About Us

ChildcareAlive! was launched in 2009, a fundamental aspect of Dakota Medical Foundation’s (DMF) strategy to create and support the healthiest environments in which to raise children. Research shows healthy habits are formed early. ChildcareAlive! increases physical activity and healthy eating in early care and education settings. The initiative has evolved to include numerous community partners and resources to support child care providers, educators, and parents. Dakota Medical Foundation remains committed to supporting the creation and sustainability of healthy child care environments. DMF is proud to empower children to move, eat, and grow healthy!

Timeline

  • 2009: Partnership between Dakota Medical Foundation, Child Care Aware® (a division of Lakes and Prairies Community Action Partnership), and many community partners begins working to promote health in child care settings throughout Cass and Clay counties
  • 2012–2016: Originally known as GoFar Childcare, the initiative expands to include additional strategies and partners and is renamed ChildcareAlive!
    • 2013: Program model changes to include demonstration site visits to child care providers and spreads to all PartnerSHIP 4 Health counties (Clay, Becker, Wilkin, and Otter Tail counties in Minnesota)
    • 2013: TNT Kid’s Fitness & Gymnastics begins offering a traveling physical activity program, Tots Tumble Time, to child care programs
    • 2014: Fargo Cass Public Health works with the City of Fargo to pass the Physical Activity Health Code which requires child care centers to provide a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity daily, participate in annual training for child care staff, limit screen time, eliminate sweetened beverages, and establish tummy time standards for infants. This requirement expanded to include West Fargo child care centers in 2017.
  • 2017: ChildcareAlive! launches a curriculum, training, and a new website in an effort to partner with as many child care providers as possible

Our Mission

To positively influence eating and physical activity habits during the first five years of a child’s life by impacting early care and education environments.