Maternal & Child Health

June 28, 2023

Farm to Early Care and Education in Washington: A Statewide Survey and Report

Dietary habits linked to the incidence of chronic disease are developed early in life. Created to address these habits, Farm to Early Childcare and Education (Farm to ECE) initiatives incorporate local food, agriculture, and nutrition through experiential learning opportunities in early childcare settings, and have been shown to improve children’s dietary habits and cultivate a…

June 27, 2023

Farm to Preschool Farm Cards (Farm to Preschool Team 2)

The team worked with the Seattle Farm to Preschool Program to help address gaps in food security, promote local food production, and address the importance of preschool-aged nutrition education. They created an illustrated card deck that features local farmers with a range of identities (cultural, ethnic, gender, etc.) and highlights sustainable farming practices and nutrition…

Local Farm Cards for the Seattle Farm to Preschool Program (F2P) (Farm to Preschool Team 1)

Network Development with Farm to Early Care Education (F2ECE) (Farm to Early Care and Education Team 2)

The team created and facilitated an online networking space to connect Farm to Early Care and Education providers in Washington State to enhance collaboration and communication, promote equity and inclusivity, and facilitate knowledge exchange. Community Partner: Rey Cooley, Farm to Early Care and Education

Farm To Early Care and Education (F2ECE) Forum Outreach (Farm to Early Care and Education Team 1)

The team created education and outreach materials to increase public awareness of Farm to Early Care and Education (F2ECE), a Washington state Farm to School program. F2ECE will be able to share the team’s flyers, posters, and social media posts with early care education staff, students, caregivers, and food producers to help the organization more…

Fruit and Vegetable Incentives Accessibility Pilot Project: Supporting Farm Vendors

To make SNAP incentive programs more accessible and equitable and to reduce the stigma of using SNAP incentives, the Washington State Departments of Health and Social and Human Services have partnered to pilot a program called Produce Rewards. This program will integrate fruit and vegetable incentives onto the SNAP EBT card, allowing SNAP users to…

June 26, 2023

Exploration of the Association Between Family Eating Habits in Adolescence and Intuitive Eating in Young Adulthood

This research explores and evaluates the relationship between college students’ current level of intuitive eating and their parents’ or primary caregivers’ feeding style during the students’ adolescence.

An Exploration of a WIC Staffing Model Allowing Intermediate Nutrition Risk Appointments to Be Completed by Bachelor-Level Nutrition Consultants

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) requested an examination of WIC staffing models in all US states to determine the feasibility of allowing bachelors-level nutritionists to perform intermediate nutrition risk appointments rather than registered dietitians (RD.) This project aimed to address WIC staffing shortages and their lack of access to RDs, particularly in rural…

June 15, 2023

Nutrition Training Outreach to RDNs in Under-Resourced WA Counties

The Washington State Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs (CYSHCN) Nutrition Network aims to improve access to evidence-based nutrition care for the organization and their families by providing free, specialized training and continuing education to registered dietitians (RDNs) in Washington. This project aimed to identify RDNs in under-resourced Washington state counties interested in participating…

June 13, 2023

Evaluating the Impact of Changes in the Service Delivery of WIC and First Steps in King County

Worked with Parent-Child Health Programs to design, conduct, and analyze semi-structured, qualitative interviews with clients of the First Steps and WIC program. Conducted 27 interviews across six different WIC/First Steps clinic locations in King County, did a thematic analysis of the transcripts to highlight key themes, and presented recommendations to Public Health Seattle King County…