Healthy Child Care America (HCCA) is a collaborative effort of health professionals, childcare providers, and families seeking to improve the health and well-being of children in childcare.

The program was launched in 1995 at the National Child Care Health Forum. The HCCA Blueprint for Action was developed at the forum to identify ways communities can provide children with healthy and nurturing early education and child care environments. This guidance includes 10 steps communities can take to focus their efforts and improve the health and safety of children in childcare.

Through Healthy Child Care America, the AAP is working with other key childcare and health partner organizations to develop a network of 500 certified pediatric care providers to effectively promote and implement policies that guide the care of children within the context of the medical home. Because pediatricians have frequent contact with families when children are likely to be enrolled in childcare, many are interested in how they can incorporate these issues into their practices and use childcare settings as an access point for health promotion and disease prevention.

The following Healthy Child Care America and technical assistance materials are available from the AAP:

• Contact information for key contacts at the state level.
• Publications, resources, and training opportunities.
• National speakers bureau of health and safety experts.
• Downloadable PowerPoint presentations for speaking engagements.
• AAP policies and fact sheets on early education and child care topics.

Because a high proportion of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases occur in childcare, the AAP and other SIDS partner groups launched a Healthy Child Care America Back to Sleep Campaign. Through this joint campaign, partner organizations will offer technical assistance and resources to:

• Promote the Back to Sleep message in childcare programs.
• Raise awareness and change practices in family childcare homes and center-based childcare programs.
• Support states interested in safe sleep practices to include this topic within state childcare regulations.

RESOURCES

Healthy Child Care America, 888-227-5409; www.healthychildcare.org.

National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care, 800-598-KIDS; nrc.uchsc.edu.