Last June, Healthy Start held two Booster sessions, one in Saskatoon, on June 26, where we had 18 participants from child care homes, and another one in Consul, on June 28, where we had 4 participants from Reno Rascals Early Learning & Childcare.
In Saskatoon, the HSDS Implementation Coordinator for the region, Rebecca Klapwyk, facilitated a very interesting booster session where the participants talked about their challenges and successes around meal times. Together they brainstormed solutions for picky, slow, and sleepy eaters. They heard from caregivers about their experiences trying new vegetables that “they never thought children would like” with amazing success. One center even has children who love broccoli and now provide it weekly. Other centers have added more pulses to the menu.
The group also had the opportunity to view the project approach in action with healthy eating. They had two invitations tables set up, one to explore the questions “Where does Spinach come from?” with a gardening experience complete with seeds, magnifying glasses, tools, and soil. The other table explored the questions “How could we eat it?” with a spinach salad recipe set up.
In Consul, the participants had the chance to sit and exchange with our Implementation Coordinator for the South, Nicole Pulvermacher. Together, they discussed the center’s successes, challenges, and opportunities with implementing Healthy Start. In the end, the center had 3 concrete goals and 4 actions to help move them towards achieving those goals.
Thank you all of the participants for attending Booster sessions and taking the steps to implement Healthy Start in your centers!