Empower Program

The Empower Program targets licensed/certified child-care facilities in Arizona. Settings: Pre-K & Childcare Age/Population Group: Preschool, Elementary school Race: All Ethnicity: All

Facilities participating in the Empower Program pledge to adopt 10 standards that support healthy eating, encourage active play, reduce screen time, prevent exposure to second- and third-hand smoke, practice sun safety and promote good oral health habits in exchange for reduced licensing fees. Participating in Empower includes resources and technical assistance to improve implementation of healthy habits and written policies. Resources and online courses are available on the Empower website and in the Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry. Providers that complete courses are able to count these hours to their annual training or professional development requirements.  Facilities must implement and have a written policy for each of the 10 standards: Standard 1: Physical Activity and Screen Time Standard 2: Sun Safety Standard 3: Breastfeeding Standard 4: Food Programs and Food Resources Standard 5: Fruit Juice Standard 6: Family Style Meals Standard 7: Oral Health Standard 8: Staff Training Standard 9: Arizona Smokers' Helpline (ASHLine) Standard 10: Social Emotional Development

Empower Guidebook ( https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/prevention/nutrition-physical-activity/empower/resources-policies/empower-guidebook.pdf ) *NEW* Empower Out of School Time (OOST) Empower Guidebook (https://azdhs.gov/documents/prevention/nutrition-physical-activity/empower/schools/empower-out-of-school-time-guidebook.pdf) 10 Standards Overview Rationale Sample Policies Empower Website Standards & Resources Why is the Standard important? How do I implement the Standard in my facility? Activity Resources Family Engagement Training Best Practice Recommendations & Resources More Helpful Websites Training and Professional Development Learning Management (online source) News and Publications Forms & Sample Policies Email Sign-Up

There are some process results/ongoing program evidence presented in the periodic newsletters ( https://azdhs.gov/prevention/nutrition-physical-activity/empower/index.php#news-publications ). The program reaches more than 200,000 children in ~2100 ADHS licensed childcare centers, ~300 ADHS licensed group homes, and ~600 family child care homes, and has received multiple best practice awards. However, no rigorous evaluation results or publications are available.   These two publications are available on our website:    Implementation of Best practices in Obesity Prevention in child Care Facilities: The Arizona Empower Program, 2013-2015 ( https://azdhs.gov/documents/prevention/nutrition-physical-activity/empower/resources-policies/implementation-best-practices.pdf ) Empower Implementation Report, September 2020 ( https://azdhs.gov/documents/prevention/reports/stakeholders/az-yr1-yr6-empower-implementation-report.pdf ) Evidence Base: Emerging

Based on the SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework, the following outcome indicators can be used to evaluate intervention progress and success.   Readiness and Capacity - Short Term (ST) Changes - Medium Term (MT) Effectiveness and Maintenance - Long Term (LT) Population Results (R) Individual         Environmental Settings ST5 , ST6 , ST7 MT5 , MT6 LT5 , LT6 , LT7 , LT8, LT9 , LT10 , LT11 Sectors of Influence

Each Empower facility conducts a Self-Assessment Checklist ( https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/prevention/nutrition-physical-activity/empower/forms-policies/empower-sa-checklist.pdf ) annually.  These results are entered into a data collection repository for later analysis.

Website: The Empower Program website ( https://azdhs.gov/prevention/nutrition-physical-activity/empower/index.php ) includes the Empower Program guidebook and other support resources and materials. Contact Person(s): Noelle Veilleux Markham, RDN Population Health Dietitian Email: noelle.veilleux@azdhs.gov Phone: 602-364-3316 Bureau of Nutrition and Physical Activity 150 N. 18th Ave. Suite 310 Phoenix, AZ 85007 Phone: 602-542-1886      * Updated as of August 8, 2023