TOP Star is a program that targets childhood obesity in
childcare facilities. Participating facilities go
through a five-step process which includes self-assessment, action planning,
training, reevaluation, and endorsement. Each step encompasses the level of
nutrition and physical activity of children in the facilities. First, childcare facility employees participate in the self-assessment which they
complete on their own. Next, TOP Star coordinators set goals with the
facilities so they can identify problem areas and improve the health of their kids.
Kara Eddington, the director of Children's Classic Child Care in Ogden went over the facility's goals for nutrition and physical activity with TOP Star coordinators last month. The center has been endorsed for 3 years and strives to keep their kids healthy. Eddington explains the food program resources they use so their children can learn about nutrition and then make snacks of their own. "We love [TOP Star]. It's a really great program for children to be exposed to new foods," she says.
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| Future chefs learn to cook healthy foods as part of thee TOP Star program. Photo courtesy Children's Classic Child Care in Ogden. |
Eddington says that they have separated the playground into zones and an adult in charge of each one creates an activity that combines both physical activity and themes children are learning about currently. She gives the example of combining art and physical activity such as when the kids got to participate in making dinosaur footprints in the sand box.
In order to be TOP Star endorsed, childcare facility managers must participate in training. There are 2 training sessions per year. The next training takes place September 17th and 24th from 9 AM-3 PM. Individuals who attend the training receive 10 licensing credits and 10 continuing education credits. Though the training is mostly focused on those looking to get their facility endorsed, anyone is welcome to participate.
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| TOP Star training in March featured fun activities childcare workers can implement to keep the kids moving! |
After a few months of working on the goals, TOP Star
coordinators go back to the facility to reevaluate and complete a second
self-assessment. Based on their improvement compared to the first
self-assessment, the childcare facilities can be TOP Star endorsed by the state
of Utah which means they are providing proper nutrition and physical activity
to their children which in turn helps to prevent childhood obesity.
The endorsement lasts for three years, and every time it expires TOP
Star coordinators visit each facility again for another self-assessment, to set
new goals, and to renew their endorsement if they meet criteria for proper
nutrition and physical activity. TOP Star endorsement is based on a three-star
rating system and each rank has a point value attached.
Weber-Morgan Health Department teams up with Davis County
Health Department for the training sessions and to create a monthly newsletter for
childcare providers. Topics in the newsletter include indoor play time during
hot weather to get kids' hearts pumping, healthy kid-friendly recipes, and other ideas
for physical activity and nutrition. Childcare providers can use these ideas to
improve the health of the kids at their facilities. The newsletters are not
only sent to facilities that are already endorsed, but also other facilities
who are working on endorsement.
Sheri Winn, the TOP Star consultant at Weber-Morgan Health
Department, works to keep up endorsements. She approaches childcare facilities
and asks them if they would like to get involved. “A lot of people don’t know
about TOP Star so I usually have to do the cold calls to help them learn about
it,” she says.
Winn has worked with seven childcare facilities since she
became the TOP Star consultant for the area and of those she has endorsed three so
far and one is in the process. Overall, Sheri says this program is showing great
success.
For more information visit:
Children's Classic: http://www.childrensclassic.net/ &
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