Recognizing the positive impact of collaborative innovations on the child care community, Go NAPSACC and Be Active Kids join forces to efficiently and effectively promote healthy practices, policies, and environments for our nation's young children. "It is an exciting development to welcome Be Active Kids into the Go NAPSACC Team. By combining our two successful programs we will improve our ability to build healthy habits in young children across North Carolina and the nation.”, said Dr. Dianne Ward, director of the Children’s Healthy Weight Research group.
After 21 years as a program of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, the award-winning Be Active Kids program will be incorporated into the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s nationally recognized Go NAPSACC program. “For More than two decades, Be Active Kids has done amazing work to create a culture of health in North Carolina’s child care centers by working with more than 5,000 centers to train 20,000 child care providers in best practices around physical activity and good nutrition,” said Dr. John Lumpkin, president of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. “We are so proud of the work they have done and we’re excited to see what’s possible with the new partnership.” Since 1999, Be Active Kids and its partners at Be Active North Carolina and the North Carolina Association of the Education of Young Children (NCAEYC) have provided important resources, professional development, curriculum, and training to grassroots care givers and technical assistance consultants across North Carolina and beyond. Be Active Kids nutrition, food safety, and physical activity initiatives have resulted in meaningful contributions to early childhood systems.
Starting April 1st, Rich and the Go NAPSACC team will begin investigating ways to build on and utilize components of the Be Active Kids program in Go NAPSACC’s suite of online tools. For updates, visit Be Active Kids FAQs.