RPC Chosen to Participate in Program Aimed at Lowering Obesity Rates

The RPC’s Early Childhood Education program has been chosen to participate in Eat Healthy, Stay Active!, a program focused on lowering obesity rates in Head Start children.

Eat Healthy, Stay Active! was started eight years ago by Central Missouri Community Action Head Start (CMCA), after they discovered the children in their program had higher obesity rates than the national Head Start average. They looked for a program that would meet the performance standard guidelines, include family engagement, and be Head Start staff friendly.

CMCA ended up applying for a grant and developing their own program. It was very important to the developers that the classroom activities and parent training were customized to Head Start children and their parents. Over the years Eat Healthy, Stay Active! has been shared with many other programs, presented at NHSA conferences, and received professional recognition. 

The RPC will be one of only 12 programs from the state of Illinois chosen to participate in a two-day workshop to receive training on Eat Healthy, Stay Active! in late April in Champaign.

“This unique program includes parent and classroom education that is easy for staff to implement,” says Brandi Granse, the RPC’s Early Childhood Division Director. “Along with helping lower obesity rates, it has been shown to increase family engagement and health compliance. We’re honored to have our program be chosen to participate.”