The Preschools Shaping Healthy Impressions through Nutrition and Exercise (SHINE) program is a voluntary nutrition and physical activity recognition program for licensed child care centers and family day care homes in California. Administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), the program is designated for Early Care and Education (ECE) sites that participate in the CACFP and serve preschool aged children (ages two to five). The overall goal of the program is to promote high-quality nutrition and wellness practices at ECE sites to support children's health and readiness to learn.
Intervention Target Behavior: Healthy Eating, Physical Activity and Reducing Screen Time
SNAP-Ed Strategies: PSE Change, Direct Education
SHINE focuses on ECE programs in California. Family child care homes and child care centers that participate in the CACFP and have at least 50 percent of children aged two to five years enrolled in their program may apply for Preschools SHINE certification. Since 2012, the SHINE program elements have been implemented in 152 child care agencies, reaching 282 preschool classrooms and nearly 6,000 children.
Setting: Pre-K & Childcare, Gardens (School/Community)
Age: Preschool
Race: All
Ethnicity: All
The Preschools SHINE program consists of 10 elements that foster healthy habits during the early years of growth and development:
- Participation in the CACFP
- Promoting Quality Meals
- Mealtime Environment
- Nutrition Education
- Edible Gardening
- Physical Activity
- Professional Development
- Wellness Policies
- Partnerships
- Leadership Team
The program is structured so all ECE sites can achieve a beginning certification level (Bronze), and then over time, make additional improvements to the site's wellness environment to reach higher certification levels (Silver and Gold). Information on the criteria ECE sites must meet within each element and the levels of SHINE certification is accessible on the CDSS Preschools SHINE web page at https://www.cdss.ca.gov/cacfp/preschools-shine-program.
The Resources tab of the CDSS Preschools SHINE web page at https://www.cdss.ca.gov/cacfp/preschools-shine-program includes links to free resources within the web page guidance developed for each element. These free resources support ECE staff to implement the criteria within each of the SHINE elements. The CDSS Preschools SHINE web page also includes a Trainings tab with free and low-cost professional development opportunities.
Prior to the transition of the CACFP to the CDSS, the CA Department of Education (CDE) collaborated with the Sacramento County Office of Education to conduct evaluations for the SHINE program every year from 2013‒2017. The data confirmed that the Preschools SHINE program provided effective education and coaching support to child care providers and staff to promote high quality child nutrition and wellness environments. The data from the 2016‒17 evaluation (n=25) shows:
- One-hundred percent of respondents indicated that Preschools SHINE had an impact on the practices at the child care site. Of those, 86% of respondents indicated that the Preschools SHINE program had a moderate to strong impact and the remaining 14% indicated that the SHINE program had some impact.
- One-hundred percent of respondents indicated that Preschools SHINE had an impact on the environment at the child care site. Of those, 64% of respondents indicated that the Preschools SHINE program had a moderate to strong impact and the remaining 36% indicated that the SHINE program had some impact.
- Statistically significant growth was reported by respondents' self-ratings of their knowledge and implementation in nearly each of the Preschools SHINE elements after participating in the program. The one exception was wellness policy development.
- 100% of respondents either agreed (22%) or strongly agreed (78%) that they can maintain the Preschools SHINE criteria at the child care site.
Evidence Base: Practice-Tested
Based on the SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework, the following outcome indicators can be used to evaluate intervention progress and success.
| Readiness and Capacity - Short Term (ST) | Changes - Medium Term (MT) | Effectiveness and Maintenance - Long Term (LT) | Population Results (R) | |
| Individual | ||||
| Environmental Settings | MT3, MT5, MT6 | LT5, LT6, LT7 | ||
| Sectors of Influence |
MT3/MT6/LT6: SHINE sites reported that the coaching they received resulted in an 85% moderate to great difference in implementing Element 6, Physical Activity.
MT5/LT5: SHINE sites reported that the coaching they received resulted in a 70% moderate to great difference in implementing Element 2, Meal Quality; a 67% moderate to great difference in implementing Element 3, Mealtime Environment; a 95% moderate to great difference in implementing Element 4, Nutrition Education; and a 60% moderate to great difference in implementing Element 5, Edible Gardening.
LT7: 81 preschool programs have received Preschools SHINE recognition since 2013
Evaluation materials include the evaluation tools used each year and the evaluation reports. Please contact the CDSS Preschools SHINE team at PreschoolsSHINE@dss.ca.gov to request the materials.
The CDSS Preschools SHINE web page at https://www.cdss.ca.gov/cacfp/preschools-shine-program includes the background for the development of Preschools SHINE; eligibility, award levels, and application information; in-person and online trainings; resources, including information for each element, a self-assessment, action plan, and a link to the SHINE application; and a list of certified SHINE sites.
Contact Person(s):
Madison Fellenz, MPH
Nutrition Education Consultant
(916) 651-7329
*Updated as of August 20, 2023