Nemours, American Heart Association and Alliance for a Healthier Generation Announce Relationship for Early Childhood Wellness

(DALLAS, TX) August, 11, 2015 – In the constant effort to expand healthy environments for children and their families across the country, the American Heart Association, Nemours Children’s Health System (Nemours) and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation are teaming up in the fight against childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease, with an initial focus on children from birth to age 5.

Through this relationship, various levels of outreach and education will be implemented within early care and education programs as well as within the community to help build a culture of health as soon as possible. This would include:

• Developing and providing a spectrum of in-person and online interactive interventions and resources to support early care and education programs in creating wellness policies and achieving best practices.
• Supporting state level policy efforts to help achieve healthy outcomes for children in local communities.
• Combining existing and new science and research to advance the evidence-base and best practices for all early care and education programs and systems.
• Working proactively with the food and beverage industry to create agreements to ensure healthy options to early care and education programs.
• Supporting and expanding the Healthy Way to Grow technical assistance program.

“We are delighted to work together with Nemours and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to develop new programming and resources to positively impact the lives of children and their families,” said Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association. “As an organization focused on improving cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association is committed to sharing our knowledge and expertise in every way possible to help kids begin building healthy lifestyle habits at the earliest age possible.”

“After a decade of working in schools, out-of-school time sites and communities to reduce child obesity rates, we know that one of the most effective ways to create a healthier generation is to create healthier environments where kids live, learn and play,” said Dr. Howell Wechsler, CEO of Alliance for a Healthier Generation. “The Alliance is tremendously pleased to partner with the American Heart Association and Nemours to extend our expertise to early care and education programs and to help ensure that more infants, toddlers and preschoolers develop healthy habits that last a lifetime.”

“Every child deserves a healthy start in life,” said Debbie Chang, Enterprise Vice President of Policy and Prevention for Nemours Children’s Health System. “Nemours is thrilled to leverage our expertise and experience in early care and education and pediatrics by joining with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and American Heart Association to give more children, in more places, an opportunity to grow up healthy.”

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Alliance for a Healthier Generation

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation, empowers kids to develop lifelong, healthy habits. The Alliance works with schools, companies, community organizations, healthcare professionals and families to build healthier environments for millions of children. To learn more and join the movement, visit www.HealthierGeneration.org.

About Nemours

Nemours (NAH-mors) is an internationally recognized children’s health system that owns and operates Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida along with major pediatric specialty clinics in Delaware, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Established as The Nemours Foundation through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. du Pont, Nemours offers pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy and prevention programs to all families in the communities it serves. Nemours obesity prevention efforts have successfully changed ECE provider level policies, practices and environments in more than 2,100 centers serving more than 176,000 children and influenced state and national level policies and systems that have impacted more than 3 million children. For more information, visit www.Nemours.org.