San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative

San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative Early Childhood Domain Workgroup

March 26, 2013

Attendees: Cheryl Moder, Debal Acquaro, Debbie MacDonald, Diandra Little Dog, Gilliane Zallis, Heather Ferguson, Jake McGough, Jessica Dorn, Jojo Drinkwater, Kristine Smith, Lizabeth Noriega, Marie Lawrence, Mary Barnes, Norma Mendoza, Paul Rosengard, Penny Adler, Rachel Hamilton, Rachel , Morineau

AGENDA ITEM DISCUSSION / ISSUES / CONCERNS DECISIONS / RECOMMENDATIONS / ACTION ITEMS 1. Introduction & Review of  Debbie MacDonald led introductions.  Minutes were Minutes  The group reviewed and approved the minutes. approved. Debbie MacDonald 2. Presentation on WIC  WIC is a supplemental nutrition program to help pregnant women,  At the next meeting, the Jojo Drinkwater infants, and children eat well, stay healthy, and be active. group would like to  WIC is administered at the federal level by USDA and at the state discuss how Head Start level by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). can promote WIC.  WIC provides participants with nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support and information, checks for nutritious food, and referrals to community resources.  Eligible participants are pregnant women, breastfeeding women up to one year postpartum, non-breastfeeding women up to six months postpartum, infants and children up to age five, and single fathers with children up to age five.  Individuals in these groups most also show proof that family income does not exceed 185% of the federal poverty level, they reside in the state, and they have nutritional need.  In San Diego, WIC agencies are American Red Cross WIC, North County Health Services WIC, San Ysidro Health Services WIC, Scripps Mercy WIC, and SDSU Research Foundation WIC.  Q: How does WIC interface with SNAP? A: The two programs promote one another and relay similar messages.  Q: What is the average monthly benefit? A: $50 to $120/person.  Q: When will WIC use EBT? A: When it’s clear program integrity will not be impacted. WIC checks provide nutritional information.  Q: What is the return on investment? A: Every $1 spent on WIC saves the government $4.  Q: Do all states offer WIC? A: Yes.  Q: How many people participate? A: 1.5 million in CA, 111,000 in San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative Early Childhood Domain Workgroup San Diego County.  Q: How do WIC participants shop in food deserts? A: WIC approves stores that stock a certain number of WIC-eligible products. Some stores are lower quality, but they serve underserved communities.  Q: Do farmers markets accept WIC? A: A few pilot sites in SD do.  Q: How does WIC incorporate 5210? A: Because of funding, WIC can only support (not adopt) other organizations’ campaigns.  The group discussed infant meal patterns and the WIC guideline to avoid solid foods for children under 6 months of age. 3. Update: Legislation  AB 290 - California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA) sponsored AB Debbie MacDonald 290. This bill adds one hour of nutrition education to the existing 15-hour preventative health training required to get a childcare license in California. CFPA will seek support letters.  SB 464 - This is a large bill requiring early childcare sites and after-school programs receiving specific federal and state monies to implement a number of healthy eating and physical activity best practices. Enforcement would be overseen by the Department of Education during triennial monitoring visits made to each site. 4. Connecting the Dots  The following people have committed to presenting on their  Jamie Moody will organizations’ work: Jamie Moody (April), Paul Rosengard (May), present in April. Rachel Morineau and Lizabeth Noriega (June), Norma Mendoza  Jennifer Tracy from the (July), MAAC Project (August). SD Hunger Coalition  The County is putting together a County Nutrition Action Plan to and Naomi Butler or involve all organizations implementing federal nutrition programs. Ramona Berry from the  The group discussed barriers to SNAP enrollment in San Diego. County will be invited to discuss SNAP. 5. Healthy Party Policy  Kim McDougal and Cheryl are working on the healthy party policy. 6. COI Updates  The COI Leadership Council recently adopted two overarching Cheryl Moder strategies for each domain to support over the next several years: o Safe Routes to Healthy Places o Reducing Access to and Consumption of Sugar- sweetened Beverages  The COI is working with the Network for a Healthy CA to arrange a Safe Routes to Healthy Places forum in early May.  Domain workplans must be updated by June. 7. Farm to Preschool  YMCA CRS is continuing Farm to Preschool support at Ridgeview Valley Center and Cuyamaca College.  Two MAAC Project Head Start sites will be installing gardens, as San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative Early Childhood Domain Workgroup will two sites in North County. One barrier is leadership over the summer; the sites are looking into joint use agreements.  Educational Enrichment Systems has 10 or 11 sites that want to roll out Farm to Preschool over the next year.  Zoe Phillips and staff at Occidental College have been pilot testing Farm to Preschool with family-based providers. They will be making changes to their curriculum for this population. 8. Update: HEAL Zone  CHIP received a grant from Kaiser to do a 3 yr, 9 mo project in Cheryl Moder Lemon Grove applying COI’s model in a place-based way.  The HEAL Zone will work with YMCA CRS to reach out to licensed childcare providers (about 55 in Lemon Grove) to survey their nutrition and physical activity practices and support them in adopting the COI’s early childhood wellness policy.  Melanie Briones has been working with the project evaluators and the early childhood domain champions in Lemon Grove to adapt IBACH’s survey and develop an outreach strategy. 9. Reports from Other  SPARK will host an Early Childhood Institute in late June for Agencies people working with children 3-5. Education credit is available.  CDi Head Start is implementing I Am Moving, I Am Learning in the classroom and going out to bid for food vendors this summer.  San Diego Unified offers free meals during intersession.  The San Diego Farm to School Taskforce is hosting a “Let’s Go Local!” Produce Showcase on May 2 to connect local food vendors and school and institutional buyers.  Chula Vista’s Castle Park Neighborhood has received $60 million to become a Promise Neighborhood. South Bay Community Services has received about half of that funding and will be hiring more than 60 staff to develop the project.  Early childhood education will be a new area of interest for the League of Women Voters at the state level.  If partners know of families who would be interested in one-on- one nutrition consultations, please contact Heather Ferguson ([email protected]) at the Children’s Home Society. 10. Next Meeting April 23, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. at YMCA Childcare Resource Service Building, 4th floor conference room (3333 Camino Del Rio South, San Diego, CA 92108).