plan for addressing any identified concerns.

As an initial step, the Department of Early Learning (DEL) would like to get an idea of how many early learning programs may be at risk for lead exposure. 

Common sources of lead exposure include: 

• paint used on buildings built prior to 1978; 
• lead piping in water systems built prior to 1986 and 
• pesticides used on orchards prior to 1950. 

Currently DEL does not collect data on the age of family child care homes or center buildings.

 A “yes” answer to any of the questions below does not necessarily mean that lead is present in your facility. The survey closes on August 11. 

Survey: 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KJM2QCZ

Luego de la reciente detección de plomo en los sistemas de agua potable, la población demostró su preocupación por las consecuencias que el plomo puede tener en el desarrollo de los niños. 

El gobernador Inslee ordenó a las agencias estatales que evalúen los peligros que la exposición al plomo podría presentar para la población y que desarrollen un plan para abordar cualquier problema detectado. 

En primer lugar, al Department of Early Learning (DEL, Departamento de Aprendizaje Temprano) le gustaría saber cuántos programas de aprendizaje temprano podrían estar en peligro de exposición al plomo. Las fuentes de exposición al plomo más comunes incluyen: 

• la pintura utilizada en edificios construidos antes de 1978, 
• tuberías de plomo utilizadas en los sistemas de agua construidos antes de 1986 y 
• los pesticidas utilizados en huertas antes de 1950. 

Actualmente, el DEL no recopila datos sobre la antigüedad de los edificios de los hogares o centros de cuidados para niños. Responder “Sí” a cualquiera de las preguntas que se mencionan a continuación no implica necesariamente la presencia de plomo en sus instalaciones. La encuesta se cierre el 11 de agosto. 

Encuesta: 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KTL7FYR

Physical Activity in Washington Child Care

In a recent article by Medical Daily, the importance of physical activity in child care was emphasized by pediatricians and professionals. 

The article stated,

"Pediatricians recommend that young children get at least an hour a day of physical activity to help build motor skills, coordination and strong muscles and bones, as well as to reduce the potential for obesity later in life. Playground time is also key for developing social skills, like taking turns and conflict resolution."

The study that informed the article was published nationally. 

In a state where rain and chilly temperatures are the norm during winter months, this can be a challenge for child care providers--but Washington partners in Governor Jay Inslee's health-centric initiative, the Healthiest Next Generation, have created technical assistance documents to promote activity in early learning environments that do not rely on outdoor time per-say.

This release comes after the results of a 2013 child care survey that showcased low physical activity practices throughout child care in Washington state.

The Department of Health (Health), The University of Washington Center for Public Health Nutrition and Department of Early Learning (DEL) developed Physical Activity in Child Care Technical Assistance Handouts with essential tips for providers and families who regularly utilize child care centers and family homes.

Tips for family home child care programs include: 

• Add activity breaks into daily routines, like circle time.
• Get kids active between lessons. Even a five to ten minute burst of activity can help.
• Avoid having kids stay seated for a long time. 
• Include teacher-guided activities. Introduce simple movement games and songs like “Simon Says,” “Follow the Leader” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.” 

Center tips are similar, and include ideas for how to combat barriers like cold weather:

• Ask parents to dress children in appropriate clothing and shoes for active, outdoor play.
• Stock spare clothes, boots, hats and gloves.
• Take a nature walk or neighborhood tour when the grass or playground equipment is wet or covered in snow. 
• Indoor play idea: set up an obstacle course using unlikely objects. Kids can push chairs across the room, crawl under tables or jump over blocks.

To see the finished, printable handout for family homes, click here: Physical Activity in Family Homes.

To see the finished, printable handout for centers, click here: Physical Activity in Centers.

Feature: Let's Move!

The following content is courtesy of Let's Move! (a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams.)

Let's Move! aligns with Washington state's Healthiest Next Generation initiative with the goal to help our children maintain a healthy weight, enjoy active lives and eat and drink healthfully by making changes in early learning settings, schools and communities.

"The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake."

- First Lady Michelle Obama at the Let’s Move! launch on February 9, 2010 Obesity by the numbers

Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese. The numbers are even higher in African American and Hispanic communities, where nearly 40% of the children are overweight or obese. If we don't solve this problem, one third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives. Many others will face chronic obesity-related health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma.

How Did We Get Here?

