Recognizing child care’s vital role in shaping children’s healthy eating and physical activity habits, Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) launched a Nutrition and Physical Activity Endorsement Pilot (N&PA Endorsement) program. This program equips early care and education providers with training, self-assessments, funding, and technical assistance to strengthen N&PA policies and practices in their child care programs.[1] As a result of the N&PA Endorsement, some child care programs in Georgia implemented a variety of changes, such as creating new spaces for children to develop gross motor skills, hosting taste-testing events with children and families, and installing garden beds for children to help tend.
This photo blog highlights two programs that participated in the N&PA Endorsement—Pre-K Preparatory Learning Academy (Pre-K Prep) and the Enrichment Services Program’s Early Head Start at Boxwood Place (Enrichment Program)—each of which made meaningful changes to support the well-being of their children, families, and program staff. The programs also provided captions to accompany the photos and further contextualize their successes.
Pre-K Preparatory Learning Academy
With support from the N&PA Endorsement trainings and accompanying grant funds, Pre-K Prep introduced a range of meaningful improvements to their nutrition program. The program updated its policies around healthy nutrition and eating practices and provided practical examples of what parents could bring as healthy snacks for events. They also used grant funds to invest in equipment, including a food saver and tools to vacuum seal food; a juicer to make smoothies and other liquid-based foods; and a food chopper for root vegetables. This equipment helps Pre-K Prep preserve fresh produce, prepare healthier meals, and engage children in preparing food in creative, hands-on ways.
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The food chopper and juicer helped us lead hands-on cooking activities where kids explored how vegetables taste raw, juiced, grated, and roasted. They now talk about their favorite veggie textures and flavors![/caption]
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Mother’s Day brunch included fresh-pressed juice.[/caption]
Pre-K Prep also used N&PA Endorsement grant funds to build on its relationship with a local farmer, who brings fresh fruits and vegetables, reads to the children, shares stories about farm life, and guides gardening sessions.
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The local farmer helped us revamp our garden beds, planting new crops and creating hands-on learning experiences. Children are now excited to plant, water, harvest, and taste what they grow—making fresh food more meaningful and exciting.[/caption]
To strengthen its physical activity program, Pre-K Prep used N&PA grant funds to purchase several toy kits that allow children to build their own carts, fostering movement, teamwork, and STEM-related skills through active, hands-on play.
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Children follow instructions, count parts, and problem-solve as they build wagons, carts, and imaginative vehicles—then ride in their creations together![/caption]
Enrichment Services Program, Inc.’s Early Head Start at Boxwood Place
As part of the N&PA Endorsement, the Enrichment Program introduced indoor gardens to each classroom. Staff learned gardening techniques and skills through the N&PA Endorsement, which they then used in their classrooms. Endorsement grant funds were used to purchase hydroponic growing systems for herbs such as basil and sage.
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This gives our students a chance to see the day-to-day growth of plants and participate in their upkeep in the classroom setting.[/caption]
In-person meetings and technical assistance provided through the N&PA Endorsement inspired the Enrichment Program’s focus on gardening. The program purchased garden beds and a fence to create a garden that serves as an outdoor classroom for children and partners with a local farm to assist with the garden. The farm also supplies the Enrichment Program with fruits and vegetables.
The Enrichment Program also encourages children to expand their palates by taste-testing a variety of foods, including fresh vegetables harvested from the program’s garden. These new practices even helped the program update its portfolio for the state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System to showcase newly implemented nutrition practices. The program plans to further increase children’s learning about wellness by placing signs around the classroom offering healthy eating tips and photos of plants grown by enrolled children.
Finally, the Enrichment Program also used N&PA Endorsement grant funds to create an outdoor walking trail, which benefits both students and program staff—including teachers—who use the space to take mental health breaks.
The N&PA Endorsement Pilot empowered meaningful change in programs
The two child care programs highlighted in this blog showcase just some of the ways that programs used N&PA Endorsement training, resources, and funding to benefit their children, families, and staff. As one program director shared, “[The N&PA Endorsement grant] allowed us to make impactful changes that have enriched our program’s approach to healthy living, nutrition education, and physical activity.” Through programs and initiatives like the N&PA Endorsement, states and child care programs can help instill healthy habits in children from a young age, making meaningful changes for their future health.
Footnote
[1] See also: Child Trends’ recommendations for launching similar N&PA programs: https://www.childtrends.org/publications/five-keys-nutrition-physical-activity-professional-development-child-care
Suggested citation
Keaton, H., Villegas, E., Diamond, Z., Early, D., & Gal-Szabo, D. (2025). Child care success stories from Georgia’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Endorsement pilot. Child Trends. DOI: 10.56417/8814k1053d