Empower
Dear Families,
We are proud to be an Arizona Department of Health Services Empower child care site. The Empower Program is a voluntary program that we participate in to empower children to live healthy lives. As an Empower site, we follow 10 standards supporting physical activity, sun-safety, nutrition, oral health and tobacco prevention.
As a result of participating in the Empower Program, we offer children ages one and older only 100% fruit juice (with no added sugars) and we limit the offering of juice to no more than two times per week. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children ages one to six drink no more than four to six ounces of fruit juice a day. This amount is the total for the whole day, including both time in child care and at home. According to the AAP, whole fruit juice is more nutritious than fruit juice and provides dietary fiber. Fruit juice that is 100% pure juice offers no nutritional advantage over whole fruits. Continuous consumption of juice during the day has been associated with a decrease in appetite for other nutritious foods. Excessive fruit juice consumption may be associated with malnutrition, over-nutrition and under-nutrition as well as children being overweight and childhood obesity.
As an Empower Child Care Facility, we feel that we have a responsibility to help your child establish lifelong healthy habits. By establishing healthy habits early in life, children can dramatically reduce their health risks and increase their chances for longer, healthier lives. You love your child and you want the best for them, so please join us in creating opportunities for them to make healthy choices.
Thank you for helping to provide healthier options for your children.
Estimadas Familias,
Estamos orgullosos de ser un sitio de cuidado infantil de Empower del Departamento de Servicios de Salud de Arizona. El programa Empower es un programa voluntario en el que participamos para preparar a los niños para que tengan una vida saludable. Como sitio de Empower, seguimos 10 estándares que apoyan la nutrición, la actividad física, como cuidarse del sol, salud dental y prevención del uso del tabaco.
Como resultado de nuestra participación en el programa Empower ofrecemos a los niños, de un año o mayores, solo jugo 100% de frutas (sin azúcar agregada) y limitamos el jugo a no más de dos veces por semana. De acuerdo con la Academia Americana de Pediatra (AAP), la fruta entera es más nutritiva que el jugo de frutas y proporciona fibra alimenticia. El jugo 100% de frutas no tiene ventajas de nutrición sobre las frutas enteras. El continuo consume de jugo durante el día se ha asociado con una disminución en el apetito para otras comidas nutritivas. La Academia Americana de Pediatra recomienda que los niños de uno a seis años de edad tomen no más de cuatro a seis onzas de jugo de frutas al día. Esta cantidad es el total para todo el día, incluyendo tanto el tiempo en la guardería como en casa. Demasiado consumo de jugo de frutas se puede asociar con la desnutrición, sobre nutrición y mala nutrición. El consumo excesivo de jugo 100% de frutas puede contribuir al sobrepeso y a la obesidad.
Como una institución de cuidado infantil Empower, sentimos que tenemos una responsabilidad para ayudad a que su hijo establezca hábitos de salud para toda la vida. Al establecer estos hábitos saludables temprano en la vida, los niños pueden reducir dramáticamente sus riesgos de salud y aumentan sus posibilidades de tener una vida larga y saludable. Usted ama a sus hijos y quiere lo mejor para ellos, así que por favor únase a nosotros para crear oportunidades para que tomen decisiones saludables.
Gracias por ayudarnos a proporcionar opciones saludables para sus niños.
Empower Center Standards
- Physical Activity and Screen Time
- Sun Safety
- Breastfeeding
- Child & Adult Care Food Program
- Fruit Juice
- Family-Style Meals
- Oral Health
- Staff Training
- Arizona Smokers’ Helpline
- Smoke-Free Campus
Empower Guidebook
As parents, teachers, health professionals and community members, we want young children to develop healthy habits. We know that these habits begin at home and in the early childhood setting. The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) Empower Program is a voluntary program reaching more than 200,000 children in licensed child care facilities throughout Arizona. These children are relying on Early Care and Education (ECE) professionals to provide a significant portion of their daily physical activity, nutrition and overall well-being.
Recognizing the importance of child care settings in helping our youngest children get a healthy start, ADHS has created the Empower Guidebook: Ten Ways to Empower Children to Live Healthy Lives. This guide is designed to help child care providers and ECE professionals implement the 10 standards of the Empower Program. The Empower Guidebook is based on current science, public health research and national recommendations.
Read complete Guidebook here.