Thirty years ago, most people led lives that kept them at a healthy weight. Kids walked to and from school every day, ran around at recess, participated in gym class, and played for hours after school before dinner. Meals were home-cooked with reasonable portion sizes and there was always a vegetable on the plate. Eating fast food was rare and snacking between meals was an occasional treat.

Today, children experience a very different lifestyle. Walks to and from school have been replaced by car and bus rides. Gym class and after-school sports have been cut; afternoons are now spent with TV, video games, and the internet. Parents are busier than ever and families eat fewer home-cooked meals. Snacking between meals is now commonplace.

Thirty years ago, kids ate just one snack a day, whereas now they are trending toward three snacks, resulting in an additional 200 calories a day. And one in five school-age children has up to six snacks a day.

Portion sizes have also exploded- they are now two to five times bigger than they were in years past. Beverage portions have grown as well- in the mid-1970s, the average sugar-sweetened beverage was 13.6 ounces compared totoday, kids think nothing of drinking 20 ounces of sugar-sweetened beverages at a time.

In total, we are now eating 31 percent more calories than we were forty years ago–including 56 percent more fats and oils and 14 percent more sugars and sweeteners. The average American now eats fifteen more pounds of sugar a year than in 1970.

Eight to 18-year old adolescents spend an average of 7.5 hours a day using entertainment media, including, TV, computers, video games, cell phones and movies, and only one-third of high school students get the recommended levels of physical activity.

Now that’s the bad news. The good news is that by making just a few lifestyle changes, we can help our children lead healthier lives–and we already have the tools we need to do it. We just need the will.

Let’s Move!

Combining comprehensive strategies with common sense, Let's Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. Giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices. Providing healthier foods in our schools. Ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food. And, helping kids become more physically active.

Everyone has a role to play in reducing childhood obesity, including parents, elected officials from all levels of government, schools, health care professionals, faith-based and community-based organizations, and private sector companies. Your involvement is key to ensuring a healthy future for our children.

Special Note:

Attention Child Care Centers and Homes: The Packard Foundation is partnering with Let’s Move! Child Care (LMCC) to award toolkits to support early care and education (ECE) providers in meeting LMCC’s goals. These toolkits include supplies and materials to directly support an ECE center’s or a home’s Let’s Move! Child Care Action Plan. The toolkits, provided by Kaplan, are valued at more than $100 per kit and will be a great help in achieving steps on the winning ECE providers’ Action Plans.

Go here to start: https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/join-us/

Eligibility:
Centers and homes that develop an LMCC Action Plan on line between August 17 and September 18 will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win the toolkits. Ten programs will be randomly selected as winners. (Note: There can only be one winner chosen per center or home, so program directors, staff members, and leaders should complete their Action Plan together as a team.) The winners will receive toolkits (appropriate for the number of children they serve) with resources based on the top priority goal area from their Action Plan and will be contacted in the future to see how the materials have helped make positive changes in their center or home.

Note: ECE providers who developed an Action Plan on the LMCC Web site prior to August 17, 2015, will need to reenter the action plan information on the LMCC Web site between August 17 and September 18 to be entered into the drawing.

DEL Restructures Leadership

As of August 19, the Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL) has implemented a department-wide organization plan to maximize partnerships and accelerate their work. 

Dr. Bette Hyde

“We have many new and important assignments as part of the Early Start Act as well as the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) reauthorization,” said DEL Director, Dr. Bette Hyde. “In order to get this considerable workload moving forward, we are setting up an organizational structure that encourages work across all programs and individuals.  By pulling together, we can achieve our goals for early learning in Washington.”

Dr. Hyde has assigned three directors to lead early learning programs moving forward (this is in addition to the leadership and guidance of DEL's Deputy Director, Heather Moss and Dr. Bette Hyde):

Luba Bezborodnikova

• The Assistant Director for the Early Start Act, Luba Bezborodnikova, is now also the Assistant Director for Licensing.  Luba will work closely with Mary Kay Quinlan, the current Statewide Licensing Administrator. 

“By combining Early Start Act initiatives and licensing, we mean to emphasize that licensing is paramount in all this exciting and important work.  The regional administrators and licensing supervisors will continue to report to the Statewide Licensing Administrator,” said Dr. Hyde.

