2018 Child Care Strategy Updates

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Farm to Child Care training leads to healthy eating partnerships.

The training was offered in May 2018 by Stacy Boysen at Lake City Catholic Worker Farm.

During the training, providers learned about two services offered by the Wabasha Farmers Market and Lake City Market by the Lake:

Power of Produce (PoP) Club, and Farmers Market Food Aggregation

Power of Produce (PoP) Club is an incentive program where children ages 4 to 12 receive a $2 token each week to spend on fresh fruits, vegetables and food plants at the farmers market. At least two child care providers have already signed their children up and their kids get excited to go to the market every week to use their $2 tokens.

Farmers Market Food Aggregation was developed into a project when Wabasha Farmers Market obtained a Wholesale Food Handler’s License allowing farmers markets to aggregate (or combine) and sell healthy foods to local businesses such as schools, hospitals, child care facilities and restaurants after three years of working to break through barriers. During our training, child care providers were offered an opportunity to sign up to order foods from the markets through Local Orbit, the online ordering system. Two providers who participated in the training have signed up. There is hope to expand the offering of this service to more child care providers throughout our community.

Healthy eating trainings offered to Wabasha County child care providers with the support of SHIP.

On May 19, 2018 a Farm to Child Care training was offered by Stacy Boysen at Lake City Catholic Worker Farm. Farm to Child Care is a nationwide movement that connects childcare providers and young children with fresh ideas for incorporating local foods, fun, healthy curriculum and activities, and healthy meals and snacks into their child care programs. Hands-on activities in a relaxing atmosphere make this training a must for everyone!

The following providers attended the training and are SHIP partners: Alexis Befort, Brenda Burgland, Melissa Fitzgerald, Brandie Richardson, Linda Pavlak, and All 'Bout Children (Chris Wadley).  

Here are concepts attendees plan to incorporate:

• Visiting a farm

• Picking strawberries with the kids

• Creating a garden for the kids and with the kids

• Creating cooking activities

• Creating activities based around nutrition

• Expanding their garden to make it bigger

• Try purchasing a CSA from a local farmer

• Purchase local food

• Plant some plants

• Incorporate more health foods

• Curriculum changes

Contact Sara George, Wabasha Farmers Market Manager for support in implementing farm to childcare at your facility and to learn about Power of Produce (POP) Club offered at Lake City Market by the Lake and Wabasha Farmers Market.

On June 25, 2018 a CATCH USA Early Childhood – Healthy Eating #121998 was offered by Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator, in Plainview. This class is aimed at promoting healthy eating behaviors in preschool age children age 3-5. The following providers attended the training and are SHIP partners: Donna and Pamela's Daycare (Donna Jansky, Pamela Lang, and Bobbi Sievers), Sharry Stensrud, and Blanket Fort Daycare (Megan Fort).

Partners who took healthy eating trainings reported the following:

• Recipes are helpful

• Kids are eating more vegetables than they did before attending a training

• Kids are eating enough junk food, that when they get to daycare, they ask for salads because they love them

• Kids know their bodies need good foods

• Kids want to go to the farmers market and try new things

“I partnered with SHIP shortly after opening my childcare. At first I was thinking it's just some more training, but little did I know it was going to be one of the most valuable choices that I made.

By partnering with SHIP I have received great training, information and amazing resources to help make my childcare a success.I have also had the opportunity to meet some pretty great people along the way and share and learn from them as well.

I feel that partnering with SHIP is a beneficial addition to any program, family, or individual seeking a healthier, safer living lifestyle. Thank You Tina for this great opportunity.”

-Brandie Richardson

Contact Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator, at tmoen@co.wabasha.mn.us to learn more about partnering with SHIP.

Child care providers partner with Wabasha County SHIP to support breastfeeding.

SHIP continues to collaborate with Wabasha County child care providers.

Reasons for child care providers to partner with SHIP:

• Free MNCPD approved continuing education hours

• Help in obtaining three and four star Parent Aware Ratings (providers do not need to be part of the Parent Aware program to participate)

• Have a completed self-assessment and results

• Training and an action plan for one to three of the following areas: Healthy eating, physical activity, and breastfeeding support

• Implementing best practices for healthy eating, breastfeeding and/or physical activity in their programs

• Have a completed post-implementation self-assessment and results

• Have written policies describing their newly-adopted action plan(s)

• Training-related tools and supplies will be provided to those partnering while funding is available

 The process for partnering with Wabasha County SHIP is as follows:

• SHIP provides a quick and easy pre-assessment

• SHIP provides FREE training(s)

• SHIP provides an action plan template

• SHIP provides Technical Assistance

• Policies in nutrition, breastfeeding support and physical activity are adopted by providers and/or centers

• SHIP provides a post-assessment

• Long-term sustainability will be reviewed

Click here to register for our next training, Supporting Breastfeeding in Child Care Programs,  scheduled January 29, 2018 in Plainview.

We offer classes about 6 months apart to give partners time to work on their action plans and our next class will be CATCH USA Early Childhood – Healthy Eating and will be offered in late Spring 2018.