Executive Summary

pg. 7-9

Primary Research

pg. 45-71

SWOT Analysis

pg. 77-83

Key Findings

pg. 73-75

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Secondary Research

pg. 11-43

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Contents

Planningpg. 85-101

6Executions

pg. 103-127

7Appendices

pg. 135-151

Referencespg. 129-133

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Meet

Megan- Creative Director

Lainey- Account Executive

Crystal- Presentation Director

Laura- Co-Strategic Communication Director

Dani- Research Director

Elizabeth- Co-Strategic Communication DirectorMy name is Elizabeth Erker and I am a senior from Omaha, Nebraska. I’m a proud Jayhawk and will be sad to graduate in May, but will always consider Lawrence a second home. My guilty pleasures include — but are not limited to — Netflix, political biographies and donuts. It has been a pleasure to learn more about Kansas Action for Children throughout the semester in order to further develop the campaign to combat childhood obesity — I hope you like what you see!

I am a senior from Long Island, N.Y. majoring in Journalism with an emphasis in Strategic Communication with a minor in Sociology. I enjoy spending time traveling, writing creatively and catching up on reality T.V. In the future, I hope to move back to the east coast, so I can spend my free time on the beach with family and friends while using my degree to work at a public relations agency.

My name is Megan Greene and I am a senior from Olathe, Kansas. I love watching movies, traveling and baking. After graduation, I hope to get into the event planning industry. I served as the creative director of FemMedia and created all of the playful designs you will see throughout our campaign.

My name is Laura Fagen and I am a senior from Wichita, KS, double majoring in Strategic Communications and Theatre. In my free time, I love volunteering, whether it be with my Little through Big Brothers Big Sisters, at the Lawrence Humane Society as a Cat Companion, or as the Communications Director for the Center for Community Outreach. After graduation, I hope to become a communications director for a nonprofit organization and eventually attend graduate school for a master’s in public affairs.

I am your typical Leo! I love to be center-stage, and I have a knack for talking to people and adding a touch of flair to everything, whether it be school, work or play. I recently returned to Lawrence, KS for school after establishing a successful career in marketing for an electronic security company in my hometown of Wichita, KS. I brought my two dogs, Jaxson and Kyndal, cat, Hugh, and snake, Tico, with me, and the full house makes for some adventurous family time! I am most proud of the ladies of FemMedia for working well together, holding each other accountable and producing an amazing campaign!

Hello! My name is Lainey Logsdon and I was born and raised in Kansas City, so I always knew I would be a Jayhawk! I have a small family that I love spending time with whenever I get the time. I also enjoy trying any new physical activity and spending time with my two Golden Retrievers. I look forward to graduating from the University of Kansas this May and working in the event planning industry.

1SummaryExecutive

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

FemMedia created an integrated marketing campaign to help Kansas Action for Children (KAC) overcome its challenge of reaching Kansas parents and child care providers. The client’s goal for the campaign is to connect with these target audiences and encourage them to make changes in their lives and the lives of the children they care for, because the campaign will eventually end with an attempt to change the policy surrounding child care food and beverage environments.

FemMedia conducted extensive primary and secondary research to understand primary audiences opinions on the obesity epidemic. The obesity rates in the United States have nearly tripled in the last four decades, in Kansas one in three children are overweight or obese and 63.7 percent of adults are obese. Despite these statistics, a survey sent to parents of children zero to five in Kansas show a majority of respondents do not believe childhood obesity is a personal problem that directly impacts their families. Primary research concludes that 25 percent of parents with children currently in or once enrolled in child care, either do not know or do not care if healthy food and drinking water are served at child care facilities. Because of these statistics, it is important to start an early intervention and education plan for all parties affecting children zero to five.

Based on research, the target audiences for this campaign are parents of children ages zero to five, child care providers, and children ages zero to five. Secondary audiences are traditional media sources, as well as policy makers. These target audiences can present a challenge for Kansas Action for Children because it does not typically reach out to the general public.

FemMedia has developed a strategic campaign that address the challenges of reaching out to child care providers and parents, as well as overcoming the misconceptions found through surveys that eating well and making healthy choices are expensive and time consuming.

The campaign focuses on six main goals: • strengthening the partnership with Child Care Aware® of Kansas• launching a new health campaign• promoting and encouraging healthy eating• creating awareness of lack of child care regulations regarding food and beverage• creating a media buzz around the previous goals

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The campaign will utilize a mix of paid and organic media, social media and on-site events to engage with it’s primary audiences.

The campaign will begin in January 2015, though the majority of the communications aspect will start in May 2015, after the legislative session has ended, and will finish in December 2015. The campaign will start with the creation of the High 5 for Health campaign, which will focus on five main pillars of health and support: Drink Water, Eat Well, Be a Role Model, Tell a Friend, and Support KAC. KAC will launch the High 5 for Health website in January 2015, and it will be promoted through radio ads in select rural communities and Facebook ads that will be focused on Kansas parents and child care providers to push traffic to the High 5 for Health Facebook page and website, as well as tabling events at Dillon’s grocery stores in four major areas. At these tabling events, “swag items” will be given away to parents and children, such as t-shirts, water bottles, stickers, coloring pages and t-shirts. High 5 for Health will also utilize contests that directly relate to its initiatives. For the continuation of Pass on Pop, the contest will be the Drink Water! Challenge, where participants track their water intake and win prizes, such as a water filter from ZeroWater, who intends to give KAC a discount on water filters. For Eat Well, parents and child care providers will have the opportunity to submit photos of dishes made from recipes on the High 5 for Health website.

We budget $30,000 for all of our executions. The High 5 for Health campaign makes healthy choices easy, affordable and fun for families and child care providers. The campaign not only encourages healthy living, but also provides a gateway for directly supporting KAC policy for this and future campaigns.

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2ResearchSecondary

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SITUATION ANALYSIS

Client Capsule Kansas Action for Children (KAC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization that works with policymakers and community members on behalf of Kansas children. It is located in Topeka, Kansas. Its mission is “to shape health, education and economic policy that will improve the lives of Kansas children and families.” Its motto is “to make Kansas the best state to raise a child.”

KAC was founded in 1979, and it is now one of the leading children’s advocacy organizations in the United States. A staff of eight women, alongside nineteen board members, provide an independent voice in the state of Kansas for children. Its efforts are supported by donations from individuals, businesses and private foundations. According to Guidestar’s website (2014), KAC reported a total revenue of $824,161 and a total expense of $925,549 for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2013.

Over the past 35 years, KAC has achieved results in its three core tenets of health, education and economic policy. It is currently embarking on a three-year initiative to frame and pass public policy regulating the food and beverage environment, particularly beverages, for Kansas children ages zero to five in family child care homes. The initial phase of the initiative is described below.

• Introduced conversation regarding the impact of food and beverage environments on children in child care facilities

• Discussed obesity trend in the state• Emphasized the lack of nutritional value of sugar-sweetened beverages• Asked individuals, families, businesses and organizations to pledge to be soda-free on Sundays

through its website and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PassOnPop)

Pass on Pop (2013 – Present)

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SERVICES PORTFOLIO KAC’s initiatives and achievements stem from three primary services: data and research, advocacy opportunities and public policy change, all of which contribute to its mission.

Comprehensive data and research allow KAC to support policymakers in understanding and advocating for issues that affect Kansas children and families. It provides statistics and summaries on the well-being of Kansas children, in-depth analyses of children’s issues and ideas for data-driven policies. Essential publications include KIDS COUNT, released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and yearly legislative wrap-ups.

Robust advocacy opportunities allow KAC to mobilize the general public on behalf of Kansas children and families. It hosts events for community leaders, provides advocacy toolkits and guides, accumulates contact information for policymakers and encourages donations. Essential publications include monthly e-newsletters, the KAC blog and the Intro to Advocacy guide.

State public policy changes allow KAC to influence the environments available to Kansas children and families. Specifically, it focuses on health, education and economic stability. Essential publications include yearly policy priorities reports, policy briefs and supplemental websites and videos.

Photo courtesy of: https://carolyngooderham.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/keeping-the-kid-inside-you-alive/

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SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT KAC operates at both the state and national levels with a specific focus on the state of Kansas. For the focus of this campaign, its precarious position lies at the juncture of the nonprofit sector and the political atmosphere, the state’s child care services and the food and beverage environment.

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, Kansas has 9,520 public charities as of 2013. Of these public charities, 435 of them are health-related, and 44 of them are advocacy-related. There are an additional 160 charities in the youth development category. KAC has found a niche in statewide public policy for children. However, two key competitors – Kansas Policy Institute and Oral Health Kansas – also arise in statewide public policy for health.

Nonprofit Sector

PoliticalAtmosphere

KAC and its competitors strive to make an impact on public policy. The political landscape in Kansas is in a state of flux with the 2014 general election looming in November. During the 2014 session, the current legislature made no progress on KAC bills. Governor Sam Brownback, however, did veto a transfer of $5 million from the Children’s Initiative Fund (CIF) to the KS Bioscience Authority, the only notable win for Kansas children and families.

KansasChildCare

According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), there are 6,946 early care and youth programs facilities as of 2011. Family child care homes, which are our primary target group for this campaign, account for 5,661 facilities, which is approximately 82 percent of the total number of facilities and 41 percent of the total available child care capacity. According to Child Care Aware® of Kansas (2010), children under the age of five years make up 80 percent of children needing care. The average annual cost for family child care homes ranges from $5,142 per child under 12 months to $4,623 per child under five. This average cost equates to 9 percent of the state’s median family income.

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With the majority of children in family child care homes under the age of five and the amount of time they spend in child care, the food and beverage environment that they are exposed to at these facilities plays a significant role in the development of their consumption habits.

Regulations for licensed facilities are governed by the KDHE. A portion of 2013 regulations pertaining to the food and beverage environment for family child care homes are included below.

“Each licensee shall develop and implement menu plans for meals and snacks that contain a variety of healthful foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy products” (p. 55).

The current regulations provide relatively strict guidelines for food; however, they leave much to be desired for healthful beverages. The causes of childhood obesity are multiple, including but not limited to, sugar-sweetened beverages, lack of access to affordable, healthful food and lack of care in child care licensing regulations. Given that dietary preferences and habits begin forming in the first year of a child’s life, promoting healthful habits and child care licensing regulations may directly benefit the well-being of Kansas children.

These factors — the nonprofit sector, the political atmosphere, the state’s child care services and the food and beverage environment — create a unique opportunity for KAC to successfully progress its initiatives in combating childhood obesity.

TARGET AUDIENCE PROFILES KAC’s primary audiences include family child care providers. Its secondary audiences include policymakers, parents, children and media. For the purpose of this section, we will feature family child care providers and policymakers to contextualize our campaign.

The first primary target audience is family child care providers in the state of Kansas. As previously mentioned, there are 5,661 family child care facilities, and they are overwhelmingly owned and operated by Caucasian women (92 percent). The majority of these women (56 percent) have been in the child care industry for more than five years. They work more than 50 hours per week (82 percent) with no

Food and Beverage

Environment

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CHALLENGES AHEAD KAC faces a number of internal and external challenges. Internal challenges include: lack of experience working directly with child care providers, lack of brand awareness among target audiences and disjointed brand awareness between KAC and legislature, complex issues and goals, lack of personnel and reach of location to western Kansas. External challenges include: changing political environment, competitors, water consumption and an uninformed audience. Descriptions of challenges are provided in detail later in research and SWOT analysis sections.

benefits (61 percent) for an annual income of $15,711. They have attained either a high school diploma (33 percent) or some college experience (31 percent), and they are between the ages of 31 and 50 (57 percent). A quarter of these providers are over 50 years old. They have been described as overworked and isolated, but with a genuine desire to provide the best care for children and to have fun.

The second primary target audience is policymakers in the state of Kansas. The current legislature is comprised of 125 House members and 40 Senate members. Of our 165-member legislature, 24.8 percent are women, 4 percent are African American and 2 percent are Hispanic American. The national average age of legislators is 56 years with 47.9 percent between the ages of 50 and 64 and 24.6 percent between the ages of 35 and 49. Both the Kansas House of Representatives and Senate are dominated by the Republican Party. Their annual session commences on the second Monday in January, and it typically lasts through early May.

TAKE ACTION NOW One in three Kansas children is overweight or obese. That equates to over 200,000 children who are more likely to be obese as adults. Over 200,000 children who are at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Alarmingly, the trend holds steadfast, even at younger ages, with 29 percent of two-to-five-year-olds in low-income Kansas families as overweight or obese.

Our children are spending a substantial portion of their formative years in family child care facilities, and the food and beverage environment that they are exposed to is playing a significant role in the development of their consumption habits and health status. Child care facilities provide an opportunity to reduce childhood obesity in Kansas. It is in the best interest of KAC to take action now to shape the child care environment and to shape children ages zero–to-five’s behavior. “Let’s make it easy for Kansas kids.”

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CLIENT CAPSULE

Kansas Action for Children (KAC), a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization, was created in 1979 as a collaborative effort of the Junior League of Topeka, Junior League of Wichita, Junior Leagues of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties and the Kansas Children’s Service League. KAC primarily works with policymakers and community members on behalf of Kansas children.

According to the KAC website, its goal is “to establish an independent voice in the state for Kansas children.” The organization has had the same mission since its inception; however, according to Lauren Beatty, the Communications Director of KAC, it has become the lone, independent voice on many issues affecting Kansas children. It is one of the only organizations in Kansas that does not receive funding from the state, so it does not have partners on many issues.

