Pensacola, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health In Escambia County (FDOH-Escambia) commends six local child care providers for achieving recognition by the national Let’s Move! initiative. Let’s Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched in 2009 by First Lady Michelle Obama, dedicated to reducing childhood obesity across the nation by promoting community strategies to put children on the path to a healthier future.

Let’s Move! encourages multiple sectors of the community, including family households, schools, local governments, and child care centers, to take action to reduce obesity. Child care providers are encouraged to adopt practices and policies that nurture healthy eaters, provide healthy beverages, get kids moving, reduce screen time, and support breastfeeding. Providers who complete a self-assessment and commit to pursuing these five strategies are included in the national listing of Let’s Move! Child Care Recognized Providers which can be found at healthykidshealthyfuture.org.

“Prevention and early intervention are major weapons in the battle against obesity,” said FDOH-Escambia’s Director, Dr. John Lanza. “Habits that impact weight and health are often formed before a child reaches school-age. Childhood obesity often persists, and the longer a child is obese, the more likely he or she is to experience chronic health problems. Policies and practices to reduce obesity that are implemented in child-care and early-learning settings will impact children throughout their lives.”

Florida currently leads the nation with over 200 recognized providers. The Let’s Move! Child Care Recognized Providers currently listed for Escambia County, Florida include Child Discovery Center of the First Presbyterian Church, PCN Preschool, Seville Bayside Montessori School, and three Head Start centers. Several other local child care providers have expressed plans to apply for the recognition.