Let's Be Healthy Program

Let's Be Healthy Program is sponsored by Well-Ahead Louisiana. The Let's Be Healthy program provides technical assistance and resources to child care center owners to install an edible garden in their center's outdoor learning environment. It aims to promote healthy eating habits among young children.

Let’s Be Healthy Grant Program in Louisiana - Well-Ahead LA Let’s Be Healthy Program Application Supporting Edible Gardens in Louisiana Child Care Centers Child care centers play an important role in establishing healthy behaviors in our youngest residents. Children who have proper nutrition and physical activity from birth are better prepared for success when they begin school.

One way to do this is to nurture healthy habits by getting kids involved in growing food in an edible garden! The Let’s Be Healthy program provides technical assistance and resources to child care center owners to install an edible garden in their center’s outdoor learning environment.

By participating in the Let’s Be Healthy program, child care centers have the opportunity to receive up to $2,500 in resources and materials to support their edible gardens. Child care centers can also request small kitchen equipment required to enroll into the Child and Adult Care Food Program. This year’s program cohort is open to centers located in food deserts—areas with limited access to grocery stores or supermarkets.

Centers must be eligible to enroll in Child and Adult Care Food Program, but cannot already be participating. The deadline to apply is June 15, 2025. The goal of the Let’s Be Healthy program is to increase Louisiana child care providers’ access to local, fresh food through farm to early care and education strategies.

Farm to early care and education is a set of strategies that offers increased access to healthy, local foods through procurement, gardening opportunities and food and agriculture education.

These strategies could include: Weekly menus that include local, fresh food Staff professional development on gardening, food, nutrition and agriculture education Ongoing communication with families about local foods included in meals and snacks Gardening opportunities that teach children how to plant, maintain, observe, harvest, wash and taste fresh produce Facilities will also support their staff in making healthy choices by implementing specific, evidence-based benchmarks found in the Child Care Center WellSpot Designation program.

Chan’s Scholar Toddlers used the Let’s Be Healthy program funding to build a vegetable garden! Their director, Chante Buchanan said, “It’s been a good way to get the children excited to eat more vegetables. This has sparked their curiosity and encouraged them to try it even if they don’t think they’ll like it.

” By becoming a WellSpot, you will make a lasting change by implementing policy, systems and environmental strategies that make the healthy choice, the easy choice! Program participants will complete steps to become a Child Care Center WellSpot ! WellSpots are places and spaces in Louisiana that voluntarily implement healthy initiatives in their environment to help their employees and community live well.

Organizations that meet certain wellness benchmarks are designated as a Level 1, 2 or 3 WellSpot—with Level 1 being the highest. By implementing changes to improve the health of employees and children through WellSpot Designation, child care centers are equipped to model healthy behaviors to guide children in building healthy habits that last for a lifetime.

Let’s Be Healthy participants will receive technical assistance from one of our Well-Ahead Regional Representatives to become a WellSpot, which will include the following benchmarks: Implement a tobacco-free policy Completing a Go NAPSACC self-assessment and action plan in the Farm to ECE module Implement one additional benchmark of choice About the Let’s Be Healthy Program Applications will be accepted until June 15, 2025.

Notifications of awards will be made no later than June 25, 2025. Program participants will work with two designated Well-Ahead team members who will provide technical assistance and resources to assist with implementation of Let’s Be Healthy program requirements and WellSpot benchmarks. For any portion of the application, implementation and evaluation, Well-Ahead will provide technical assistance to make your effort a success.

The child care center or family child care home is eligible to apply for the Let’s Be Healthy Program if it is: Licensed to operate through the Louisiana Department of Education ’s licensing division. Located in a food desert as indicated by the Child and Adult Care Food Program geographic information system map . Eligible to participate in Child and Adult Care Food Program, but not currently enrolled .

Prepared to install a minimum of a 4’x4’ edible garden in an outdoor space.

Examples of Allowable Purchases Gardening materials ( soil, seeds, raised garden beds, mulch, shovels, wheelbarrow, water hose, etc.) Outdoor storage to house gardening materials Books, teaching and learning materials related to gardening and healthy eating ( MyPlate education materials ) Small kitchen equipment and materials to support Child and Adult Care Food Program participation (food scales, measuring cups, portion-control serving spoons, pots, pans, child size utensils, divider plates, etc.) Child care centers will need to complete the following activities to meet program requirements: Participate in the virtual orientation on June 13, 2025.

Install an edible garden that is at least four feet in length and four feet in width. The garden will be used to feed all enrolled children for at least one meal or snack each season and provide educational opportunities. Work with the Let’s Be Healthy Consultant to complete the Go NAPSACC Farm to Early Care and Education module self-assessment, develop and implement an action plan, and take the post-assessment to measure impact.

Become a WellSpot ! This includes working with a Well-Ahead Regional Representative to take an initial assessment, implement of a comprehensive tobacco-free policy, Go NAPSACC benchmarks and one additional benchmark of choice. Participate in 3 hour long, virtual Farm to ECE learning collaborative on local procurement, CACFP, and leveraging CACFP for Farm to ECE initiatives.

Participate in monthly 30 minute – 1-hour virtual meetings with Let’s Be Healthy Consultant who will provide support in implementing program requirements. Recruit volunteers to support garden installation, planting, harvesting, and maintenance. Submit before pictures of gardening area in the application and after pictures of the edible garden installed by December 12, 2025.

The applicant must not use funds to discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other basis of discrimination prohibited by law. Funds may not be used for individual prizes or incentives. Funds may not be used for salaries, lobbying or advocacy activities, or office equipment (such as computers, printers, pens etc.).

The timeline below serves as a guide to assist child care providers in staying on task with important due dates and activities for Let’s Be Healthy. Date Goal Activities May 1 Application Opens The application opens. June 15 Application Deadline The application period ends.

June 25 Award Notification Selected child care centers will be notified via email. Terms of agreements will be included in the email and will require signature. July 3 Signed Terms of Agreement Deadline All signed terms of agreements are due.

July 11 | 1pm Orientation A virtual orientation via Zoom will be conducted for program participants to discuss program requirements and expectations. July 14 – August 1 Item Request Planning Providers will meet with the Let’s Be Healthy Consultant and/or Well-Ahead staff to review and finalize item request templates.

June – November Monthly Technical Assistance Directors will participate in monthly technical assistance visits via Zoom with the Let’s Be Healthy Consultant. August 15 Go NAPSACC Self-Assessment and Action Plan Complete Action plans must be completed with consultant by July 4th June – November Learning Collaboratives Providers will participate in 4 learning collaboratives to deepen their knowledge on Farm to ECE strategies.

August – November Garden Installation Providers will complete the installation of their edible garden with the materials purchased from grant funding. August – December WellSpot Designation Providers not already designated as a WellSpot will meet with a WAL Regional Representative to become designated. December 12 Photos Deadline Providers will submit photos of garden.