Past successful political campaigns have included Lexie’s Law and graduated drivers. Lexie’s Law was passed in 2010 and made it a law that every child care facility has to be licensed and regularly inspected. An article written two years after the law passed praises the law on how much it has helped Kansas (Tobias, 2012). KAC utilized mailers, a personalized website (www.inspecttherest.com) and social media. Before the graduated driver’s license, teens were able to get a driver’s license at 15; this law, which is currently in effect, makes it so people have to start with a permit at 14 and move up to getting their driver’s license at 16. Lauren believes that the best media coverage that the brand has had was when it sued the attorney general for not releasing the records from the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. KAC won this lawsuit in 2014; however, it has also written about the fact that this lack of transparency has cost the organization millions of dollars in legal fees, as well as a vote that had the information been available, could have possibly been turned down.

KAC HISTORY

Kansas Action for Children has a long history of working on behalf of Kansas children. To thoroughly get a sense of the issue at hand, it is important to first understand the history of KAC and the successes or problems it has encountered in similar campaigns. Through this information, FemMedia can gauge possible successful tactics for this campaign.

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KAC TODAY KAC has a staff of eight who strive to create policy change in the areas of children’s health, education and economic success. The eight staff members include the President and CEO, Shannon Cotsoradis, the Vice President of Public Affairs, Christie Appelhanz, the Vice President of Administration, Janelle Brazington, the Executive Director of the Kansas Coalition for School Readiness, April Holman, the Director of Health Policy, Hilary Gee, the Communications Director, Lauren Beatty, the Executive Assistant, Rochelle Adams and the Office Manager, Lisa Owens. Attached to the office is the Center for Economic Growth, launched in 2013, which is funded through Kansas Action for Children but is a separate brand. Annie McKay serves as the Executive Director for the Center and Nathan Madden is the Research Analyst. Kansas Action for Children is guided by a 19-person Board of Directors, the majority of whose membership live within an hour of Topeka.

KAC creates yearly statistics and summaries regarding the well-being of Kansas children that it uses to substantiate all of its policy priorities. Each year, it helps distribute the KIDS COUNT data, produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, that rank children’s welfare in all 50 states. Besides producing research, it also compiles wrap-ups of the legislative sessions and reports on the effects of different policies on Kansas citizens. It provides an Intro to Advocacy handbook to help guide Kansans as they navigate how to be advocates for children’s rights.

Kansas Action for Children gets no state funding. Instead, its funding comes primarily from private donations and grants. National foundations that are currently funding KAC are the Annie E. Casey Foundation to help with its KIDS COUNT publications, as well as the Kellogg Foundation, working with its Registered Dental Practitioner program. Major state foundations that give KAC grants include the Kansas Health Foundation and REACH Healthcare.

Children’sHealth

Education EconomicSuccess

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LOCATION KAC is located at 720 SW Jackson, Suite 201 Topeka, KS 66603. While this location is ideal for its political advocacy because it is only one block from the Kansas State House, it may not necessarily be properly positioned for reaching out to Kansas citizens. Topeka is approximately one hour away from the Missouri border, which makes it easily accessible for the one million people living within Shawnee, Douglas, Johnson, Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. This location, however, proves problematic when reaching out to all Kansas residents. First, it does not account for the other approximately two million people in the state who live further. Second, the distance from Topeka to the Colorado border is around five hours, and to the Oklahoma border can be around three hours. Though a five-hour drive may seem easy, it may be difficult for a low-income family to take the time out of the day to make the drive and spend the money on gas (Index Mundi, 2010).

RECENT HEALTH CAMPAIGNS KAC’s recent health campaigns have included initiatives for children’s health care, creating healthier school environments, and prioritizing dental health. During the 2014 legislative session, KAC’s bills regarding childhood death, funding for all-day kindergarten and oral health were left on the table and not voted on.

KAC currently has two major projects that have created unique brands. First, the Kansas Dental Project advocates for the creation of a mid-level dental provider. Second, the Partnership for Early Success has been developed from the Kansas Coalition for School Readiness. For both of these projects, KAC has created important partnerships to further the goals of its respective policies. In addition, because of the political nature and the importance of focusing on specific health issues, KAC has created new brands separate from the KAC brand so that legislation does not get disregarded.

Pass on Pop is a campaign that is supposed to span the first year of a five-year plan that KAC is working on with the Kansas Health Foundation. The Kansas Health Foundation was looking for five organizations to help work on food and beverage campaigns and Kansas Action for Children is one of them.

Photo courtesy of: http://www.nps.gov/brvb/forteachers/classrooms/capitol.htm

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COMMUNICATION CHANNELS To communicate with its followers, KAC utilizes many web-based communication channels. The organization sends out a monthly e-newsletter that highlights what it has been doing during that time. During the legislative session, it also issues the Capitol Connection report. Its website is also a major communication vehicle. The website includes staff profiles, policy priorities, data and research, and a “what we’re reading” section. The blog on its website is updated weekly with posts from the KAC staff, as well as guest writers including KAC board members and representatives from partner agencies.

KAC also highly utilizes social media, creating accounts for each of its different brands. It updates its social media channels at least a few times a week with relevant information about the issues that it is working on. Currently, it has Facebook and Twitter accounts for KAC, a Facebook for Pass on Pop, a Twitter for the Partnership for Early Success and a Facebook and Twitter for the Kansas Dental Project. All of these are run by Lauren Beatty, the Communications Director.

Besides web-based marketing, Kansas Action for Children uses direct mail pieces, billboards, radio ads and more to target citizens and legislature. The organization will target certain political parties or neighborhoods that appeal to its specific issue. This includes creating bilingual marketing materials, which can be seen in its campaign for Registered Dental Practitioners where the organization created a Spanish radio ad to target Hispanic residents of Wichita. The organization also writes or sponsors Letters to the Editor about different issues to newspapers all over Kansas, as well as maintains relationships with newspapers in major cities that it can e-mail about different campaigns.

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SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT The surrounding environment is composed of external factors that both help and hinder KAC in its efforts. These factors can be completely independent, such as the population of the state of Kansas, direct competitors and child care facilities and regulations. Even though these factors will impact our actions simply by being present in the environment, they themselves cannot be changed by us. Other factors can be dependent on outside influences, like partnerships, childhood obesity and beverage consumption habits. It is the current realities of these dependent variables that we use as the jumping point for action. We need to know where we come from to know where we are going.

The following sections will detail the elements of the surrounding environment that are critical to KAC’s efforts. Examination of these elements will ensure that we are aware and ready for the arena that will host our campaign.

STATE OF KANSAS The current legislature is comprised of 125 House members and 40 Senate members (Kansas Legislature, 2014). Of the 165-member legislature, 24.8 percent are women, 4 percent are African American and 2 percent are Hispanic American. The national average age of legislators is 56 years with 47.9 percent between the ages of 50 and 64 and 24.6 percent between the ages of 35 and 49 (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2014).

The 2010 U.S. Census reported 2,853,118 Kansans with a 2013 population estimate of 2,893,957. The median age is 36 years with 89.7 percent receiving a high school education or higher. The median household income is $51,273 with 13.2 percent of Kansans living below poverty level. According to the Gallup, Inc. (2014) scorecard, Kansans are more likely to be Republican and conservative compared to the national average, and they are less likely to vote Kansas as the best state to live in and less likely to remain in the state.

The top 10 most populous cities in Kansas, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, include:

Wichita - 382,386Overland Park - 173,334Kansas City - 145,786Topeka - 127,474Olathe - 125,876Lawrence - 87,643Shawnee - 62,209Manhattan - 52,283Lenexa - 48,190Salina - 47,707

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DIRECT COMPETITORS Kansas Policy Institute (KPI), located in Wichita, is a unique statewide organization founded in 1996 that operates as an independent think tank for free market principles. Its mission is “to produce sound policy research on Kansas issues, advance free market principles and limit growth of the state government.” A staff of three is supported by an 11-member board of trustees and a five-member advisory council. KPI’s three core tenets of education, health care and fiscal policy are supported by publishing studies, hosting events, educating policymakers and community leaders and engaging the media.

Oral Health Kansas (OHK), located in Topeka, is the state’s oral health coalition founded in 2003. Its mission is “to improve oral health in Kansas through advocacy, public awareness and education.” Its vision is “Kansas as the national leader in oral health education, prevention and treatment.” A staff of four women are joined by 14 board members. OHK’s 2014 policy priorities are: (1) to increase access to providers, (2) to increase financial capacity to pay for dental services, (3) to increase awareness among policymakers of the importance of oral health and (4) to improve public oral health.

PARTNERSHIPS KAC has formed a new partnership with Child Care Aware® of Kansas (CCAK) in order to further its efforts in improving child care within the state. Specifically, KAC is aiming to decrease the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages by children and to increase the consumption of healthy alternatives, such as water, in child care facilities. Ideally, these healthy habits will be demonstrated by child care providers and encouraged by parents and child care coaches from CCAK. To reach these target audiences, KAC needs to spread the word about unhealthy beverages, and that is when help from CCAK becomes beneficial.

CCAK divides its services for the state into four regions providing help to child care facilities in 105 different counties. Region one includes Salina, Hays, and Garden City; region two includes Wichita; region three includes Topeka, Lawrence and Pittsburg, and region four includes Kansas City. Within each region, supervisors and directors build relationships with coaches whose job it is to work directly with child care providers. The goal is to provide helpful information in order to promote and create affordable and high quality child care throughout Kansas. KAC can utilize CCAK’s services in order to get information sent throughout the state.

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KANSAS CHILD CARE A child care facility, according to the Kansas Child Care Licensing Laws, is a facility maintained by a person who has control of one or more children under 16 years of age, unattended by a parent or guardian, for the purpose of providing the child with food or lodging. It excludes children in the custody of the Secretary of Social and Rehabilitation Services who are placed with a prospective adoptive family pursuant to the provisions of an adoptive placement agreement or who are related to the person by blood, marriage or legal adoption. There are three types of child care facilities recognized by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).

Licensed Day Care Homes A licensed day care home is a child care facility in which care is provided for a maximum of ten (10) children under 16 years of age and includes children under 11 years of age related to the provider. The total number of children in care at any one time is based on the ages of the children in care (KDHE, 2014).

• The license is usually issued for the provider’s own home but may be issued at a location other than the provider’s home. The license identifies the address of the child care facility.

• The licensee must be 18 years of age, have an understanding of children, complete certified first aid and CPR as well as child care related training.

• A KBI criminal history and child abuse and neglect background check is processed on all persons living, working or volunteering in the licensed day care home.

• State Licensing fee $85.00. Local fees may also apply.

The licensed day care home is inspected to check compliance with regulations to protect the health, safety and well-being of the children in care at least once every 12 months. KDHE contracts with local county health departments or private contractors to conduct on-site inspections.

By utilizing a partnership with CCAK, KAC can promote materials and information through directors to coaches to distribute to child care providers. When we spoke with CCAK for the Eastern region, region one sent nearly 12,000 returnable items to its region alone last year. These returnable items were large bins, otherwise known as totes, filled with educational materials, such as books, toys, and interactive activities. These help coaches attain the attention of child care providers before being welcomed into their homes. Coaches can persuade providers with these items, bring them to the child care home for the children to utilize while the coach provides technical assistance. TA, or technical assistance, is any type of positive information presented in order to improve the conditions or environment of the child care facility. TA is mandatory when providing child care providers with returnable items, like totes.

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Group Day Care Homes A group day care home is a child care facility in which care is provided for a maximum of 12 children under 16 years of age and includes children under 11 years of age related to the provider. The total number of children in care at any one time is based on the ages of the children in care.

• The license is usually issued for the provider’s own home but may be issued at a location other than the provider’s home. The license identifies the address of the child care facility.

• The licensee must be 18 years of age, have an understanding of children, complete certified first aid and CPR, as well as child care related training.

• A KBI criminal history and child abuse and neglect background check is processed on all persons living, working or volunteering in the licensed day care home.

• State Licensing fee $87.00. Local fees may also apply.

The licensed group day care home is inspected to check compliance with regulations to protect the health, safety and well-being of the children in care at least once every 12 months. KDHE contracts with local county health departments or private contractors to conduct on-site inspections. The licensed group day care home must be approved for fire safety (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 2014).

Child Care Centers Child care centers are a child care facility in which care and educational activities are provided for 13 or more children two weeks to 16 years of age for more than three hours and less than 24 hours per day including daytime, evening, and night-time care, or which provides before and after school care for school-age children.

• A qualified program director must be employed at the center full-time. Each unit must have qualified staff at all times when children are in care. Qualifications are stated by regulation and are based on the number of children in care.

• Staff caring for children must have an understanding of children and complete first aid training, recognition of symptoms of illness, child abuse and neglect and other child care job-related training.

• A KBI criminal history and child abuse and neglect background check is processed on all persons living, working or volunteering in the licensed child care center facility.

• State licensing fee $75 plus $1 for each child in the total capacity. For example, for a capacity of 60 children, the required initial and annual fee is $135. Local fees may also apply.

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The child care center is inspected to check compliance with regulations to protect the health, safety and well-being of the children in care at least once every 12 months. KDHE contracts with local county health departments or private contractors to conduct on-site inspections (KDHE, 2014).