Nicole Rose

• Nicole Rose (former PreK-3/ ECEAP Administrator) is now acting Assistant Director for Quality Practice & Professional Growth (QPPG), and will lead the Early Start Act work on preschool initiatives.  This will include closer partnerships with ECEAP (state-funded preschool) and Head Start (federally funded preschool) as well as working to develop pathways with child care providers to become ECEAP providers or Early Head Start providers. This position will work closely with the Seattle Schools and their preschool implementation and will be our primary contact with OSPI for WAKIDS and other P-3 initiatives. 



Greg Williamson

• The Assistant Director for Partnerships & Collaboration, Greg Williamson, will continue his leadership in emphasizing the importance of the very crucial infant and toddler years.  He will continue to serve as our lead for the Healthiest Next Generation, Essentials for Childhood, ACE’s Public Private Initiative (APPI), Developmental Screenings, and Frontiers of Innovation. 

“We want to emphasize providing quality professional development for our DEL staff,” said Dr. Hyde. “This is something that we need to do better.  All of our work is done under the umbrella or ‘roof’ of the Early Start Act and CCDF reauthorization.  The peak of this roof and the peak of all that we are looking for is the highest quality for children and families.”

Dr. Hyde is set to retire on August 31, 2015. DEL’s new director will be named and announced in the coming weeks.

Breastfeeding Friendly Washington Hospitals Supports the Healthiest Next Generation

In partnership with the Washington State Hospital Association, the Washington State Department of Health launched Breastfeeding Friendly Washington Hospitals on August 3. This voluntary program recognizes birthing hospitals that support breastfeeding and is part of Governor Jay Inslee’s Healthiest Next Generation Initiative.

Recognizing that Washington's future depends on the health of our children, Gov. Inslee launched the Healthiest Next Generation Initiative to help our next generation be the healthiest ever. Supporting breastfeeding is one of the initiative’s three areas of focus.

This program is based on the World Health Organization’s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. The steps were adapted for birthing hospitals in Washington, using three tiers of recognition (bronze, silver and gold). Successful applicants will receive window decals, a letter and certificate of achievement from Secretary of Health John Wiesman, and a CD with logo files and a sample press release. Hospitals that qualify for the Gold Recognition Level will also receive a plaque. 

This program is not only about recognition for hospitals, but it is also a vehicle for families to learn about how hospitals are supporting breastfeeding. The promotional package hospitals receive will help with this awareness. Prospective parents can also search our website for a Breastfeeding Friendly Hospital nearby.

"The Governor declared the Healthiest Next Generation initiative, and breastfeeding was one of the key areas he wanted to focus on," said Michele Lord, Department of Health Breastfeeding Coordinator. "Through research, we have noted that Washington has a good breastfeeding initiation rate among moms. However this number declines, and by six months we have a low number of moms that are still breastfeeding. Putting the pieces together, we realized that there is something happening from the moment the mom leaves the hospital that can shape her success in continuing to breastfeed. So we decided to begin with hospitals to promote breastfeeding across the state, to get new moms off to a great start."

Ten Steps to the Breastfeeding Friendly Washington program:

1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all healthcare staff.
2. Train all healthcare staff in the skills necessary to implement this policy.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4. Place babies skin-to-skin with their mothers for 60 minutes immediately after birth and help mothers recognize and respond to feeding cues.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation even if they are separated from their infants.
6. Give infants no food or drink other than breastmilk unless medically indicated.
7. Practice rooming-in to allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand. Teach mothers cue-based feeding regardless of feeding method.
9. Give no artificial nipples or pacifiers to breastfeeding infants.
10. Establish a system for referring mothers to out-patient and community support. 

The Benefits of Breastfeeding:

Breastfeeding helps protect and maintain the health of both mothers and babies. Breastfeeding protects babies from infections and illnesses such as diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia and breastfed babies are less likely to develop asthma. Research also shows that breastfeeding a baby for nine months reduces a baby’s risk of becoming overweight by more than 30 percent. Mothers who breastfeed have a decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers, Type 2 diabetes and post-partum depression.

Supporting breastfeeding is also good for business– big and small. Businesses that support breastfeeding employees are better at retaining valued employees. When employees breastfeed, businesses see less sick time taken by both moms and dads for doctor visits and hospitalizations. Because breastfeeding protects the health of both moms and babies, businesses experience lower health care and insurance costs.

To learn more about the program, contact Michele Lord, Department of Health Breastfeeding Coordinator at michele.lord@doh.wa.gov or (360) 236-3625. To share how you are creating the healthiest next generation, use the hashtag: #HealthiestNextGen on social media!