Early ChildhoodTask Force Begins Work
 Do
young low-income children have the nutrition they need for healthy
development? That's one of the questions that may be on the agenda
of the 33-member Early Childhood Care and Education Task Force
appointed by Governor Mark Schweiker.
Schweiker has asked the Task Force, which met for the first time
on April 17, to assess how Pennsylvania should expand its commitment
to ensure that all children are healthy, safe and ready for their
first day of school.
Businesswoman Marilyn Ware of Lancaster County chairs the group.
The secretaries of the departments of Health, Education, and Public
Welfare are participating. Educators, child care providers and
foundation executives make up the majority of the membership.
The group includes one medical professional but no nutritionist.
In an April 22nd letter to War, Hunger Action identified three
issues for the Task Force to study:
- How to make WIC and the PA Nutrition Education Program
more effective in preparing low-income parents to meet the
nutritional needs of their children;
- How to reverse the decline in participation by home-based
child care providers in the federally-funded Child and Adult
Care Food Program; and
- Whether to revive a 1999 pilot project to attract more
relative-neighbor child care providers to the Child and
Adult Care Food Program.
Judith Heald, who worked as a nutritionist for 30 years with
low-income families and most recently coordinated Pennsylvania's
Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, hopes the Task
Force will not overlook the role of good nutrition in preparing
children for school.
Heald stated, "Children who are hungry or poorly nourished
cannot learn effectively. By including both good nutrition and
nutrition education in early childhood programs, we can proactively
affect the futures of these young Pennsylvanians, not only improving
their health and ability to learn, but reducing long term health
care and societal costs.
"Good food can easily be incorporated into early learning. Learning
colors, counting, tasting, feeling textures, and learning where
our food comes from are all fascinating ways for young children
to learn. Here in Pennsylvania we have several under-utilized
nutrition resources that are effective in supporting child development.
I hope broader use of these resources will be one of the recommendations."
By September 30, the Task Force, which has a $2 million budget,
will issue its first report summarizing the programs and services
already provided, best practices, and models from other states.
A second report that includes a quality assessment of existing
child care options is due on November 15.
Back to Top
|