Our primary focus is licensed day care homes, which we will refer to as family child care homes. According to KDHE, there are 4,540 licensed family child care home providers in the state of Kansas watching over approximately 45,218 children (as of June 2011). The following counties have some of the highest numbers of family child care homes.

Johnson County – 821 facilitiesSedgwick County – 682 facilitiesShawnee County – 327 facilitiesSaline County – 174 facilitiesDouglas County – 151 facilitiesWyandotte County – 148 facilitiesRiley County – 101 facilities

Three additional counties in western Kansas are highlighted below.Ellis County – 113 facilitiesBarton County – 66 facilitiesDickinson County – 47 facilities

CHILD CARE PROVIDERS Family child care homes are overwhelmingly owned and operated by Caucasian women (92 percent). The majority of these women (56 percent) have been in the child care industry for more than five years. They work more than 50 hours per week (82 percent) with no benefits (61 percent) for an annual income of $15,711. They have attained either a high school diploma (33 percent) or some college experience (31 percent), and they are between the ages of 31 and 50 (57 percent). A quarter of these providers are over 50 years old. They have been described as overworked and isolated, but with a genuine desire to provide the best care for children and to have fun. Social media is a popular tool for these women. According to the Facebook demogaphics report (2014), there was an 80 percent increase in Facebook users in the 55-and-up age group and 41 percent increase in the 35-54 age group between 2011 and 2014.

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KDHE FOOD AND BEVERAGE REGULATIONS A sample of 2013 food and beverage regulations for family child care homes are included below (KDHE, 2013).

There are six individual requirements for children under 18 months, and four specifications for the frequency of meals and snacks based on the length of time that the child is in care. All meals and snacks should be prepared in quantities that allow children to have a second serving. Guidelines are provided for children with food allergies and special dietary needs, as well as food preparation, service and cleanup.

Breakfast must be comprised of one fruit, vegetable, full-strength fruit or vegetable juice, bread or grain product and milk. Lunch and dinner must be comprised of meat or meat alternative, two vegetables or two fruits, or one vegetable and one fruit, bread or grain product and milk. Midmorning and midafternoon snacks must be comprised of at least two of the following: milk, one fruit, vegetable, full-strength fruit or vegetable juice, meat or meat alternative and bread or grain product.

Drinking water must be available at all times that the child is in care.

Photo courtesy of: http://johnconnor12.livejournal.com/13394.html Photo courtesy of: http://www.brightstepspediatrics.com/fluoride/

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CHILDHOOD OBESITY To understand KAC’s current goal as it relates to the beverage environment, it is crucial to have some background regarding the health of children in the United States in general. The choice to target the food and beverage environment in family child care homes has been made very purposefully; the focus of KAC’s efforts is intentionally narrow. The food and beverage environment is one component of the larger issue of childhood obesity, and is one that KAC believes it can impact, even with the barriers that are present and outlined in further detail below. The beverage environment, specifically, is defined as the selected behaviors, settings and policies as they relate to beverage consumption and childhood obesity -- primarily sugar-sweetened beverages such as juice, soda, sports drinks and others (http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/childrensfoodenvironment.pdf). By beginning the conversation early and taking the problem apart piece by piece, childhood obesity in Kansas and the United States at large might begin to lessen.

Before going any further, it is necessary to define the terms involved in this conversation. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):• “Overweight is defined as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and lower than the 95th percentile

for children of the same age and sex, and• Obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex

(http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/basics.html).”

Photo courtesy of: http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/ss/slideshow-cholesterol-overview

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Childhood obesity is not a new issue in the United States. Since the 1960s and ‘70s, the number of overweight or obese youth in the United States has nearly tripled (American Heart Association, 2014). It is now an issue at the forefront of parents’ minds, an even higher concern than drug abuse and smoking (American Heart Association, 2014). There is good reason for such concern, as childhood obesity leads to early onset of a number of health problems more commonly found in adulthood, including high blood pressure, type two diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels. Childhood obesity can also impact a child’s psyche, leading to low self-esteem, negative body image and depression (American Heart Association, 2014). It is clear that obesity is a concern; the negative side effects of obesity are relatively well-known. Of the factors that contribute to childhood obesity, the beverage environment is rarely the first factor that comes to mind. That does not, however, make it less important; in fact, the beverage environment is a key part of the work KAC seeks to do and the policy it seeks to implement. Childhood obesity and children’s corresponding beverage environments are directly tied to income, education and race (low-income households are more likely to purchase and consume higher amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages). According to the CDC, groups that are especially vulnerable include those with minimal education, Mexican-American boys (aged two to 19) and non-Hispanic black girls (aged two to 17) and women (May, A. L., et al., 2013).

The CDC’s research aligns with KAC’s information regarding the cause of childhood obesity and the environment in which KAC seeks to target change: sugar-sweetened beverages, lack of access to affordable, healthy food and lack of attention paid specifically to food and beverages in child care licensing regulations. Overlap in these areas points to the validity of KAC’s focus on education and breaking down these barriers for family child care providers to get to the root of the obesity problem. The beverage environment, combined with the food environment, clearly has a large impact on the future of a child’s health and early intervention is key.

Photo courtesy of: http://smchealth.org/soda

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BEVERAGE CONSUMPTION IN CHILDREN Starting the conversation with those who interact with children at infancy is crucial to the success of positively impacting the habits of children as they grow. Dietary preferences and habits begin to be formed within the first year of a child’s life; therefore, the food and beverages children are fed during that time have an effect on the choices they will make as they grow. According to Dr. Elisie M. Taveras, chief of the division of general pediatrics at MassGenn Hospital for Children in Boston, “early taste preferences, especially for fruits, vegetables and sugar-sweetened beverages, are lasting.” Recent studies have found that, “babies who consumed any amount of sugar-sweetened beverages were two times more likely to drink them at least once daily at age 6” (Saint Louis, 2014). A third study found that “infants ages 10 to 12 months who were given sugar-sweetened beverages more than three times a week were twice as likely to be obese at age 6 than those who consumed none as infants” (Saint Louis, 2014). This suggests that intervention should be targeted to accommodate this window of development. Findings indicate that noncarbonated drinks that are high in sugar should not be fed to infants, especially during the first year.

Unfortunately, research has demonstrated a high level of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among infants (Saint Louis, 2014). For example, one study found “27 percent of the infants studied had been fed sugar-sweetened beverages.” Indeed, nearly nine percent were fed them before six months of age. Yet, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends only breast milk for the first six months or, alternatively, formula” (Saint Louis, 2014). According to the CDC, the recommended serving size for juice for children aged one to six is four to six ounces per day (CDC, 2014). The CDC discourages serving drinks other than water and milk, and requires that if juice is served in child care settings, it must be 100 percent juice. Drinks that should be avoided altogether in child care settings include sodas, flavored milk and fruit nectars (CDC, 2014).

Photo courtesy of: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/mar/21/less-

afraid-intervening-chaotic-families

Photo courtesy of: http://www.smallstepsonline.co.uk/news/9898/

top-baby-and-toddler-topics-–-what’s-trending-this-week-13

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POVERTY LEVEL AND LOW-INCOME FAMILIES

Poverty Level

Statistics regarding poverty in the United States are compiled and reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. Four reports comprise the data that makes up our knowledge of poverty. The Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS) is the official national poverty estimates. The American Community Survey (ACS) is the single and multi-year estimates for smaller areas. The Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) is the longitudinal estimates, and the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) is the model-based poverty estimates for counties and school districts (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) determines the formulas and definitions by which poverty is determined in its Statistical Policy Directive 14. The 48 possible poverty thresholds are based on the family’s size and composition. If the family’s total income falls below the family’s threshold, the family and every individual in it are considered in poverty. These thresholds do not vary across the states, but they are updated for inflation. The family’s income only includes income before taxes, even if the family receives capital gains or noncash benefits (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014).

Low-income Families As of March 2014, there are more than 161,000 children under six needing child care, and approximately 47,000 children under four are living in poverty in Kansas (Child Care Aware of America, 2014). According to CCAK, “More than half (51 percent) of families with children under age five say the economy has affected their child care in some way with more than three-fifths (63 percent) worried at least some of the time about paying their bills.” This same report noted that two in 10 parents have had to use their savings to pay for child care, and many others have had to move their children to worse providers due to cost. Most parents, not just those in low-income families, put a lot of focus on the quality of the child care, and often their ideas of child care standards are much higher than actual policies require. In general, most parents would support political policies that created an improved child care environment, given that their highest concern when choosing a provider is the quality (Child Care Aware of America, 2014).

Previous research has shown that children living in low-income families are more likely to make unhealthy food and beverage choices for a variety of reasons. Because of this information, it is necessary for FemMedia to have a thorough understanding of this group so we are able to target them more effectively.

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Child and Adult Food Program (CACFP) Before we are able to raise awareness through education and promote the policy changes that KAC wishes to advocate, we must first consider the programs related to food and beverages that are currently used by child care providers. The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal program administered by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It provides reimbursement for healthy meals and snacks served to children and adults. Facilities taking part in the CACFP serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. CACFP provides specific guidelines indicating food proportions that must be present for each meal, with a reimbursement incentive given to the child care providers who serve the meals. The type of meal and the income level of participants determine the reimbursement.

Child care centers and licensed family child care homes that are KDHE-approved are eligible to participate in this program. It is important to note that there is no cost to the child care provider who wishes to participate in the program. However, it is also important to consider that KAC is trying to connect with low-income child care providers who, for multiple reasons, may not be able to accommodate the guidelines of CACFP. In our interview with Jennifer Wagner, M.Ed. Curriculum Director, she mentioned that the CACFP could be overwhelming for low-income providers. In the child care environment where there are already guidelines, rules and paperwork to follow, KAC may want to try implementing its policy change in a way that can be easily incorporated into the provider’s day-to-day routine without evoking a feeling of resistance.

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FOOD ACCESS Food accessibility is a systemic component to the environment that is often overlooked in conversations of childhood obesity and food and beverage consumption. The focus is often on personal components like education, healthy alternatives and finances. However, these personal stakes are made within the infrastructure of grocery stores, public transportation and urban planning.

The USDA defines a food desert as a “low income census tract where a substantial number of residents have low access to a grocery store.” Food deserts are predominantly found in low-income communities, both rural and urban, where access to fresh fruits, vegetables and other nutritious products are limited. The USDA reported in 2009 that as many as 23.5 million Americans live more than a mile from a supermarket and have limited access to a vehicle or public transit. Low access qualifies as more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store in urban areas and as more than 10 miles from a supermarket or large grocery store in rural areas.

These food deserts can have a substantial impact on health. Studies show that the growing number of convenience stores, fast food restaurants and junk food in food deserts is linked to a higher risk of obesity. This high concentration of unhealthy choices in low-income areas is referred to as a food swamp. These food swamps contribute to the unhealthy food choices resulting in obesity, whereas communities with better access to supermarkets decreases the risk of obesity.

According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal study, Kansas has a food insecurity rate of 14.8 percent, which translates to 426,850 people. Wyandotte County currently holds the highest percentage of food insecurity in the state with 19.2 percent, followed by Riley County with 18.4 percent, Geary County with 17.7 percent, Douglas with 17.1 percent and Crawford with 16.6 percent.

In 2013, Feeding America conducted a survey of the Kansas Food Bank that shed new light on current trends of food insecurity in Kansas. Of the population that the Kansas Food Bank serves, 42 percent of clients identify themselves as white, 14 percent as black or African American, and 37 percent as Hispanic or Latino. Among all clients, 35 percent are children under age 18, and 10 percent are seniors age 60 and older. Additional statistics representative of the population who benefits from the Kansas Food Bank is included below.

Photo courtesy of: http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2013/03/10_items_or_less_the_grocery_s.php

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• An estimated 83 percent of households are food insecure, and 17 percent are food secure.• An estimated 9 percent of client households have no income, 52 percent have annual incomes of $1

to $10,000, and 28 percent have annual incomes of $10,001 to $20,000. Taking into consideration of household size, 83 percent of client households have incomes that fall at or below the federal poverty level.

• An estimated 27 percent of households report at least one member with diabetes; 48 percent of households report at least one member with high blood pressure. Additionally, 36 percent of client households have no members with health insurance of any kind, and 66 percent of households choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical care at least once in the past 12 months.

• An estimated 70 percent of all clients have attained a high school degree or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or more, and an estimated 24 percent of all clients have post-high school education (including license or certification, some college, or a four-year degree).

It is important to underscore the reality of food accessibility because the personal behaviors that are being encouraged through KAC need to be supported by the communities at large. Not only should our target audiences want to take action, but they should be able to take action in easy, affordable and realistic ways.

