Recognition & Technical Assistance

The in-person UF/IFAS Healthy Kids Healthy Future Workshop is currently being offered virtually, Go NAPSACC offers on-demand trainings for each best practice, and the ABCs of a Healthy Me Training is a self-paced online training.

We understand that things have changed or been adapted due to COVID, so we are committed to making this process as convenient as possible for ECEs during this time. Since the recognition is good for 2-years, it will be best to use pre-COVID practices. However, if it is not an additional burden, it would be beneficial if ECE providers can highlight which best practices have been adapted or put on hold due to COVID-19 by making an addendum to their policy or sharing how this update was shared with a parent.

• For example, during a recent virtual conference, other states shared how ECE providers have shifted to individual self-serve options to promote motor skills development and maintain some of the family–style dining elements.

A live, virtual workshop or class for parents on a particular topic,  with flyers, event announcements, or handouts that display the topic and credentials/title of the presenter. Flyers, newsletters, emails, or handouts to parents with information or resources about any of the five best practices from credible topic experts at government agencies, educational institutes, or health foundations. 

• This benchmark has not been modified due to COVID-19. The FL HEROs Benchmarks were developed based on the Preventing Childhood Obesity in ECE Program  3^rd Edition Guidelines, which is a component of the Caring for Our Children National Guidelines. These national guidelines state that child care centers should limit educational screen time to 30 minutes per week of commercial-free programming, teachers should supervise this screen time, and teachers should always talk with students about what they are seeing during screen time. If this is typically the case we ask that a policy addendum be attached that reflects the typical policy and how it had been changed due to COVID-19.
• We also understand from our calls with ECE programs that some preschoolers may be getting closer to 150 minutes per week or 30 minutes per day of screen time due to testing and literacy requirements and that some are offering Pre-K virtually. We will discuss this with our stakeholder committee to see if modifications or exceptions are needed.