This resource kit was designed for community members interested in establishing and maintaining a community coalition to help improve the health of (SNAP) eligible children and their families. The authors believe that the best way to approach the complexity of childhood overweight is to create environments that promote healthy eating and active lifestyles.
Pilot testing for the kit was conducted by seven University of California Cooperative Extension County offices throughout the state. These offices, often working collaboratively with local agencies and organizations, provided helpful feedback on the kit’s contents as they went step by step through the meeting guides, launching local coalitions on children and weight.
From the original promotional flyer: "...a series of materials on childhood overweight developed through Cooperative Extension at the University of California. The Children and Weight series includes informative publications for parents, teachers, and health care professionals on this high profile public health concern. The Children and Weight: What Communities Can Do resource kit is a how-to guide offering technical assistance to community leaders who want to launch a local task force dedicated to reducing childhood overweight. This resource kit includes:
- Essential, up-to-date information on childhood over weight, including: prevalence, best-practices approaches for prevention, and social concerns related to body image.
- An explanation of rationale and philosophy for empowerment approach.
- Guidelines for mapping community resources, identifying and recruiting potential task force members, and discovering a range of possible activities; and objectives, and devising an action plan.
- Tips for facilitation of effective meetings.
- Step-by-step guides, including agendas, overheads and handouts, for initial task force meetings.
- Suggestions for how to help the group maintain momentum.
- An extensive list of print and electronic resources on childhood overweight and community building.
- "Make a Change" an inspiring video that shows different ways that local communities have mobilized to improve kids access to nutritious foods and fun ways to stay fit."