Shape NC

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation (BCBSNC) is partnered with the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) – the state’s Smart Start organization – to launch an innovative effort to address early childhood obesity. With a focus on childcare settings, this three-year, $3 million partnership will increase knowledge and awareness of healthy nutrition and physical activity practices for young children, as well as that of their families and teachers , and increase the number of young children in child care at a healthy weight. Measures of success will likely include, among others, improved nutrition and physical activity practices in childcare settings, healthier play environments and a state-level policy blueprint to impact the health of young children.

Shape NC is part of the Clinton Global Initiative and builds upon the success of existing programs by integrating three proven strategies to reduce childhood obesity:

1. Improving nutrition and physical activity policies and practices in child care through NAP SACC (Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care)
2. Increasing active play and learning for children attending childcare centers by creating outdoor learning environments (OLEs)  through Preventing Obesity by Design (POD)
3. Utilizing programs to increase healthy movement through Be Active Kids®

The Problem

• North Carolina has the tenth highest rate of childhood obesity in the country.
• More than 31 percent of North Carolina children ages 2 to 4 are considered at risk for becoming overweight or are overweight, and these rates have steadily increased since 1995.
• More than 200,000 children spend part or all of their day in nearly 5,000 licensed childcare centers across the state; some research suggests that young children who attend childcare centers are at less healthy weight than those not in formal care settings.

Vision

Shape NC will change childcare communities so that young children’s earliest experiences with food and physical activity promote a lifetime of healthy behaviors.

Approach

Through the established statewide Smart Start network, this project brings together the policy, practice and nutrition strength of the NAP SACC initiative, combined with the built environment improvement process of POD and the programming and training skills of Be Active Kids®, to create a new network of trained local experts able to provide ongoing technical assistance for childcare centers. Additionally, Shape NC convenes a leadership task force to address the broad health issues facing early childhood and produce a plan for recommended strategies and policy priorities for the state.  Shape NC is the first statewide initiative to combine multiple successful strategies and implement both a top-down and bottom-up approach to improve the health of children in childcare, their families, and their communities.

BCBSNC’s Clinton Global Initiative Commitment

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) has joined the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). As a result of BCBSNC’s membership, the BCBSNC Foundation has a unique opportunity to collaborate with an outstanding network of businesses and organizations, share best practices and turn ideas into action. The BCBSNC Foundation’s launch of Shape NC is a CGI commitment to combat childhood obesity in North Carolina.

About The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation

The BCBSNC Foundation is a separate, independent nonprofit foundation dedicated to improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians. BCBSNC Foundation focus areas include: Health of Vulnerable Populations — improving health outcomes of populations served by safety-net organizations; Healthy Active Communities — increasing physical activity and encouraging healthy eating habits; and Community Impact through Nonprofit Excellence — increasing the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations. Since its inception in 2000, BCBSNC Foundation has invested more than $64 million into North Carolina communities.

About Smart Start and the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc.

The earliest years of childhood are critical. Experiences during this time literally shape the structure of the brain. Because today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders, parents and workers, everyone has a stake in making sure all children have the experiences they need to thrive. Smart Start is the system that brings together all the people involved in a young child’s life—families, teachers, doctors, caregivers, social workers, and many others—to ensure every child has all they need for healthy growth and development. For more information, visit www.smartstart.org.