Each Child. Every Community.

This article written by Danielle Collier makes the connection between increased screen time and reduction in physical activity for children which can lead to negative health outcomes.  The article also shares the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations around limiting...

This article by Chloe Reichel refers to an April 2018 study published in Pediatrics which found that offering families financial assistance through the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children to purchase food in the summer improved school aged children's...

This article by Grace Derocha gives some strategies for parents to talk to their children about healthy lifestyles.  She also highlights  the important role parents and guardians play to model active play and healthy eating for their young children....

In the last fiscal year, Catawba County's local partnership, Catawba County Partnership for Children, assigned nurses and Child Care Health Consultants (CCHC) to 32 children in childcare.  Of these 32 children, Catawba's CCHC's worked with the parents of 16 children...

Healthy Eating Starts Early: Growing Healthy Kids with CACFP and Farm to School ECE This article by Alexia Thex, National CACFP Sponsors Association highlights the success story of Kelly Rood, a CACFP participant in Arlington, Texas. Through Kelly's work a...

Shift Needed in Understanding Risks in Play Environments This article shares the perspective of Bambi Yost, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at Iowa State University.  Since the 1960s, there has been a trend in the United States to eliminate the...

The Secret Power of Play  This article by Siobhan O'Connor focuses on the importance of play during early childhood. Scientists have learned that free play is not just something children like to do, but something children need to do. Play...

New global estimates of child and adolescent obesity released on World Obesity Day  This article highlights the study published in the Lancet which analyzed weight and height in which nearly 130 million people, including 31.5 million children aged 5-19 years...

Tackling Childhood Obesity is about More Than Just Diet and Exercise - This article from the Independent on the importance of effective movement as it pertains to the increase of physical activity in tackling childhood obesity.  Effective movement for children...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE = February 24, 2017 Press Contact: Heather Strickland - 919-821-9564, hstrickland@smartstart.org Two Smart Start Local Partnerships Take the Lead on Fighting Early Childhood Obesity – Wake County SmartStart (WCSS) and the Down East Partnership for Children (DEPC)...