fit families
Fit Families Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) is a successful behavior change program targeting primarily families of 2- to 4-year-old children enrolled in WIC at Fit Families projects in Wisconsin.
Fit Families Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) is a successful behavior change program targeting primarily families of 2- to 4-year-old children enrolled in WIC at Fit Families projects in Wisconsin.
Fit Families is a program designed to improve your family’s health by improving their eating and activity habits. We know children do what they see, not always what they are told. Your kids will learn healthy habits from watching you—so set a good example! As a participant in the Fit Families Program, you will identify family health habits you want to change and ways you can reach your goals. Your efforts will be recognized by improved health and with educational reinforcement items for your participation. Items will be given to you at enrollment and at the 4-month, 7-month, 10-month points in your program participation. A final item will also be given when you complete the program. At the end of your family’s 12-month participation, we will look at the goals you have worked on and your progress toward reaching them.
The Fit Families Program will be evaluated to make sure we are doing the best we can to help families reach their goals. The evaluation will combine information from hundreds of families to summarize the children’s weight and height and parent/guardians’ answers to questions about eating and activity habits. The information that you provide will be kept confidential. It will only be used by your Fit Families Coach and by our program evaluator at the University of Wisconsin. No names or other identifying information will ever be reported.
Your participation in this program is voluntary. If you agree to take part, you may withdraw from the program at any time. If you are a WIC participant, your regular WIC services will not be affected.
Fit Families was designed in 2005 using evidenced-based and promising strategies that focus on helping families eat healthier and be more active in order to prevent childhood overweight/obesity. Fit Families provides the framework for achieving healthy food and beverage consumption, daily physical activity, and healthy supportive environments. Starting in federal fiscal year 2015 all SNAP-Ed projects, interventions, and plans were required to be evidence-based. Projects use individual approaches to nutrition education in combination with organizational, community, and/or public health approaches to increase their effectiveness. The role of SNAP-Ed regarding Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) changes is to provide consultation and technical assistance regarding implementation in collaboration with other partners to help make the healthy choice the easy choice.
Fit Families employs three core messages and one over-arching message to combat overweight and obesity:
Encourage Fit Families participants to engage in active play or physical activity for at least 60 minutes every day and to reduce screen time to two hours or less each day.
Encourage children and their parents to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day.
Encourage families to reduce or eliminate use of sugared beverages.
Encourage parents to be good role models for their children.
Fit Families engages three components to build a strong environment for families:
The Family Component is directed at families with children age 2 to 4 years. Families enroll and work with a Fit Families Coach to set wellness goals. The families and coach work together throughout the year to attain those goals.
The Organization Component is directed at Fit Families Centers. The Centers are the organizations offering the Fit Families Program. Centers develop an environment which practices and promotes healthy lifestyles for the Center staff, Fit Families staff, the families they serve, and the broader community.
The Community Partnerships Component reinforces Fit Families health messages and helps to promote and protect the health of all children in participating communities.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Printing of this material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. SNAP provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact your local Fit Families Project.