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ECOP consistent messaging makes a difference! Don't forget to order free 9 Ways to Grow Healthy Colorado Kids materials from the One Stop ECOP Shop to share with partner organizations and families in your community.
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2018 Messaging Reach Survey Report
Every two years the ECOP Unit issues a survey to community partners to assess the reach and use of the 9 Ways to Grow Healthy Colorado Kids consistent messaging campaign. The survey's purpose is to gain an understanding about who is sharing the messages, how these individuals and organizations use the messages and to learn challenges and successes with dissemination.
Thank you to the 97 partners who completed the 2018 Messaging Reach Survey. Respondents represented 42 counties (65 percent) and two state agencies and serve various populations.
The three messages shared most often were:
- Rethink your drink, choose water. Extra calories from sugar-sweetened beverages may lead to weight gain.
- Give your child nutritious food and active play for a healthy future.
- Give yourself and your baby all the benefits of breastfeeding.
Major successes attributed to using the messages were:
- Seeing a child's BMI drop steadily into a healthier range.
- Helping parents and caregivers understand that they will assist their children to be healthy, safe and thriving.
- Helping families make healthy changes.
- Normalizing breastfeeding.
- Promoting water over sugary beverages.
Respondents reported using the English and Spanish posters, handouts and wall growth charts to display and provide education. To read the full report, visit the One Stop ECOP Shop.
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Building Your ECE Campaign Coalition
Voices for Healthy Kids and Child Care Aware have released a new resource to help campaigns engage early care and education stakeholders.
The toolkit contains helpful information for building advocacy efforts aimed at setting forth minimum standards for ECE programs.
The toolkit provides resources and information on the three phases to a campaign: recruit, engage and mobilize. Use the guides to encourage policies that support health in your communities by:
- Recruiting and activating an advocate base.
- Spreading the word online.
- Alerting local media.
- Communicating with state and local public officials.
By working together with parents, caregivers, community leaders and policy-makers, communities can ensure early childcare programs provide healthy environments where kids learn to form positive habits around nutrition, physical activity and limited screen time.
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Reducing Childhood Intake of Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSBs)
A new report from the CDC found from 2013-2016 water and milk made up two-thirds of the beverages consumed by US children aged 2-19 years. However, gender and ethnic disparities exist and play a role when choosing beverages.
To support the continued reduction of SSB consumption, a recently released systematic review identified effective interventions for decreasing consumption of SSBs among children ages 0-5 years. These interventions often take place in preschool or daycare settings and include:
- In-person individual and group education.
- Passive education (e.g. handouts and posters).
- Use of technology.
- Childcare and health care provider training.
- Changes to the physical access of beverages.
Use the One Stop ECOP Shop for free resources and visit the Healthy Beverage Partnership website to implement an effective healthy beverage campaign.
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Limit diet drinks & switch to water!
The American Heart Association (AHA) advises against regular and long-term consumption of diet beverages, especially in children (except those with diabetes) in a recent statement. Try replacing diet and sugary beverages with plain, carbonated or flavored unsweetened water.
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How Hungry is America?
In August 2018, the Food Research & Action Center released their report on hunger in America. The report analyzed those who responded "yes" to the question, "Have there been times in the past 12 months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?"
A significant rise in the food hardship rate was shown in 2017 after the rate had fallen from 2013 to 2016. The food hardship rate for households with children is 1/3 higher than the rate for those households without children. In every part of the country, households struggle with hunger.
Hunger can damage health, education, early development and productivity. By strengthening nutrition programs like WIC, CACFP and SNAP, we increase access to healthy food and reduce barriers that lead to hunger.
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CDC 2018 Breastfeeding Report Card
In August 2018, the CDC released the 2018 Breastfeeding Report Card. The Report Card indicators measure types of support in key community settings, as well as, the most current data on the Healthy People 2020 breastfeeding goals.
Colorado rates are higher in almost every category compared to US National rates and is among the top 10 for the rate of live births in Baby-Friendly certified hospitals!
| Breastfeeding Indicator (infants born in 2015) |
National Rate (%) |
Colorado Rate (%) |
| Ever breastfed |
83 |
91 |
| Breastfed at 6 months |
58 |
64 |
| Breastfed at 12 months |
36 |
40 |
| Exclusive breastfed through 3 months |
47 |
57 |
| Exclusive breastfed through 6 months |
25 |
22 |
| Live births at Baby-Friendly facilities in 2018 |
26 |
49 |
Visit breastfeedcolorado.com to learn how to continue supporting Colorado's breastfeeding families.
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Lafayette's Choice
With Boulder County Public Health and Lafayette Youth Advisory Council spearheading the education and advocacay, Lafayette passed Colorado's first and the nation's sixth city ordinance for healthy default beverages with children's meals.
Additionally, the Boulder County Board of Health approved a resolution prohibiting Boulder County Public Health from receiving beverage industry funding.
For more information, watch Tessa Hale's presentation at the recent ECOP in ECE meeting to learn how to use policy and community to create healthier environments for children.
To view her portion of the webinar, select the webinar from this list and enter the webinar in Adobe Connect. Click on the small triangle left of ECOP in ECE Annual Stakeholder text, select "Community Organizing and Policy."
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