Community Action of offer CATCH program to Head Start participants

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[February 21, 2017]  LINCOLN - Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois (CAPCIL) Head Start Program partners with Healthy Communities Partnership and the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Foundation to offer the CATCH Program to Head Start participants.

CATCH Early Childhood (CEC) is designed to promote physical activity and healthy food choices among preschool children ages 3-5. Through CEC, children are motivated to walk, run, jump, dance and move their whole bodies while playing and having fun! Healthy Communities Partnership, funded by the ALMH Foundation, generously donated a total of $2,050 towards the project. Some of the items purchased for the program include: balls, beach balls, a colorful 24’ parachute, bean bags, hula hoops, and classroom curriculum.

Angela Stoltzenburg, Manager of Marketing and Community Partnerships at ALMH, had this to say in regards to the partnership: “ALMH is moving outside the four walls of the hospital to inspire a culture of health in our service area and working every day to address the health priorities we identified in our community health needs assessment. CATCH is an evidence-based program that gives children an opportunity to learn about better choices when it comes to their lifestyles. CATCH schools teach the difference between “GO! SLOW! and WHOA!” foods and promote daily moderate-to-vigorous activity. CATCH schools teach children to be CATCH MVPs: M – Move and Stay Active, V – Value Healthy Eating and P – Practice Healthy Habits. CATCH is fun and is about creating a healthy environment for the kids where the healthy choice is the easy choice.”

CAPCIL’s Head Start classrooms now join 13 other Logan County schools and 3000 children who are currently participating in the CATCH Program. Jenifer Deweese, CAPCIL’s Head Start Director, shared her feelings on having the CATCH Program in the Head Start classrooms: “We are extremely excited to partner with Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital and enhance our journey to health and wellness with the CATCH program. We work with very active 3-5 year old children that will benefit from a structured physical activity and health eating curriculum. We can't thank ALMH enough for this wonderful opportunity.”

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If you or someone you know is interested in the Head Start Program visit CAPCIL’s website at www.capcil.info, or by calling Head Start Director Jenifer Deweese at 217-732-2159. It is the mission of CAPCIL, in partnership with communities in our service area, to empower persons with low income and the aged by creating and implementing poverty-fighting initiatives for those in crisis and those that endeavor a life of lasting independence.

[Katie Alexander
Director of Agency Development
Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois]

 

 

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