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INDUSTRY TRENDS

SIMILAR CAMPAIGNS Kansas is not the only state with concerns about the implications of sugar-sweetened beverages and ties to obesity. The sugar-sweetened beverage environment is a broad one with relevance in many settings beyond child care, which contributes to the body of research available on the subject. A report conducted by UC Berkeley’s Atkins Center for Weight and Health (CWH) and published on the California Center for Public Health Advocacy’s website outlines a policy agenda similar to KAC’s. The report, “Hiding Under a Health Halo: Examining the Data Behind Health Claims on Sugary Beverages,” comes at the issue slightly differently, addressing the fact that many beverage manufacturers try to appeal to a health-conscious audience by marketing its products as “health and strength enhancing” (California Center for Public Health Advocacy, 2014). While the California Center for Public Health Advocacy has taken a different approach, its report recognizes similar “implications for policy” – “fortified” beverages increase calorie consumption for children and teens, leading to increased risk of obesity and diabetes without any added value, such as “hydration effects of water,” etc. (Pirotin, S., et al., 2014). Policy, therefore, would seek to regulate and prohibit the advertisement, sale and consumption of sugary drinks to children (California Center for Public Health Advocacy, 2014). Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program, supports “research on environmental and policy strategies that have strong potential to promote healthy eating among children”. The program notes that child care settings are crucial, since they account for many children during the time in which dietary habits are forming. It also recognizes that there is limited data regarding federal, state and local policies and practices that impact food and beverage environments before students enter school, and focuses efforts on closing this gap to help prevent childhood obesity. One such example of research relating to beverage environments in child care settings is a study focused on the implementation of water policies in child care centers in Connecticut. The study found that many Connecticut child care centers are currently in violation of state and federal water-promoting policies. The main conclusion suggested that centers need support and education to “meet existing water policies and new water requirements” (Middleton, A. E., et al., 2013).

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The Strong4Life Campaign was started in 2011 in Georgia by the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to address the obesity epidemic in the state. The five-year, $50-million campaign began because nearly one million children in Georgia are overweight or obese and the hospital felt like it was seeing too many children with diseases previously only seen in adults, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. The campaign is also concerned with the fact that 75 percent of parents with overweight children in Georgia do not recognize that their child is overweight, despite the fact that Georgia has the second highest obesity rate in the country. The campaign believes that by taking small steps in its four Strong4Life Healthy Habits, Georgians will see a drop in obesity. The four habits are “Make Half Your Plate Veggies And Fruits, Be Active For 60 Minutes, Limit Screen Time To One Hour, and Drink More Water And Limit Sugary Drinks (What is Strong4Life?).” The campaign is using multiple approaches to educate families, including public awareness, social media, targeting health care providers and early childcare, creating community partnerships and enacting policy change.

The Strong4Life campaign’s primary target audience is parents with obese children. The goal with this audience is awareness because it has been shown that 75 percent of parents with obese children don’t recognize the problem. To reach this audience, Strong4Life has taken a number of steps that include a media mix of billboards, videos, social media, and a variety of programs for parents to enroll their children in. The promotions started in 2011 with the slogan “Let’s not sugarcoat it,” and featured obese children with alarming and negative facts, such as “Chubby kids may not outlive their parents” and “He has his father’s eyes, his laugh and maybe even his diabetes.” These billboards and videos featured the website stopchildhoodobesity.com. Videos from its early days in 2011 still exist and the shock factor of the videos continues to be very relevant.

CAMPAIGN SUMMARY

DESCRIPTION OF CAMPAIGN GOALS, OBJECTIVES, ETC.

CHILDREN’S HEALTH CARE OF ATLANTA’S STRONG4LIFE CAMPAIGN Obesity is not only an issue for Kansas children, and it is important to note similar campaigns in other parts of the country that focus on food and beverage environments. By researching other campaigns, FemMedia can use the information to duplicate or abandon certain tactics.

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After some backlash to these billboards and videos, the campaign has now evolved to being more specifically about how to end childhood obesity, as opposed to “fat shaming.” However, it did not completely take out the shock factor to its ads- one video from 2012 is titled “Reverse the Future,” where it showed Jim, a 300-pound 32-year-old man who is having a heart attack. The video continues to show how he became obese, going back all the way to him as a baby when his mother would feed him French fries, implying that parents should take some of the blame for their children’s obesity. While the PSAs and billboards did shock people, the current website has videos that are more sympathetic in nature- that highlight the fact that this team is made up of not only doctors and healthcare experts, but also parents who understand the struggles of getting a child to engage in healthy activities. One second primary audience that the campaign focuses on is children’s primary physicians. Research has shown that parents go to their child’s physician first when they have medical concerns and take the physician’s advice very seriously, so this is a group of influencers on the primary audience. The website lists its key objectives as 1. Increase goal setting with patients; 2. Increase self-efficacy in use of counseling techniques by the provider; 3. Increase knowledge around reimbursement (if applicable); 4. Increase knowledge about treatment protocols; 5. Increase self-efficacy about ability to treat. These objectives are met by providing in-person and webinar training to help a physician start a conversation about childhood obesity with parents (Strong4Life).

A secondary audience would be children in Georgia. Strong4Life presents its four Strong4Life Healthy Habits as a fun and easy. The organization hosts events for children like the Strong4Life Challenge where it brings pep rallies, fun runs, classroom events and videos to Atlanta-area schools. Every year, a week-long camp is also held where children who’s body mass index is greater than the 85th percentile can engage in activities like “zip-lining, dancing, nutritious cooking competitions, and “Supermarket Spying” (“Camp Strong4Life Teaches Children Healthy Habits.”)”

One strategy this campaign uses that is extremely useful is partnering with many other nonprofit organizations that have children’s welfare in mind. These partnerships include, but are not limited to, Girl Scouts, Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta, the YMCA, Giving Point, and many school districts in the area. It also utilizes hosting events with these organizations to reach more children, making them first feel like being healthy is fun so that they might tell their parents what they did with the Strong4Life group.

The campaign uses a highly varied media mix that includes video PSA’s, billboards, social media, and a highly interactive website. While its commercials air on television, it also posts all of them on its Youtube page, which has nearly 1,500 subscribers. As stated previously, it relies heavily on shock value, and these videos are a major way to do that. It uses it’s Facebook and Twitter page to showcase some of its helpful links from the website, including healthy recipes, fun physical activities and photos and videos from its events.

CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES

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CAMPAIGN SUMMARY “Sugar Bites,” a campaign launched in Contra Costa County, CA by First 5 Contra Costa (First 5 CC) and Health and Active Before 5 (HAB45) with Better World Advertising (BWA), tackled the prevalence of childhood obesity exacerbated by sugary drink consumption in children ages zero to five years. First 5 CC identified that Latino children have increased their sugar intake between 1991 and 2008 with one in three children in low-income families as overweight or obese. Latinos comprise 24 percent of Contra Costa’s population, making them a sizeable and vulnerable target for sugary drink companies and advertisers. Soft drinks, sport drinks, fruit-flavored drinks and flavored milk are deceptively marketed as healthy options for children. Parents who were surveyed during the learning phase of the campaign were not aware of the negative effects of sugary drinks, and they had served juice or a fruit drink just the day before to their children. After reviewing other campaigns dealing with the same topic, as well as examining different frames for the controversial issue, First 5 CC knew that it wanted to focus on parental education in a nongraphic, non-blaming or shaming way. “Sugar Bites” is a social marketing campaign educating parents on the hazards of sugary drinks and urging them to choose water.

DESCRIPTION OF CAMPAIGN GOALS, OBJECTIVES, ETC. Due to the lack of awareness and the misinformation surrounding sugary drinks, the campaign crafted counter messages about the serious health risks associated with these drinks. The advertising firm, Better World Advertising (BWA), used its knack for hard-hitting campaigns to “grab parents’ attention, start conversations, elicit strong reactions and ultimately lead to behavior change” (Salud America!). The central theme of “Sugar Bites” is sugary drinks with teeth. The initial iterations did not include pictures of children; however, a focus group of parents requested that children hold the chomping drinks to reinforce that it is the children who are affected by the product. The message was to “be clear and easy to understand at a glance.” It was to “portray sugary drinks as harmful and dangerous to evoke visceral reactions from parents to want to protect their children” (Salud America!). The target audience was parents of children ages zero to five, with an emphasis on Latino families, apparent in the use of bilingual materials. However, First 55 CC also targeted the children themselves, which informed its decision to avoid graphic and/or shaming and blaming techniques. “Sugar Bites” used both traditional and new media to reach its target audiences.

FIRST 5 CONTRA COSTA’S SUGAR BITES CAMPAIGN

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The campaign launched in May 2013 across Contra Costa County, CA, using multiple tactics. It included posters, flyers, bank cash envelopes, educational brochures, infographics, educational information and resources on its website. The ads were placed in 50 convenience stores, on sides of bus shelters and in transit stations. Branded bank cash envelopes were handed out by local banks and educational brochures were provided by health organizations. The message was simple: a child holding an identifiably popular sugary drink with hazardous teeth, coupled with an educational fact about the health risks and a call to action to protect children by choosing water instead of sugary drinks. “Sugar Bites” evolved into a two-phase campaign. The second phase of the campaign, slotted for spring 2014, will narrow its focus to juice and fruit drinks. It will not only highlight healthy alternatives, but will explore policy changes regarding water consumption in children. First 5 CC wants to turn its educational platform into an advocating platform for water availability as a healthy alternative for children. It plans to disseminate future information in the same way as the first phase of the campaign.

CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES

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CAMPAIGN SUMMARY

Children Now is a nonpartisan, research, policy development and advocacy organization whose focus is the promotion of children’s health and education in the state of California. The organization also seeks to work with media to create policies that support child development (“What We Do,” 2014). Its mission is “to find common ground among influential opinion leaders, interest groups and policymakers, who together can develop and drive socially innovative” methods for assisting children in maximizing their potential (“What We Do,” 2014).

Children Now leads The Children’s Movement of California, which seeks to gather concentrated support for policies that impact children. The Movement was founded in order to address the lack of unified efforts on behalf of children, a segment of the population whose issues are broadly backed (but stagnant without organization). Before its creation, “better organized interest groups with much less public will behind them” were diverting state policymaking priorities (“Are You Pro-Kid?,” 2014). The Children’s Movement enables the collective action of groups and individuals who are Pro-Kid to tip policymaking scales to benefit children.

DESCRIPTION OF CAMPAIGN GOALS, OBJECTIVES, ETC.

Each year, The Children’s Movement of California publishes a Pro-Kid Agenda, which outlines the policymaking issues behind which The Children’s Movement seeks to gather support. Organizations and individuals who declare themselves “Pro-Kid” have the option to endorse any or all of the items included in the Agenda (“The 2013-14 Pro-Kid Policy Agenda for California,” 2013).

The Children’s Movement’s primary message is that those who advocate for children are stronger working as one than as disjointed groups. In order to successfully impact policy that benefits children, the Movement has created a process for approaching such a task. First, issues must be identified and causes analyzed. Next, research must be conducted to provide a spotlight and education for the issues at hand; this includes research reports, policy briefs, conferences and media coverage (some paid, some earned). Finally, the Movement targets “those who can make a difference,” including policymakers, interest groups, industry leaders and the general public (“What We Do,” 2014). Each step of the process is outlined in detail on the organization’s website, www.childrennow.org, and made available to the general public for further exploration and understanding.

CHILDREN NOW’S PRO-KID CAMPAIGN

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CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES

In order to reach its intended audience of individuals and organizations with an interest in children, as well as community influencers and opinion leaders, The Children’s Movement has developed a number of outreach tactics. Upon first viewing the website, users are confronted with a number of options — consumed in sequence, they provide information that is congruent with the organization’s process for achieving its goals (issues, causes, research, targeting those who can make a difference); first, users are provided with general information about Children Now and The Children’s Movement, results of past campaigns and details of press coverage within the “Meet” category; next, users are provided with resources, reports and research in the “Learn” category; in the “Act” category, users are given the opportunity to join the movement, donate, share the message or get involved with an individual campaign; finally, in the “Share” category, users can interact with other members of the Movement, or those with an interest in its agenda, to share their own stories.

Once individuals or groups have joined the Movement and declared themselves Pro-Kid, they are encouraged to publicize their membership and recruit others to the cause. This is done via “campaign toolkits,” as well as pre-designed emails that can be shared with potentially interested parties and pre-made posters that members can use to draw attention to the Movement. Essentially, The Children’s Movement gives its members the resources they need to become brand representatives and advocates. It capitalizes on their status as informed, interested parties and leverages that into widening the reach of its message. In order to draw people to the site in general and promote Children Now and the Movement’s mission, the organization maintains active Facebook and Twitter accounts. Each account has a significant following and is updated daily with content related to its own agenda, as well as more general content that its target audiences might find relevant. The Newsroom portion of Children Now catalogs its media coverage, which is another way the Movement promotes its efforts. It appears that the majority of coverage is earned, but some is paid.

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FOOD AND BEVERAGE MARKET The food and beverage market is a huge component of American consumption choices based on price, advertising and availability. Each year, soft drink makers produce enough sugary soda to serve every single American a 12-ounce can of soda every day for 52 weeks — which amounts to 10.4 billion gallons (Harvard School of Public Health, 2014). Companies that produce these beverages spend billions of dollars to market them directly to children aged two to 17 (Harvard School of Public Health, 2014). To review, the CDC defines sugar-sweetened beverages as “liquids that are sweetened with various forms of sugars that add calories. These beverages include, but are not limited to, soda, fruit-ades and fruit drinks, and sports and energy drinks” (Park, S., et al., 2011). Caloric intake and the number of sugar-sweetened beverages a person has each day are linked. Indeed, the “the more ounces of sugar-sweetened beverages a person has each day, the more calories he or she takes in late in the day (Harvard School of Public Health, 2014). The facts do not lie: Soft drink consumption has remained between 30 and 40 percent since 1980 (Fulgoni III, V. L. and Quann, E. E., 2012). The average child under age five consumes approximately five ounces of soft drinks per day and approximately five ounces of juice per day (NC State University Cooperative Extension Service, 2008). Fifty-six percent of eight-year-olds in the United States drink soft drinks daily (NC State University Cooperative Extension Service, 2008), and the percentage only increases as children age. The prevalence of such drinks has grown exponentially, as “per capita soft-drink consumption has increased almost 500 percent over the past 50 years” (NC State University Cooperative Extension Service, 2008). A similar consumption trend was found in fruit juice. According to a study of national trends in beverage consumption in children from infancy to five years published in the “Nutrition Journal,” fruit juice consumption increased by approximately 20 percent between 1976 and 2006 (Fulgoni III, V. L. and Quann, E. E., 2012).

