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Healthy & Active Before 5


Building

Mission

Founded in 2007 by Contra Costa Health Services and other local health organizations, Healthy & Active Before 5 (HAB45) is a collaborative initiative in Contra Costa County with a mission to prevent obesity in kids ages 0-5, by building partnerships and environments for healthy eating and active play.

Strategy

HAB45 focuses on preventing early childhood obesity because strong evidence shows that habits adopted in the earliest years predictably influence future lifestyle habits and health. The work of the collaborative is guided by an Action Plan—the collaborative’s strategic blueprint consisting of eight key strategies to prevent childhood obesity in Contra Costa County:

  1. Support and promote breastfeeding and the use of breastmilk as the normal way to feed infants, for at least the first year of life
  2. Increase the availability, accessibility and demand for affordable, healthy foods in all neighborhoods
  3. Increase the availability and utilization of safe places to play and be physically active for all young children and their families
  4. Improve the food and physical activity environment in preschool and childcare settings by offering high quality nutritious foods and opportunities for physical activity and play
  5. Support the elimination of and reduce the exposure to marketing of foods of low nutritional value to children
  6. Encourage the reduction of TV and other screen time for children 0-5
  7. Assure that families and young children receive quality preventive care through pregnancy and early childhood
  8. Ensure that key community sectors provide parents and other care providers with the information and support they need to make healthy eating and activity choices for their children

Leadership

HAB45 is steered by an Executive Committee and its Leadership Council, a collaborative of over 50 stakeholder organizations. The HAB45 Executive Committee provides core oversight of the collaborative’s strategic direction, implementation, and evaluation, with representatives from: Contra Costa Child Care Council; Contra Costa County Employment & Human Services, Community Services Bureau; Contra Costa Health Services including Contra Costa County WIC and Contra Costa Health Plan; First 5 Contra Costa; Kaiser Permanente; and John Muir Health.

Key Accomplishments

  • Providing regular opportunities for networking and sharing best-practices to the collaborative’s Leadership Council—over 50 partner organizations that serve low-income communities of color in Contra Costa
  • Distributing over 40 $500 mini-grants to organizations that have passed HAB45 model healthy policies and providing technical assistance to dozens of Contra Costa organizations through the Pledge the Practice, Pass the Policy Program
  • Identifying and mapping safe places for young children to play in Bay Point, Pittsburg, Antioch and within the Monument Community in Concord in partnership with Contra Costa Health Services and First 5 Contra Costa
  • Developing the Sugar Bites social marketing campaign in partnership with First 5 Contra Costa

Contact

For more information please visit our website healthyandactivebefore5.org or
call 925-676-5442.