Parents Overview

Based on information from parent focus groups, Strang launched a parent component to the Healthy Children Healthy Futures program in the three cities— Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York City in the Fall of 2003. In 2005, Healthy Children Healthy Futures expanded its efforts to Baltimore, Houston, and Chicago. The overarching goal of the accompanying parent component is to attain a base of 3-5 parent advocates from each participating after school site to support the goals and the outcomes of the 8 Habits of Healthy Kids, the framework of the HCHF children’s component. These parent volunteers attend a series of training workshops that enable them to (small and large group) inform other parents on healthy eating and physical activity. Based on a successful pilot program in 2003-2004, we anticipate that parents will provide the leadership and advocacy for healthy eating and physical activity that will be grounded in cultural diversity.

Upon the completion of the Healthy Eating, Physical Activity Parent Training Program, the parent advocates will possess the following cognitive and skill concepts and will know:

• How many fruits and vegetables to eat daily, easy ways to prepare them and the most economical way to buy them.
• Low-fat or fat-free milk is healthier for them to drink than whole milk.
• The kind of lean meats and low-fat cheeses that are the healthiest to include in their meal planning and how to prepare them.
• Which beverages are the healthiest to drink.
• Which snacks are healthiest for them to eat and how to prepare snacks for the family.
• Which whole grains and beans are healthiest and economical and ways to prepare them.
• Ways to be healthy eating role models for their children
• Ways to increase their physical activity.
• How to identify indoors and outdoor spaces in their neighborhood where they can safely engage in physical activities.

These outcomes are measured by pre - and post-program self-reporting parent surveys and by post-program interviews with parents.

It is anticipated that the parent advocates will reach the parent population at their school site through meetings, changes in nutrition and physical activity strategies and policies, and dissemination of program materials adapted from A Parent’s Guide to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity.

It is also anticipated that the parent body will increase awareness and support of parent advocacy. More specifically, it is anticipated that the mothers, fathers or guardians will learn from these trained parent advocates the healthy nutrition/physical activity information and skills that are necessary to be role models for their children.