Photo courtesy of: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/healthy_kids/How-do-I-pick-a-juice-box.

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SUMMARY Kansas Action for Children is an established organization in the state of Kansas for the rights and well-being of the state’s children. With its focus on health, education and economic success, it can boast of many successes while looking to the future with new policy priorities. Its current undertaking began with Pass on Pop, and it utilized various communication methods to start the conversation around sugar-sweetened beverages. As the campaign moves into its next stage, the surrounding environment posits both help and hardships. The state of Kansas has a unique political environment and a diverse constituency. A newly established partnership with Child Care Aware® of Kansas certainly poses an advantage, while competitors are simultaneously vying for attention, time and money. We know that food and beverage consumption habits are formed at young ages in children’s lives, so we focus on Kansas child care, specifically family child care homes. These facilities and their providers, the children and their families are impacted by childhood obesity, poverty and food accessibility. To be able to effectively communicate with them, we must integrate our new knowledge with our collected research, parallel it to similar campaigns and tailor our own efforts with informed and sound decisions.

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3ResearchPrimary

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FemMedia conducted primary research for Kansas Action for Children by conducting interviews with child care providers and creating a survey targeted towards parents within the state. Personal interviews allowed for insider opinions and insights into the everyday lives of child care providers. The survey was created on SurveyMonkey, the world’s most popular online survey software. The goal of the survey was to better gauge the knowledge of parents regarding the current food and beverage regulations within licensed child care facilities. The sampling frame for the survey was parents who lived within the state of Kansas and have children under the age of 20 years old. The age requirement was made to ensure that recent and relevant knowledge of their children’s food and beverage behavior was used to answer all questions. The survey can be viewed as an indicator of parent’s views on the food and beverage environment within child care facilities, their opinions regarding obesity, and their preferred methods of communication. The following provides relevant and important data findings collected by FemMedia for the purpose of improving the food and beverage environments within licensed child care facilities.

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Sarah Fischer Lullabies and Laughter DaycareHays, KansasOctober 2014Years in the business: twoNumber of children in care: 10Age range: two years to seven yearsLicensed

1. What does a typical day look like in your role?

I am open from 7:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. The kids usually show up from 8:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. We have breakfast when they arrive, and then we will usually make a craft after breakfast. Then, the kids will have free play until lunch, which is around 11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. The kids then take a nap from 12:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. When they wake up from their naps, we have a snack around 3:00 p.m. After snack, we play outside, go to the park and have free play until their parents arrive around 5:00 p.m. - 5:15p.m. 2. What is the best part of your day?

The best part is probably in the morning when we do our craft and have free play. 3. What is the most stressful part of your day?

Lunchtime. It’s difficult to get meals ready, clean and watch the kids all at the same time. 4. What do you like to do in your free time?

I like to go shopping, hang out with friends. I have a daughter, so I also like to spend time with her. I also like just getting out of the house since I am here all day during the week.

INTERVIEWS WITH CHILD CARE PROVIDERS

Interview

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5. How did you get into the child care business? Was it difficult to get through the licensing and regulatory process?

When I was growing up I went to daycare. Once I got older I started helping the provider that watched me when I was a child. I helped her while I was in high school. Once I had my daughter I decided I was going to stay home and take care of her, so I took on caring for some other kids while I was watching her and it kind of just grew into a business.

The licensing process wasn’t difficult, but it was more a feeling of unknowing. There was not much you know until you are expected to show up and just have everything done and ready. It would have been much easier if there was someone there to help walk me through it.

6. What kind of training did you undergo to become a child care provider?

Before you start you have to complete all of the first aid, pediatric training, CPR, child abuse classes and childhood development classes. There are also a certain number of hours of training you have to complete each year, so I always do those.

7. Are you part of any child care provider communities or networks?

Yes, I work with Child Care Aware®. 8. Where do you usually shop for the children’s food?

Dillons. 9. What is the process a new child or family goes through before entering your care?

The parents will come through the home, and we will have a walk-through interview. I give the parents a packet of info, we go through my contracts that specify my sick policy, holidays that I am unavailable and the daily routines. The parents will sign all of the necessary papers, and typically their child will start right away.

10. How do you accommodate specific health/family food needs/preferences?

I am part of the CACFP, so I do get reimbursement for the food that I serve. I have one child in my care that has an allergy to dairy. I have the parents fill out a form for CACFP that documents the dairy allergy. I also have the parents provide soymilk for their child.

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11. What kind of relationship do you have with the parents and families of the children you care for?

I have a close relationship with all of them. I watch my sister’s daughter and my friend’s daughter, so I have a really close relationship with them obviously. I communicate the most with parents at pick up and drop off, and I also send out a monthly report of things that I am doing with the children and other things of which they may want to be aware.

12. What kind of educational activities do you do with the children? At what age do you start educational activities?

I do educational activities with all of the children no matter what age. The other day we did a color by numbers activity. Even my two-year-olds and four-year-olds participated, and even though they didn’t do as well on the activity as the older kids, I still had them participate. We also read books, do flashcards and workbook pages. We also do games, for example I might ask them to find something in the room that is red to help them identify their colors. 13. What kind of training or education did you receive before starting your in-home daycare? Are you interested in receiving more education?

I have taken training classes from CACFP for healthy eating habits. Child Care Aware® also sends out packets that give information about upcoming training sessions and events, so I attend those if I can.

Yes, I would be interested in receiving more education if I have time, but I obviously can’t attend things that are during the week. 14. What was good or bad about the education or training you had?

All of the sessions I have attended were good. I took an online session that I really liked because I was able to take it on my own time. I have found all of the sessions to be helpful and informative. 15. Do you prefer events where you can meet other in-home child care providers or one-on-one training?

I have never had one-on-one training, so I don’t know if I would like it or not. I would probably prefer group sessions.

16. What incentives do you most want to complete your education or training?

I wouldn’t want to attend anything that was an all-day event. I would like if they offered free workbooks or free goodies that I could bring to my kids. Any kind of learning tools that I would be able to bring back to my kids would be a good incentive.

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Tracy Tracy’s AngelsWichita, KansasOctober 2014Years in the business: more than 15 yearsNumber of children in care: eight Age range: 10 weeks to four yearsLicensed

1. What does a typical day look like in your role?

Lots of activity, lots of crying, basic tending to the needs of the kids. I try to have a schedule, but with the younger ones it’s hard to stick to a schedule. We have breakfast, snack and lunch around the same time, unless they’re like really cranky. 2. What is the best part of your day?

Nap time. I mean love it, even when a lot of the times are crazy; I love the hugs and kisses, that’s the biggest reward.

3. What is the most stressful part of your day?Trying to get them to all play nicely together and cooperate. I really do have a good set of kids, it’s not bad, but they all have days where it’s a little more challenging.

4. How did you get into the child care business? Was it difficult to get through the licensing and regulatory process?

Since I was 13, I was always babysitting after school and on the weekends, and since then that’s pretty much all I’ve done. I went to high school and took a lot of classes related to that and then got my first job in a daycare after I graduated. When I got married, I decided to stay home with my kids and just did it from home. No, when I first started you had to be registered, then you had to be licensed. I thought it would be more difficult than it was; there’s not a whole lot of complication.

Interview

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5. What kind of training did you have to undergo to become a child care provider?

I have to go to in-service classes, and do CPR and First Aid. I am getting my renewal in those this Saturday. I’ve done classes to learn signs and symptoms of sickness or abuse, but not much else. 6. Are you part of any child care provider communities or networks?

No. 7. Where do you normally shop for the children’s food?

Dillons. 8. What is the process a new child or family goes through before entering your care?

Some come interview for about five minutes, and say, “Okay, here are my kids.” I give them my list of references and everything about me and they can call references and do a background check. They interview me and look around the facility, but there’s no real special process and each family is kind of different.

9. How do you accommodate specific health/family food needs/preferences?

So far I haven’t had anything like that, most everyone is allergy-free. I’ve had a couple who are lactose intolerant, but their moms just bring different milk.

10. How many times per day do children eat or drink?

Breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack. 11. How do you serve food and beverages?

They eat in the kitchen and we’ll do two groups of children depending on who is there. The older kids have to wait sometimes, although sometimes I do it family style and they serve themselves, otherwise I’ll have it ready for them on plates. 12. What would make serving healthy food and beverages easier for you?

Nothing, they just eat whatever.

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13. Are there any favorite food or drink items that the children especially like and regularly request?

Not really, at snack they like crackers, lunch-wise, not too particular and eat pretty much whatever. 14. What is your policy when a child refuses to eat his or her food?

I don’t ever really try to force them, but try to encourage them to eat. 15. What kind of relationship do you have with the parents and families of the children you care for?

I get along with most of them very well. Communication is normally face-to-face, although sometimes I Facebook message them if there is something I remember that I didn’t tell them. 16. What kind of educational activities do you do with the children? At what age do you start educational activities?

Yes and no, we don’t have a specific thing we do, but normally I’ll ask them to do things like bring me the yellow donut and try to show them what a rectangle is, get them to understand that kind of stuff. I start that kind of stuff sometime around age two.

17. What kind of training or education did you receive before starting your in-home daycare? Are you interested in receiving more education?

I get my required classes in and that’s pretty much it; nothing I really like or dislike. I try to pick out classes that will be interesting to me, other than that, I don’t have any qualms with the training I’ve had.

18. Do you prefer events where you can meet other in-home childcare providers or one-on-one training?

Probably one-on-one.

19. What incentives do you most want to complete your education or training?

Nothing I can think of.

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1. What does a typical day look like in your role?

I open at 7:30 and I talk with parents when they drop the kids off. Then, the kids have free play while I prepare breakfast. We have breakfast around 8:00 a.m. We usually will play for a few hours, and I like to get them outside for 30 minutes to an hour until we have lunch around 11:30. Naptime is from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. The children have a snack from 3:30 p.m. - 4:00p.m. Then, they have free play and we will typically go back outside to play, and then I close at 5:30 p.m.

2. What is the best part of your day?

*Jokingly says naptime.* It varies day-to-day. Free play is great when I can see the kids learning. I try to incorporate learning into playtime. I will place learning toys in front of the children to encourage them to learn and play at the same time.

3. What is the most stressful part of your day?

Lunchtime. Dealing with clean up is difficult, and the kids are usually hungry and tired, so it can be chaotic. Putting the kids down for a nap can be really stressful too depending on how they are behaving and what kind of mood they are in.

4. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Reading, watching movies and I like to walk outside. I love nature and love being outdoors. I have friends who live on farms, so it is fun to go and visit them. I also love music. I play piano and I have been part of the Salina Chorale in the past.

DeAnn Creech Care-A-Lot Learning DaycareSalina, KansasOctober 2014Years in the business: sevenNumber of children in care: sixAge range: nine months to three yearsLicensed

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5. How did you get into the child care business? Was it difficult to get through the licensing and regulatory process?

I actually got a degree in early childhood education, so I always knew I wanted to work with kids. I worked for a daycare in college, which really peaked my interest. I also worked for a daycare in Salina and then decided that I could open my own daycare.The licensing process wasn’t difficult. It was more just time-consuming. There are a lot of parts to it and some things are time-sensitive. It was more about making sure that you have got everything covered and about being organized, but I wouldn’t say that it was difficult.

6. Are you part of any child care provider communities or networks?

I am part of a Facebook group called Salina/Abilene Licensed Daycare. I also am in a walking group with some other childcare providers in the neighborhood, so I get together and walk with them. I also am involved with Child Care Aware®.

7. Where do you normally shop for the children’s food?

Most of the time I shop at ALDI. Sometimes I shop at Wal-Mart and Dillons, but usually I get food from ALDI.

8. What is the process a new child or family goes through before entering your care?

I always have an interview with the parents. We talk about the kids, their interests and behaviors. We both determine if it is a good fit, because it is important that everyone feels comfortable. I usually have the other children meet with the new child too just to get a feel for the dynamic. I also allow parents to come in and observe their children for the first few days if they wish, just to see how their child is adapting and to give them some peace of mind. In the interview with parents, I also go over my handbook and policies, as well as emergency procedures. There is paperwork required by the state that also needs to be filled out by the parents before I can care for their child.

9. How do you accommodate specific health/family food needs/preferences?

I am part of the food program, so I feed the children the same meals. I haven’t really had to deal with food preferences, but if it were an allergy I would just require a doctor’s note to have on file with specifications of how to accommodate them. I would be open to accommodating them, but I have never had an issue with food needs.

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10. What kind of relationship do you have with the parents and families of the children you care for?

