In early childhood programs, staff members and families are important partners in helping children learn about their growing bodies and minds. Laying a healthy foundation in the earliest years can set the stage for a lifetime of healthy habits for families. Health literacy is a key to that foundation, and it refers to finding, understanding, and using health information to inform health-related decisions. Join your friends from the Sesame Workshop to learn about health literacy resources to help support families through healthy and not-so-healthy times. Discover ways to help caregivers understand, appreciate, and involve children in learning about and caring for their bodies.
Thursday, May 4, 2023
1:00–2:00 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time)
Related Resources
Explore related resources on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) website to learn more.
- Health Literacy: Health Tips for Families
- Health Literacy, Language, and Culture
- Growing Healthy: A Guide for Head Start Health Managers
This FREE online training hosted by FARE, the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research at Northwestern University, and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital is appropriate for all adults working with young children in any setting. It provides necessary information, strategies, and resources to address food allergies in early childhood spaces. CE credit is available for early childhood professionals.
It’s easy to enroll!
- Go to: http://www.foodallergyacademy.org/
- Click “Register for Account” (if you are a new user) to create a free account.
- In the search box enter the word “STOP”
- Select the training “STOP. LOOK. ASK. GO: Food Allergy Education for Early Childhood Professionals”
SPARK Learning Lab is excited to partner with Calm to support Indiana early childhood education and care and out-of-school professionals by providing access to a free premium subscription to Calm through February 2024. Calm is open to individuals who own, work or volunteer in an Indiana-based early childhood education or out-of-school care program, as well as the household family members and dependents of those individuals.
Yoga can help calm and restore the mind and body and it can be a great strategy for helping children become more in touch with their bodies and how to manage their energy. Check out this information about the benefits of yoga with kids from PBS.org:
Daily health screenings are a vital tool which help identify potential health risks and may reduce the transmission of infectious diseases in child care programs. Having a health check chart for each child can help providers keep accurate records and look for patterns.
The winter season brings with it added hazards. Child care providers can take steps to keep children safe from winter hazards.
Children need extra protection from cold weather as they are not able to regulate their body temperature. It’s vital that children wear appropriate clothing for the weather.
- Wear layers of loose-fitting, lightweight clothing
- Wear a hat, coat, and gloves/mittens
- Caregivers should check children’s extremities for normal color and warmth at least every 15 minutes
This infographic created by the National Weather Service serves as a great tool to help guide what clothing is needed in the cold weather.
Protect the children in your care by knowing the facts about Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). A viral disease primarily affects children but can occur in people of all ages. RSV infects the nose, throat, lungs, and breathing passages and is spread through contact with an infected person or by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Be proactive and talk to your families about the importance of careful and frequent hand washing. Share the signs and symptoms of RSV and how it spreads. If you suspect illness, suggest the child see their doctor for a diagnosis. Go over your health policy, so they know when their child should stay home.
A huge part of our work is caring for the health and well-being of the children we care for. However, for us to do this effectively, we need to also care for ourselves. This resource created by The Office of Child Care, State capacity Building Center an office of the Administration for children & families, highlights the importance of caring for our wellness, exploring the eight areas of wellness ( physical, emotional, and mental health, environmental, occupational, social, intellectual, financial, and spiritual). The resource also helps in reflecting on how we currently support each area and how we can better plan to support all areas.
As caregivers, we experience stress in many ways, appearing through body sensations, thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. This Town square-created resource can help you think about long-term strategies to break the stress cycle.
Strategies For Managing Stress
The trauma-informed approach is guided by the “Four R’s”: Realize the widespread impact of trauma and understanding potential paths for recovery; recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system; respond by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices; and seeks to actively resist retraumatization. (SAHMSA,2014) This Town Square-created resource gives practical ways to utilize the Four R’s.
