LEWISTON — LEAP! Learn Early and Practice: Changing Policies, Environments and Role Modeling in Childcare Settings to Support Healthy Kids, is one of 50 programs across the U.S. to receive a $10,000 General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids grant, which supports innovative, community-based programs that help young people living healthy, active lifestyles.

The grants, which total $500,000, are supported by the General Mills Foundation and the American Dietetic Association Foundation, in partnership with the President’s Challenge.  

The LEAP! Program, operated by Healthy Androscoggin, focuses on creating a positive environment for children in child care by providing them with role models who understand the importance of physical activity and nutrition. Healthy Androscoggin assembled the application to fund the LEAP! Program with the help of Diana Champeon, RD from St. Mary’s Health System and using lessons learned from the recent “Starting Young in Maine” project with Androscoggin County Head Start and Child Care. The LEAP! Program will expand the Starting Young model to other child care providers, and will include pre- and post-surveying in order to create physical activity and healthy eating opportunities among the children. The goal is to increase knowledge among staff, children and families to help decrease the prevalence of childhood obesity in the community.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Community Concepts’ Finders Seekers Program, Sandcastle Preschool and YWCA of Central Maine Child Care program. We look forward to helping the providers, children and their families create an environment that supports healthy lifestyles,” said Erin Guay, physical activity, nutrition and tobacco manager at Healthy Androscoggin.

For more information about Healthy Androscoggin, visit www.healthyandroscoggin.org or call 795-5990.