Healthy Kids

Empowering young children to learn healthy habits for life.

  • The Empower Standards are an Arizona brand. The Empower Standards were developed, piloted, and finally implemented statewide in 2010 when state funding decisions created a financial crisis for the child care community. The solution was the birth of the Empower Standards. Arizona’s child care centers and child care small group homes, which are licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) Bureau of Child Care Licensing (BCCL), now had an alternative to paying very expensive fees. They could voluntarily agree to implement the Empower Standards in exchange for discounted licensing fees of 50%. This agreement continues today and is revisited every 3 years when licensing fees are renewed.

     

    We take action and do our part by following and implementing from the standards below: 

     

    Standard #1                                                                                                  

    Avengeance

    • Our curriculum provides at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day: moderate and vigorous. This includes age appropriate tummy times for infants. 
    • Physical activity includes indoor and outdoor physical activity. (Summer months outdoor is in the hallways or gym where large muscle activities can be sucessful.) 
    • Our curriculum includes free play opportunities.
    • Sendtary or non-moving activities are limited to no more than 60 minutes.  This does not include nap time. 
    • Severly limited screen time with absolutely no screen time for children 2 years and younger. 
    • We do not withhold or use physical activity as punishment.
    • We will do our best to provide families with information on physical activity and screen time at least annually. 

     

     Standard #2                                                                                                

    Summer Vacation

    • We are cognizant of the UV index and stay indoors between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
    • We encourage you to fill out this permissin slip and bring it with any sunscreen to be applied during the school day by our staff. 
    • We will provide you with sun safety tips annually.

     

    Standard #3                                                                                                

    SundayMorning

    • We provide accomodations for breastfeeding mothers to feed their baby or express milk when needed. 
    • Each baby has their own designated space in the refriderator; and breastmilk, their designated space in the freezer as needed.
    • We will provide breast feeing information to our families annually.

     

    Babies do not come with instructions, so it's important to know where to turn for help.

    Get answers to your breastfeeding questions 24 hours a day by calling the Arizona Department of Health Services' 

    24-Hour Breastfeeding Hotline at 1-800-833-4642.

     Updated: 6.25.21

     Standard #4                                                                                                

    Summer's Lunch Bags

    •  Determines eligibility status for CACFP annually.  This is done by and with the district's food and nutrition department.

     

     

    Standard #5                                                                                                  

    Brokefold Fun

    • We provide the children with water inside, outside and all day long. 
    • We always offer water as the first choice when a child is thirsty. 
    • We do not serve fruit juice more than twice per week for children 1 year and older.
    • Our serving size of juice does not exceed more than 4-6 ounces.  
    • We serve 100% fruit juice with no added sugars.
    • Any juice is only served with meal or snack times.

     

    Standard #6                                                                                                   

    Farm to Market Fancy

     *Due to covid, we have not gone back to serving family style, yet but when we do...

    • We serve meals family style, which means each component is passed around for the children to serve themselves.
    • We use child-sized serving utensils.
    • Staff is required to sit, participate and interact with children during meal times. 
    • We allow children to choose what and how much to eat. 
    • We never use food as a punishment or reward.

     

     

    Standard #7                                                                                                  

    Sweet Winter Regular

    • We don't allow children to carry around a bottle or sippy cup during the day unless it's water.
    • We do not put childrent to bed with a bottle.
    • We limit serving meals and snack to their designated times. 
    • We share information regarding cleaning teeth, tooth decay and oral hygiene at home. 

     

    Standard #8                                                                                                    

    CF Montreal High School Regular 

    • We require all staff to have at least (3) hours a year on Empower topics.
    • Our director is required to provide Empower training opportunities to all of our staff. 

     

     

    Standard #9                                                                                                    

    Orion Chalk Solid Demo Version

    •  We will provide information on the dangers of second and third hand smoke.
    • ASHLine information will be provided to families annually.  

     

     Information for families regarding help with quitting tobacco is here. 

    Updated: 6.25.21

     Standard #10                                                                                                  

     Drawing Nature Personal Use

    • We strictly abide by and adhere to all AZDHS and CUSD written polices regarding a smoke free environmnet and campus.