ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning received a Team Nutrition Training Grant from the USDA Food and Nutrition Administration.
Georgia was one of just five states selected to receive the federal funding for its Child and Adult Care Food Program.
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The grant will fund a state initiative called Georgia Child Care REFRESH, which stands for Real Education, Foods, Recipes and Environments Supporting Health.
The department is partnering with the University of Georgia to help early learning facilities implement nutrition practices that meet federal requirements and dietary guidelines.
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The Georgia Child Care REFRESH project will roll out through a three-year plan. The initiative includes statewide in-person training and technical assistance for program operators.
It also involves creating and distributing nutrition education resources for classrooms and families, along with an assessment-to-action pilot program to improve mealtime environments.
Tamika Boone, who serves as the director of Nutrition Services for DECAL, highlighted the role of the program in developing early health behaviors for young children.
“This program supports CACFP operators in providing nutritious meals and quality nutrition education at a time when children are establishing lifelong eating habits,” Boone said.
DECAL is the state agency which oversees early care and learning programs across Georgia.
Its responsibilities include Georgia’s Pre-K Program, child care licensing, the Child Care and Parent Services program, Quality Rated, Head Start collaboration and statewide nutrition initiatives.
Over the three-year implementation period, the new educational initiative will deliver training, educational materials and a pilot program to child care facilities across Georgia.
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