Child care settings are graded on healthy habits for preschoolers – No A’s for this group!
It is surprising to read that 24.4% of children ages 2 – 5 years old are either overweight or obese. That means that 1 out of every 4 preschooler is overweight/obese. I know that I am always talking about the family setting and what can be done to help kids be more active and eat healthier. But when I read that near.y 74% of children 3-6 are in some form of childcare setting away from home, that got me thinking.
These childcare settings also have a great influence on the eating and activity habits of these children. Just think how many children are eating one or two of their main meals away from home. I found that each state has regulations that help child care facilities and preschools promote kids’ health and prevent childhood obesity.
The Robert Woods Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating childhood obesity, has just released a report about how well each these child care facilities are doing at meeting these regulations. Read the whole report: Preventing Obesity In The Child Care Setting, Evaluating State Regulations.
According the report, here are the grades that each state received based on how well they met state regulations on healthy eating and physical activity.
| STATE | GRADE |
| Georgia | B |
| Nevada | B |
| Colorado | B |
| Illinois | B |
| Mississippi | B |
| Ohio | B |
| South Carolina | B |
| Tennessee | B |
| Alaska | C+ |
| Delaware | C+ |
| Hawaii | C+ |
| Maine | C+ |
| Missouri | C+ |
| New Jersey | C+ |
| New Mexico | C+ |
| Oklahoma | C+ |
| Rhode Island | C+ |
| Texas | C+ |
| Vermont | C+ |
| Virginia | C+ |
| Washington | C+ |
| West Virginia | C+ |
| Alabama | C |
| Arizona | C |
| Arkansas | C |
| California | C |
| Florida | C |
| Indiana | C |
| Iowa | C |
| Kansas | C |
| Maryland | C |
| Massachusetts | C |
| Michigan | C |
| Minnesota | C |
| Montana | C |
| New Hampshire | C |
| New York | C |
| North Carolina | C |
| Oregon | C |
| Pennsylvania | C |
| Utah | C |
| Wisconsin | C |
| Wyoming | C |
| Washington DC | C |
| Connecticut | C |
| Kentucky | C |
| Louisiana | C |
| Nebraska | C |
| North Dakota | C |
| Virgin Islands | C |
| Department of Defense | C |
| South Dakota | D |
| Puerto Rico | D |
| Idaho | F |
Read the report about your particular state.
December 16th, 2009 at 11:50 am
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December 16th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
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