It is a good relationship. I have actually become very good friends with the parents of the children I care for, and it can be kind of difficult to separate our personal relationship from our professional relationship. We greet in the morning, and this is where I find out if there is anything I need to be aware of with each child that morning. I have one child in my care with special needs, and I have a really good relationship with their parents because I not only communicate with them, but also with their therapist about treatment. With parents it is all about constant communication.

11. What kind of educational activities do you do with the children? At what age do you start educational activities?

I think education starts from birth. I don’t run my daycare like a preschool, but I do try to incorporate learning into the children’s free play. It is important when they are developing motor skills to help facilitate their learning. I don’t really have a plan as to when to start teaching them certain things, but when kids start asking about letters or the alphabet for example, then I will create some kind of learning exercise to teach them about it.

12. What kind of training or education did you receive before starting your in-home daycare? Are you interested in receiving more education?

Yes, I am interested in receiving more education. I am always open to learning how I can better improve and gain more knowledge.

13. Do you prefer events where you can meet other in-home child care providers or one-on-one training?

It doesn’t really matter to me. Either way would be fine.

14. What incentives do you most want to complete your education or training?

It needs to be interesting to me and have a connection to something that I am currently experiencing with the children I care for. If it is something that I have seen over and over, then I won’t attend. I want to learn about something new. I am always interested in things that discuss how to arrange the environment for the children. Grants are also a great incentive. I would be encouraged to attend something if there was some kind of grant associated with it.

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Lori ShearerOverland Park, KansasOctober 2014Years in the business: 22Number of children in care: fourAge range: eight months to two yearsLicensed

1. What does a typical day look like in your role?

The children arrive at 7:15 a.m. and stay until 5:15 p.m., Monday-Friday. They are served breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks every day.

2. What is the best part of your day?

Working in my own home is a real luxury, and I’m close to the kids so I enjoy watching them.

3. What is the most stressful part of your day?

If all of them are crying or need attention at the same time; trying to get them to take a nap if they do not want to.

4. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Shopping and spending time with my children.

5. How did you get into the child care business? Was it difficult to get through the licensing and regulatory process?

I wanted to stay home and watch my daughter when she was born and the licensing process was not difficult.

6. What kind of training did you have to undergo to become a child care provider?

Daycare connection CACFP regulations.

Interview

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7. Are you part of any child care provider communities or networks?

No.

8. Where do you normally shop for the children’s food?

The local grocery store.

9. What is the process a new child or family goes through before entering your care?

It’s always by referral from current clients; I rarely get new clients because I have the same ones for years and like to have just four at a time.

10.How many times per day do children eat or drink?

They eat four times and munch on snacks. They also drink as much water as they want (they always have a sippy cup).

11.How do you serve food and beverages?

I serve the appropriate proportions at meal time and then monitor the snacks, they always have water in their cups with them. The babies that cannot have sippy cups just drink their formula.

12.What would make serving healthy food and beverages easier for you?

I think the guidelines allow me to serve healthy food.

13.Are there any favorite food or drink items that the children especially like and regularly request?

Goldfish. For the most part they just eat what they are given.

14.What is your policy when a child refuses to eat his or her food?

I give them the “required” food and if they don’t want it I don’t make them eat it but it is not replaced with something else.

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15. How do you accommodate specific health/family food needs/preferences?

I have the parents get a doctors note so I can submit it to the CACFP offices and they can approve that I have to feed those children something a little different.

16.What kind of relationship do you have with the parents and families of the children you care for?

I am close with them because there are only three families.

17.What kind of educational activities do you do with the children? At what age do you start educational activities?

Just educational games that they bring over or any television program that teaches children.

18.What kind of training or education did you receive before starting your in-home daycare? Are you interested in receiving more education?

Just the training necessary for CACFP.

19.Do you prefer events where you can meet other in-home child care providers or one-on-one training?

No.

Observation Notes/Summary (from Lainey)

At the time FemMedia observed Lori, she was watching two children, who ranged in age from eight months to two years. The eight-month-old was asleep the majority of the time upstairs in a sleeper. The two-year-old snacked on Goldfish and had a sippy cup of water that he drank continuously while I was there. The TV was on (as it is usually most of the day), playing a cartoon channel that he seemed to enjoy. There were also many toys littering the ground that he occasionally played with for awhile instead of watching TV. I did not observe an actual meal being served, however, Lori explained the guidelines of CACFP and she said that she thinks the program’s requirements are reasonable and promote healthy habits. Lori also said that when her daughter was about two years old, she allowed her to drink fruit juice but her daughter continually got cavities. When she was three, she stopped letting her drink juice and switched completely to either water or milk. After this change, her daughter did not get any more cavities. Lori says she continues to refrain from serving fruit juice to her daycare children and only allows them to drink water or milk and says the kids always have access to water in their sippy cups.

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Cheryl TaylorLawrence, KansasOctober 2014Years in the business: 15Number of children in care: fourAge range: five months to four yearsLicensed

1. What does a typical day look like in your role?

The day starts at 7:30 a.m. when the children arrive, at which point they play, then have breakfast around 8:30 a.m. followed by more playtime. Then, the two infants go down for their naps while the two older children watch TV (to prevent them from being loud and distracting the children going down for their naps). After naps, all the children play, then the infants have lunch followed by the older children. Sometimes there is time to play after lunch and before naptime. Naptime lasts for two hours, and the children stay in their beds for that full time, whether they are asleep or not. The day ends between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

2. What is the best part of your day?

Just before naptime, as it includes some one-on-one time with each child.

3. What is the most stressful part of your day?

The span of time right after lunch before naptime, as lunch gives the children a boost of energy right before it’s time for them to calm down and go to sleep.

4. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Reading and spending time outside (it can be challenging to take the children outside depending on the age range of the group).

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5. How did you get into the child care business? Was it difficult to get through the licensing and regulatory process?

It started 15 years ago, when I wanted to stay home with my infant and my own kids. Back then, I simply had to register but wasn’t inspected. The licensing process is slightly difficult, as it’s imperative to follow the rules, but it allows to see things from a parent’s perspective – you want things to be safe for the children you care for.

6. What kind of training did you have to undergo to become a child care provider?

Classes are now required, including First Aid and CPR every two years (now you have to be certified, but you only used to have to complete the training). Licensed providers must have five hours of class credit per year through KDHE.

7. Are you part of any child care provider communities or networks?

DCCDA, food program, but no time for much else.

8. Where do you normally shop for the children’s food?

Aldi, HyVee.

9. What is the process a new child or family goes through before entering your care?

Many of my families have had other children who I have worked with before, so it’s an ongoing process.

10. How many times per day do children eat or drink?

Three meals, drinks on request (1% milk after age two and water), sometimes fruit juice, but only once or twice per week, as it has lots of sugar.

11. How do you serve food and beverages?

Observation: spoon feeds infants, prepares plates for older children and drinks in sippy cups. Lunch consists of milk, a fruit, a vegetable and a main course with protein.

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12. What would make serving healthy food and beverages easier for you?

The most challenging part about serving healthy food is the time associated with preparation of healthy foods. Sometimes I’m able to use leftovers from my own family, which makes it easier.

13. Are there any favorite food or drink items that the children especially like and regularly request?

Milk.

14. What is your policy when a child refuses to eat his or her food?

I ask them to try the food, but don’t usually force it. If I know they’ve had it before, I remind them of that, or simply ask them to taste it. If they’ve eaten everything else on their plate and are still hungry, I encourage them to try the item that is left, especially if they’ve had seconds of the other items.

15. How do you accommodate specific health/family food needs/preferences?

So far, I haven’t had any major allergies. I had one child who required almond milk, and I simply purchased that for the child.

16. What kind of relationship do you have with the parents and families of the children you care for?

We are in very close communication – I tell them about their child’s day, habits that are developing, etc. We try to ensure that things are consistent as far as behavior is concerned between daycare and home. I am not able to inflict corporal punishment (spankings, soap in their mouths), so we discuss other strategies to enforce good behavior.

It can be challenging to address eating habit conversations as far as healthy food is concerned. I don’t want to sound accusatory, but I can only impact the children’s food choices while they are under my care. Sometimes parent guilt or parents’ own eating habits factor into the choices they make for their children at home. I simply try to model good behavior and communicate when children make progress in eating or trying new foods while they are under my care. I also let the parents know that healthy food is always an option while they are at daycare – they are being exposed to it.

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17. What kind of educational activities do you do with the children? At what age do you start educational activities?

Singing the alphabet, songs, letters line the playroom, pointing out letters, sounds, learning colors, letters and shapes. I try to integrate these things into our daily activities rather than any specific educational activities, which they get more once they enter preschool. Once they know a little bit, they have fun correcting me and answering my questions.

18. What kind of training or education did you receive before starting your in-home daycare? Are you interested in receiving more education?

Parenthood.

19. What was good or bad about the education or training you had?

ChildCare Aware classes – I’m on their list. Food classes, information about the classroom environment, etc. In a recent class, I learned about sodium and ways to cook things more healthy, such as baking rather than frying.

20. Do you prefer events where you can meet other in-home child care providers or one-on-one training?

Group trainings, 15-20 providers.

Observation Notes/Summary (from Elizabeth)

At the time FemMedia observed Cheryl, she was working with four fairly young children. She directly attended to the two infants (held them, etc.) while overseeing the play of the two older children. She excitedly provided positive reinforcement when the older children behaved well and calmly reminded them of the rules when it appeared they may be thinking about breaking them. It was clear that Cheryl sincerely cares about the children she cares for, and wants what is in their best interests. It appears as though she would be receptive to information that would make it easier for her to serve healthy food and beverages, whether that be in the form of a class or via another channel. Cheryl also noted that while she can impact the food and beverage environment the children encounter while they are in her care, she has no control over the environment at home, and it can be a struggle to communicate the importance of healthy eating and drinking habits to parents without appearing critical, overbearing or intrusive. It does not seem as though she is overly connected with other child care providers, which is worth noting, as one of our guest speakers characterized the role of an in-home child care provider as an isolated one.

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Dove Sarikh Education Station Child CareSalina, KansasOctober 2014Years in the business: more than 10Number of children in care: eight during the summer, four during the school yearAge range: one year to seven yearsLicensed

1. What does a typical day look like in your role?

I open at 5:30 a.m. When the children arrive they will usually go back to sleep for a couple of hours. We have breakfast at 7:45 a.m. I walk the school-age children to school with the younger children in a double stroller. When we get back we play outside in the backyard. We have snack time at 10:00 a.m. Then, we have circle time and I teach them. Right now we are learning about science, weather and the seasons. After that, I read them a story. We have music time, which is usually just playing children’s songs on my iPod. The children will dance and play, and this allows me some time to get lunch ready. We have lunch at 12:30 p.m. After lunch is nap/quiet time. When the kids wake up we do some sort of activity like painting, play-doh or drawing. Then, we will go outside again for about 30 minutes. The kids will have their afternoon snack around 4:00 p.m., and then we have story time and free play until parents come at 5:30 p.m. 2. What is the best part of your day?

I like when we do activities. The kids are really engaged, playing together, learning and sharing. 3. What is the most stressful part of your day?

The most stressful part is getting all of the kids ready to walk the school-age kids to school. I have to get them all dressed and put in the stroller for only a two-minute walk to the school.

4. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I enjoy watching TV and playing on the computer.

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5. How did you get into the child care business? Was it difficult to get through the licensing and regulatory process?

I was a stay-at-home mom, and my husband wanted me to work. I realized that if I were working then I would be spending a majority of my money on child care. That’s when I decided to open my child care business. My sister was also looking for child care for her child, so I started watching her kids. The licensing process was extremely easy, but I was registered before the law changed. 6. Are you part of any child care provider communities or networks?

I started a project with Child Care Aware® called Strengthening Families. It teaches how to be a better provider, and someone comes over and shows you how to improve. 7. Where do you normally shop for the children’s food?

I am part of a food program called First Choice, which is a reimbursement program. I shop for the children’s food at Wal-Mart. 8. What is the process a new child or family goes through before entering your care?

I will set up an interview with the parents, and I will provide them with the handbook that I created. The handbook contains things like our schedule, procedures, forms from the state, a health assessment and emergency forms. I will collect their deposit right away, and the child will be able to start immediately. 9. How do you accommodate specific health/family food needs/preferences?

Since I am on the food program I can’t vary the menu very much. I would be able to accommodate certain preferences like vegetarian preferences, but I have never had to do this. 10. What kind of relationship do you have with the parents and families of the children you care for?

Right now I would say it is a pretty good relationship. At first, I didn’t really have very much communication with parents. The Strengthening Families Program really helped with this though, and now I always talk to the parents about how the day went.

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11. What kind of educational activities do you do with the children? At what age do you start educational activities?

I start educational activities right away. I do it fairly informally. It’s difficult to sit the group down and engage in a learning activity, so I try to engage with them when they are already all sitting down and being attentive.

12. What kind of training or education did you receive before starting your in-home daycare? Are you interested in receiving more education?

I took a safe sleep class, first aid and CPR training and a child abuse, neglect and trauma class. I was also required to do 15 hours of training when I first started. I also received a handbook, and there was a house inspection as well as a state surveyor that comes to check my facility. I also was provided with a supervision plan that dealt with Lexie’s Law. 13. What was good or bad about the education or training you had?

