Healthy Family Habits
NCFL is excited to announce the launch of Healthy Family Habits, an online resource dedicated to providing families with real-world ways to establish and hone healthy habits. This new (and completely free) set of materials offers step-by-step guides and downloadable resources for community organizations seeking support in planning and hosting health-literacy events for families.
Healthy Family Habits also includes interactive features designed to help families facilitate at-home conversations about health and generate ideas for implementing healthful activities. [All resources are available in English and Spanish.]
Healthy Family Habits resources include
- Downloadable family-friendly recipes and resources
- Fun activities and book recommendations to motivate your family to get moving and stay healthy
- Mealtime discussion starters to inspire at-home healthy-lifestyle conversations
For Schools and Programs
- A how-to guide for hosting four intergenerational events with five family-oriented activity stations
- Facilitator’s implementation guide and downloadable take-home materials for families
Health Family Habits in action
Toyota Family Learning site Houston Public Library (HPL) was one of several sites that piloted NCFL’s new resource last year. Twelve events were held at library locations across the city, reaching more than 900 families.
More than 50 community partners teamed up with HPL to provide Houston families with free immunizations, health screenings, and information about how to sign up for essential services such as food stamps and health insurance. In some cases, these critical healthcare and social services were brought into communities that would not otherwise have access to this type of help.
As a result of HPL’s events and community outreach, 80 percent of the 3,100 participants reported they were now more committed to changing lifestyles and motivated to exercise daily, drink more water, consume less sugar in meals and snacks, and establish consistent bed, homework, and meal routines.
HPL reported, “While there is still work to be done and great need, we are proud of the success of the program and are extremely grateful to NCFL for allowing HPL to effectively deliver a quality program to the families and in the communities that needed it most throughout Houston.”
Healthy Family Habits is an initiative of the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) developed with generous funding from the Humana Foundation.