Healthy Kids Collaborative

What is the Healthy Kids Collaborative?

Healthy Kids Collaborative (HKC) is a two-county initiative with the mission to reduce the overweight and obesity rates of children in Nash and Edgecombe counties. HKC community partners have the opportunity to impact policies and practices that increase access to healthy food and outdoor resources for physical activity. Volunteers may participate in the quarterly Healthy Kids Collaborative meetings and/or Families Involved Together.

Healthy Kids Collaborative includes:

• Food to Early Education program: This program is funded by Kate B. Reynolds Foundation and seeks to increase access to healthy, local food in childcare centers across Nash and Edgecombe counties.
• Culture of Health at G.W. Carver Elementary: The DEPC Healthy Kids Specialist works directly at G.W. Carver to implement lessons surrounding physical, emotional, and social health. This program creates a sustainable approach for teachers and will touch each grade level at the school, including a school-wide garden club.
• Garden Sustainability Coaches: This new approach at DEPC seeks to support schools with garden bed work, garden clubs, and additional in-class support surrounding healthy eating.
• Families Involved Together:I.T. is a skill building parent group with the mission to break down barriers and advocate for children’s health and wellbeing.

Food to Early Education Program Goals:

• The FEED team works with community organizations to help provide childcare centers with local, fresh and healthy food. This also involves delivering trainings to childcare centers on how prepare food and helping centers create a deeper connection with local farmers.
• This program supports childcare centers in meeting required guidelines for both federal and state, while maximizing their Child and Adult Care Food Program reimbursement dollars when serving fresh and healthy foods.

Places to Grow & Play Map

Download your copy of the go-to guide for places to play in the twin counties below or come see us for a printed copy:

Places to Grow & Play (front)        

Places to Grow & Play (back)

Places to Grow & Play – Spanish (front)

Places to Grow & Play – Spanish (Back)

Outdoor Learning Environments/Places to Play

The Healthy Kids Collaborative (HKC) is committed to reducing childhood obesity by improving access to outdoor learning environments.

Find out where the Outdoor Learning Environments are and how they are used by taking the virtual tours below:

DEPC outdoor learning environments come to life!

Launched in 2015 in the Twin Counties, Healthy Places NC is the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust’s signature program to improve the health and overall quality of life for people in rural North Carolina. For more information visit, http://kbr.org/content/healthy-places-nc.