All of the Child Care Aware® training that I have had has been good. I really like Rachel Durry, she is the coach dedicated to my area. They incorporate activities and sensory movement, and I always find it to be very engaging. 14. Do you prefer events where you can meet other in-home child care providers or one-on-one training?

I have only ever experienced group training. They only offer one-on-one training if you sign up for a program, and only about five people get chosen out of the ones that sign up.

15. What incentives do you most want to complete your education or training?

I really like when they incorporate brain development, because I find that really interesting. Also, if the training is free then I always try to go.

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PARENT SURVEY RESULTS

Participants in this study included 79 parents of children living in the state of Kansas solicited from a convenience sample. Participants must have lived in the state of Kansas with children under the age of 20 years old to be eligible for the study. Of the participants, 64 (81.01 percent) were female, 14 (17.72 percent) were male, and one participant did not specify gender. The majority of participants were between 24 and 44 years old (n = 67, 84.81 percent), followed by six participants who were between 20 and 24 years old (7.59 percent). 57 participants were married or in a domestic partnership (72.15 percent), and 14 were single, never married (17.72 percent). Participants were overwhelmingly Caucasian (n = 70, 88.61 percent), and the majority indicated some college education to graduate school for education level (n = 74, 93.66 percent). 61 participants were employed for wages (77.22 percent), and 10 were self-employed (12.66 percent). The majority of participants reported a total household income between $20,000 and $40,000 (n = 26, 32.91 percent), followed by 25 participants reporting $80,000 or more (31.65 percent) and 19 reporting between $40,000 and $80,000 (24.06 percent). Of the participants, 52 lived in or near Wichita, KS (65.82 percent), 18 lived in or near Lawrence, KS (22.78 percent), five lived in or near Topeka, KS (6.33 percent), three lived in or near Salina, Hays and Garden City (3.81 percent) and one lived in or near Kansas City (1.27 percent).

Demographics:

Participants reported the use of child care facilities for their children by selecting “yes” or “no” to Question 4. If the participant reported “yes,” (s)he indicated the type of child care facility that was used in Question 5. The participant was able to select more than one option. 59 participants had used child care facilities for their children (74.68 percent). The majority of participants indicated full-time care (n = 28, 47.46 percent) and family child care homes (n = 27, 45.76 percent), followed by child care centers (n = 23, 38.98 percent). Part-time care and babysitter/nanny were each reported by 14 participants (23.73 percent), and five participants reported “other” (8.47 percent).

Questions 4-5:

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Questions 6-11:

Participants did not report a strong concern for their family’s overweight or obesity (36.71 percent). However, they did report a stronger concern for childhood obesity as a public health issue in Kansas (78.48 percent). There is also a considerable divide among parents regarding suitable alternatives to water for their children, with 54.43 percent of participants indicating that fruit juice, fruit punch, Gatorade, etc. are not suitable and 31.65 percent of participants indicating that these same beverages are suitable. There is a strong belief that parental modeling of the food and beverage environment both immediately impacts the entire family (96.20 percent) and influences their children’s future food and beverage behavior (94.94 percent). Overall, these parents are receptive to learning more about living healthfully (56.96 percent); however, a significant minority of them (31.65 percent) indicated neutrality. This neutral segment of participants is ripe for increased awareness and personalization of the issue.

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Participants reported their primary sources for advice and their preferred communication methods. The top four sources for advice include: physicians (n = 72, 91.14 percent), family (n = 64, 81.01 percent), friends (n = 54, 68.35 percent) and the Internet (n = 37, 46.84 percent). The top three communication channels include: social media (n = 37, 53.62 percent), e-mail (n = 34, 49.28 percent) and direct mail (n = 25, 36.23 percent). Parents are more likely to perceive messages as credible and important if they can be connected to the aforementioned influencers and channels. Although the majority of participants (77.34 percent) purchase their children’s food from the “best 3” locations (i.e., farmers’ markets, grocery stores and specialty grocery stores), a significant minority (21.88 percent) indicated the “worst 3” locations (i.e., fast casual restaurants, fast food restaurants and convenience stores). This segment of parents is most likely experiencing issues with food accessibility, a structural barrier to eating healthfully. Other barriers include lack of time and/or energy (n = 47, 59.49 percent) and costs (n = 43, 54.43 percent).

Questions 12-16:

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Questions 17-20:

There is a slight misconception regarding the current reality of the food and beverage environment in child care facilities. Parents reported a relatively strong belief that healthy food and drinking water are served (59.49 percent), and that there are current regulations about the types of food and beverages that can be served at facilities (70.89 percent). However, participants also reported stronger support for regulation of food and beverages served at child care facilities (79.75 percent), and for child care providers modeling the food and beverage behavior for the children (86.07 percent). Parents need a clearer understanding of the current reality of the food and beverage environment in child care facilities so they can better inform their support for improvement of it.

Responses from the 70 participants in the Wichita and Lawrence areas were compared because they were the most populous segments. The following insights were compounded by a comparison of responses from Region 2 (Wichita) participants and Region 3 (Lawrence and Topeka) participants.

Wichita vs. Lawrence

Lawrence respondents utilize child care facilities more than Wichita respondents (88.89 percent vs. 65.38 percent). It is worth examining due to population and facilities differences between the two areas: Lawrence 2013 estimated population = 90,811 and Douglas County number of family child care homes = 151, vs. Wichita 2013 estimated population = 386,552, and Sedgwick County number of family child care homes = 682.

Question 4:

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Wichita respondents indicated that childhood obesity is a personal problem that directly impacts the family more than Lawrence respondents (44.23 percent vs. 27.78 percent). Both Wichita and Lawrence respondents indicated it is more a public health problem that impacts the state than a personal one, in line with overall respondents (80.77 percent and 88.89 percent).

Question 6 & 7:

We need to foster a stronger opinion that these alternatives are not suitable for children, particularly in Lawrence. Wichita respondents indicated a weaker opinion that fruit juice, fruit punch, Gatorade, juice boxes, vitamin water, etc. are not suitable alternatives to water (51.92 percent vs. 61.11 percent). Lawrence respondents indicated a strong neutral opinion (27.78 percent vs. 11.54 percent).

Question 8:

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We can use more interactive, in-person channels for Lawrence respondents. Lawrence respondents indicated a stronger preference for child care providers (38.89 percent vs. 17.31 percent), friends (83.33 percent vs. 61.54 percent) and media outlets (16.67 percent vs. 9.62 percent) than Wichita respondents. Lawrence respondents also indicated a stronger preference for conferences and networking opportunities than Wichita respondents (22.22 percent vs. 6.82 percent). Wichita respondents indicated a stronger preference for e-mail than Lawrence respondents (52.27 percent vs. 33.33 percent).

Lawrence respondents indicated a stronger use of farmers’ markets than Wichita respondents (38.89 percent vs. 11.54 percent). Wichita respondents indicated an issue with cost more than Lawrence respondents (59.62 vs. 38.89 percent). Lawrence respondents indicated an issue with time and energy more than Wichita respondents (72.22 percent vs. 51.92 percent).

Question 12 & 13:

Question 15 & 16:

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We need to educate parents on the realistic food and beverage environments of child care facilities, but the Lawrence audience may not be as receptive to the messaging and the call-for-action. Lawrence respondents indicated a stronger belief that there are current regulations about the types of food and beverages that can be served at child care facilities (83.34 percent vs. 65.39 percent), and a significant minority of Wichita respondents is neutral, either they do not care or they do not know (23.08 percent vs. 5.56 percent). The majority of both Wichita and Lawrence respondents supports regulation of food and beverages served at child care facilities (78.85 percent and 77.78 percent). Lawrence respondents indicated almost twice the NON-support of regulation than Wichita respondents (11.12 percent vs. 5.77 percent).

Question 18 & 19:

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4FindingsKey

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SUMMARY

FemMedia has identified several key findings through the conduction of extensive secondary and primary research conduction. Using the most important elements from all areas of research, FemMedia was able to determine which aspects will provide the most efficient information to provide direction for strategies and tactics located within the planning process.

TRENDS

The number of overweight or obese youth in the U.S. has tripled since the 1960s and 70s. According to secondary research, the issue of childhood obesity is a concern among parents and the negative side effects are relatively well-known. Our primary research findings, among parents within the state of Kansas, show a majority of respondents do not believe childhood obesity is a personal problem that directly impacts their families. Secondary research, however, shows that 13 percent of children in Kansas, ages two to five, are obese and 63.7 percent of adults in Kansas are overweight. From these numbers, FemMedia has concluded that early intervention and education are necessary.

Although the sugar-sweetened beverage environment does not tend to be the primary factor when discussing childhood obesity, it does not make its status as a contributing factor any less important. Childhood obesity leads to early onset of a number of health problems more commonly found in adulthood, including high blood pressure, type two diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels. Research also shows that childhood obesity has the ability to impact a child’s psyche, leading to low self-esteem, negative body image and depression. Intervention provides an opportunity to close the gap and personalize the issue by providing education to parents and providers about childhood obesity as it relates to the food and beverage environment.

The effect of obesity on families needs to be addressed because primary research shows 95.4 percent of respondents believe that parents’ actions regarding food and beverages affect other members of the family. Secondary research proves that the beverage environment, combined with the food environment, has a large impact on the future of a child’s health and early intervention is key. Therefore, educating parents can also reduce the percentage of parents who believe fruit juice, fruit punch, Gatorade, juice boxes, vitamin water, and other similar sugar-sweetened beverages are suitable alternatives to water, turning them into positive role models for their children.

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is a popular market for advertising. Secondary research found an 80 percent increase in Facebook users in the 55-and-up age group and 41 percent increase in the 35-54 age group between 2011 and 2014. Currently the Kansas Action for Children Facebook page has 1,462 likes and the twitter (@KansasAction) has 1,352 followers. Secondary research shows that recent health campaigns within KAC utilize web-based communication, including e-newsletters, websites and social media accounts, to reach their audience. Updating social media channels and encouraging website traffic with weekly posts has benefitted KAC thus far. In accordance with secondary research, primary research indicated that social media, email and direct mail were the best methods of communication.

Secondary research demonstrates that in-home child care providers are a primary audience for this campaign. These providers make a generally lower income per year and tend to also be parents, another of the campaign’s primary target audiences. Behavior directly correlates with a family’s income, education and race. Secondary research indicates low-income households are more likely to purchase and consume high amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages. These people spend a significant amount of time with children during the most impressionable stage of their lives and therefore need to be utilized as role models of healthy behavior.

Primary research concludes that 25 percent of parents with children currently in or once enrolled in child care either do not know or do not care if healthy food and drinking water are served in child care facilities. Education about the reality of food and beverage environments of child care facilities is necessary because secondary research shows that parents act as early influencers. Parents are responsible for developing habits in their children due to the significant amount of time spent with their children during the first few years. Primary research concludes that 67.83 percent of parents blame unhealthy behavior on their lack of time, energy and budget. Therefore, barriers such as the high prices and time required to provide a nutritionally balanced meal need to be addressed with parents.

TARGET AUDIENCES

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5AnalysisSWOT

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Strengths

Opportunities

Weaknesses

Threats

• Positive relationships with nonprofit organizations

• Independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan, organization

• Social media presence• Policies based on solid research• Success in phase one of campaign,

“Pass on Pop”• History of legislative success• Good relationship with media• Location is useful in working with

legislature and is highly populated• Leverage location

• Lack of experience working directly with child care providers

• Lack of brand awareness among target audiences

• Disjointed brand awareness among KAC and legislature

• Complex issues and goals• Lack of personnel• Location makes reach out to Western

Kansas difficult

• Eliminate childhood obesity• Create positive relationships to directly

influence child care providers• Expand online presence • Media coverage

• Competitors may become threats• Water consumption has been an issue• An uniformed audience

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FemMedia has created a SWOT analysis to identify and exhibit KAC’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The strengths are internal, positive attributes supportive of a positive outcome. Weaknesses are internal, negative factors that currently exist within the organization. Opportunities are external, positive factors that the campaign can use to its advantage. Finally, threats are external, negative factors that have the potential to jeopardize the campaign. After all SWOT factors are assessed, the organization can evaluate whether the goal is attainable and what is required in the planning stages in order to achieve that goal.

STRENGTHS

KAC has created positive partnerships with many nonprofit organizations around the state, as well as with state legislators and local celebrities. The relationship with Child Care Aware® of Kansas (CCAK), although new, provides KAC with a larger audience and reputable administrative support.

Positive relationships with nonprofit organizations:

Independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan, organization:

KAC has the advantage of being an independent organization, as it sets its own agenda. However, it does recognize the importance of working alongside legislators and community leaders. Kansas Action for Children gets no state funding. Instead, its funding comes primarily from private donations and grants. National foundations that are currently funding it are the Annie E. Casey Foundation to help with its KIDS Count Work, as well as the Kellogg Foundation, working with their Registered Dental Practitioner program. Major state foundations that give KAC grants include the Kansas Health Foundation and REACH Healthcare.

Social media presence:KAC currently has an active social media presence and a well designed website that helps the organization further its reach. The organization, as of October 2014, has 1,443 ‘likes’ on its Facebook page and 1,333 ‘followers’ on its Twitter page. Based on the success of social media in the Pass on Pop campaign, KAC is well situated to utilize these platforms to draw traffic to its new campaign. Policies are based on solid research:KAC perpetually researches children’s health, education and economic status, and creates its policy priorities and campaigns based solely on evidence. By providing evidence-based research, policy initiatives can be further reinforced to legislature proving that change will make sure children in the state of Kansas have what they need in order to reach their full potential. Sucess in phase one of campaign “Pass on Pop:”The “Pass on Pop” campaign, targeting childhood obesity, was able to obtain more than 2,500 pledges in approximately 10 months. The pledge encouraged participants to eliminate soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages one day per week in order to build a healthier community and reduce the risk of obesity.

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History of legislative success (i.e., Lexie’s Law):

Over the past 35 years, KAC has achieved goals in advocating for health, economic and education policy change. The most notable one is Lexie’s Law, which promoted children’s health and safety regulations in Kansas child care facilities. Regulations implemented included provider training, facility inspections, safe-sleep practices and playground oversight. In addition, Lexie’s Law made it mandatory for all providers to be licensed and registered with an online database providing information about complaints that is accessible to parents.

Good relationship with media contacts:

KAC is more than willing to assist journalists in covering issues relating to the health and well-being of children and families throughout the state.

Location is useful in working with legislature and is highly populated:Located just north of the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka, the capital of Kansas (population 127,939), KAC has been able to directly target legislators. The location also allows for easy interaction with highly populated cities and counties, including Kansas City, Shawnee and Topeka.

Leverage location:

KAC can reach out to Topeka, Kansas City, and Shawnee. Connecting with opinion leaders and influencers in current areas can further expand reach in highly populated cities which will be helpful in raising visibility for the cause throughout the state. Again, a partnership with the regional directors of CCAK can help bring visibility to the issue of childhood obesity and implement change.

Lack of brand awareness among its target audiences:

WEAKNESSES

Lack of experience working directly with child care providers:

Given that KAC has historically worked with legislators, it has little experience working with people who are directly impacted by the policy change. With a state as large as Kansas, its location and size (only eight employees) have made it difficult to contact family home child care providers directly, specifically in Western Kansas.

KAC has a small staff and is continuously working on various campaigns, which can cause a lack of familiarity with a unified brand identity. The organization may find trouble in reaching those with less active social media habits, older generations of child care providers and people with a low socioeconomic status.

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Disjointed brand awareness between KAC and legislature

Because of the negative connotation that sometimes comes with enforcing legislative change, KAC detaches its name on various campaigns, such as Lexie’s Law and “Pass on Pop.” Thus, creating unique identities while working on various campaigns makes it hard for people to distinguish KAC with a specific brand or positive cause.

Complex issues and goals:

KAC consistently works on campaigns that elicit sensitive, strong feelings toward the cause either in support or against its goal. For example, the Kansas Dental Project, which worked with registered dental practitioners, created a new brand separate from the KAC brand so that legislation would not be disregarded.

Lack of personnel:

KAC only has eight people working in its organization, but its efforts serve the entire state. Its small staff creates a barrier and limits its ability to engage with and participate in the community.

Location makes reach out to Western Kansas difficult:KAC’s physical distance from Western Kansas makes it difficult to build and maintain relationships with stakeholders in the area.

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OPPORTUNITIESEliminate childhood obesity:

Currently, childhood obesity is at an all-time high, which is why now is the perfect time to implement action.

Create positive relationships to directly infuence child care providers:

By developing relationships with organizations, the media and influential community leaders, KAC can make use of existing networks in order to distribute its message. A partnership with CCAK can implement education among regional directors and coaches who interact directly with child care providers.

Expand online presence:

The digital divide continues to shrink in America. Internet access in rural America among even the poor and working class has become affordable and highly available. Telecommunication has brought millions of people together with access to information and opportunities in ways that were not available before the Internet. By increasing KAC’s presence online with a clear and consistent message, it will be able to draw more attention to the campaign even in hard to reach areas of Western Kansas. Communication via the internet will also allow KAC to receive prompt feedback from its followers.

Media coverage:

In the past, major issues receiving a lot of attention included childhood obesity and early education. After a national campaign effort by first lady Michelle Obama to control childhood obesity and promote healthy eating, state and regional coverage has joined the effort.

THREATS

Competitors may become threats:Whether the threat involves children’s issues, obesity or other legislative agendas, other similar initiatives may compete for the funding that KAC needs. Other legislative changes may become a higher priority over KAC’s policy changes.

Water consumption has been an issue:Water is a healthy drinking alternative that reduces the risk of obesity and disease as opposed to drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, including diet soda. However, promoting water consumption could be problematic in certain areas in Kansas due to anti-fluoride forces. In areas like Wichita, bills promoting water with cavity-fighting chemicals have been dismissed, claiming fluoridation has a long list of negative side effects.

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An uniformed audience:

A majority of the population that KAC is trying to help have a high school degree or low economic status, resulting in a potentially unclear understanding of health and nutrition. This lack of knowledge may lead to early development of unhealthy behavior in children.

SUMMARY

KAC’s biggest strength is its independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit environment. After conducting primary research and analyzing secondary research, FemMedia has found that the best way to reach the entire state of Kansas will be in its ability to remain an unbiased and open-minded organization. The demographics in Kansas are far and wide due to the large geographic area. Therefore, if KAC continues to remain and promote the fact that it is an individual organization working for the well-being of children in child care facilities, it can have a positive influence on children’s health statewide, ultimately achieving its primary goal. Although KAC’s social media and online presence have been established, it has not utilized the benefits the Internet can provide to their highest capacity. KAC has seen success in using the Internet for previous campaigns, which is why the opportunity to further the two-way online communication is vital to the success of the present campaign. By increasing its online presence with a clear and consistent message, followers will be able to stay connected with the campaign’s efforts and voice individual opinions. KAC can receive important information through feedback from followers and can help stir word-of-mouth communication between various childcare providers and influential community leaders. This could also trickle down to potential policy change related to the food and beverage environment. In addition to KAC’s online presence, KAC has the opportunity to solidify relationships in order to directly interact with child care providers. KAC’s message needs to be broadcast to and accepted by the entire state of Kansas, including and ultimately influencing providers and legislature. In order to spread the word and encourage child care providers to no longer serve drinks with high sugar content and offer healthy beverage alternatives to the children in their facilities, they need to be educated about the consequences. Working with organizations, for example, Child Care Aware® of Kansas, will allow KAC to expand its reach. Implementing education through an organization with statewide influence will allow the message to be received and acknowledged. KAC’s central weaknesses consist of a small staff and narrow reach. The lack of personnel and lack of experience working directly with child care providers debilitates its ability to reach the entire population and enact change. With a staff of only eight people working on behalf of KAC, it is simply unable to serve the entire state of Kansas. Because its effort is limited by the size of its organization, KAC has found trouble when attempting to directly contact and influence child care providers. Thus far, it has had limited contact with providers.

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Without directly engaging in contact with child care providers, it will be difficult for KAC’s message to be accepted and implemented. Again, this stresses the importance of the development of positive partnerships with other organizations, child care providers, influential community leaders and the media. It is important to note that these positive, well-versed partnerships should not impede its independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit character. But rather, it must be understood that without assistance, acceptance and support from influencers, KAC will not be able to implement radical change. KAC’s threats lie within the external environment. Similar initiatives and other legislative policies will compete for funding and will pose a major threat to KAC’s initiatives. The organization will also need to overcome the barrier of attempting to educate an uninformed audience. If KAC addresses these threats, it will be able to influence healthy behavior. With the list of current strengths and opportunities surrounding KAC, FemMedia is prepared to help the organization.

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6Planning

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TARGET AUDIENCES

In-home child care providers:

In-home child care providers are a primary audience for this campaign. Most of them are a part of a latent audience — though KAC’s policies may have affected them in the past, they do not recognize the brand and its capabilities. This is an external audience that spreads throughout the state of Kansas; many members of which live far away from KAC’s office in Topeka.

Demographics: This audience makes between $18,000-$22,000 each year and tends to be married with children of their own with whom they want to stay at home. This group tends to be between ages 31-50, according to Child Care Aware® of Kansas. Providers span a variety of ethnicities, though 92 percent are caucasian, and are often the same ethnicity as the children for whom they care. They also are often within the same income brackets. Because of this, they tend to fall into the same Prizm categories as the families they are working for, such as Kid Country USA and Family Thrift.

Psychographics: This audience is important to target because they interact with another target audience at an impressionable age. They spend five to 10 hours a day with the children they care for; they make decisions regarding what those children consume, as well as their activities throughout the day.

Parents:

Parents are a primary and an external audience for this campaign. Based on FemMedia’s survey with parents, this is an aware audience; the group recognizes that there is a problem with obesity in the state, yet few believe that this is a problem within their own families.

Demographics:

This group spans a variety of ethnicities; however, in Kansas, nearly 87 percent of the population is white. According to Prizm, most of this population are low- to middle-income, between the ages of 25-44; and most are high school graduates without further education.

Psychographics:

These families tend to fall into the Prizm categories of Kid Country USA and Family Thrift. These groups are a mix of homeowners and renters, work in service jobs and have many children. These types of people tend to shop at Walmart and Old Navy, and drive cars like the Dodge Avenger or often a pre-owned car. Parents are an important audience because they make the majority of choices regarding their children, including who the child care provider is and what food and beverages they are allowed to consume. Their income bracket directly affects what they can spend money for their children.

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Children ages zero to five

Children ages zero to five are an external audience who are latent because, while there is a problem that does concern them, they are not aware of it and have no plans to change it. This is an intervening group because, if they decide that they like something (such as healthy foods), they will ask their parents to buy those things. It is important to target children because, if they can be convinced to change their attitudes towards certain food and beverages, their parents and caregivers will buy those for them.

Demographics:

Psychographics:

Policymakers:

The Media:

Policymakers are a secondary special audience. This is an aware audience who understands that there is a need for reform on obesity issues; however, many do not take action because of their political affiliations.

The current legislature is comprised of 125 House members and 40 Senate members (Kansas Legislature, 2014). Of our 165-member legislature, 24.8 percent are women, 4 percent are African American and 2 percent are Hispanic American. The Kansas House is made up of 93 Republicans and 32 Democrats and, the Kansas Senate is made up of 32 Republicans and eight Democrats.

According to the GOP website, values typically held by Republicans include raising families beyond poverty, ensuring consumer choice in healthcare, and creating education for all children. The eventual goal is to have the primary audiences of parents and child care providers influence this group into creating policy change in Kansas.

The media is a secondary intervening audience. The media that will be targeted are traditional news outlets, such as community and major newspapers, news stations and Kansas magazines. This group is targeted because they can provide media coverage of this issue that will reach the primary audiences. This audience is aware of the issue and would cover it, though it needs to have a newsworthy spin to it.

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GOALS, OBJECTIVES, TACTICS

To Solidify the Partnership with Child Care Aware® of Kansas (CCAK)

OBJECTIVE 1:

STRATEGY 1:

TACTIC 1:

DESCRIPTION: By clarifying KAC’s unique position and its capabilities, as well as its current efforts in the food and beverage environment, it should become clear to CCAK that a formal relationship would be mutually beneficial. Presenting a clear plan with specific examples of CCAKs potential involvement would make it easy to picture how the two might work together.

Present information regarding KAC’s legislative history and eventual goal for High 5 for Health.

Utilize the existing relationship to create a clear picture of the benefits that would accompany a formal partnership.

To define a clear partnership/coalition by December 2014.

To create awareness of KAC’s High 5 for Health campaign, which focuses on alleviating childhood obesity.

OBJECTIVE 1: To establish effective communication and awareness of the High 5 for Health campaign through paid and free mediums by February 2015.

STRATEGY 1:Brand High 5 for Health and reach Kansans where they are via a variety of communication channels to promote and build anticipation for the campaign.

TACTIC 1: Update KAC’s social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, blog and website) to announce the launch of High 5 for Health and direct followers/friends to High 5 for Health’s website.

DESCRIPTION: Leverage existing, engaged followers and direct them to KAC’s latest campaign, High 5 for Health. Simply announce the campaign (including logo, five parts, etc.) via Facebook and Twitter posts, as well as brief announcement on website with a link to High 5 for Health’s website. Also create a blog post for the KAC blog with further detail about High 5 for Health and a link to the High 5 for Health website.

TARGETED AUDIENCE: KAC’s current social media followers and child care providers

Goal1

Goal2

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TIMETABLE: Immediately upon launch of the campaign (January 2015), and to be continually promoted when appropriate throughout the campaign.

TACTIC 2:Create an announcement e-mail to send to KAC’s current e-mail subscribers (such as Pass on Pop pledge signers, survey respondents, etc.) and partner organizations or fellow allies in the non-profit sector (such as Child Care Aware® of Kansas).

DESCRIPTION: Leverage existing, engaged KAC supporters and those who are familiar with its previous campaigns. Create one e-mail for Pass on Pop pledgers and a separate one for KAC’s partners and allies, each tailored to its specific audience.

TARGETED AUDIENCE:

Pass on Pop pledgers, KAC’s partners and allies (fellow non-profits)

TIMETABLE: Immediately upon launch (January 2015).

TACTIC 3: Create High 5 for Health T-Shirts, stickers, buttons and coloring sheets to distribute at events and to relevant media.

DESCRIPTION:Emblazon a variety of materials (stickers, buttons, t-shirts, coloring sheets) with High 5 for Health’s logo to serve as a visual representation of the brand, giveaways at events, etc. “Swag” can also be sent to relevant media when appropriate.

TARGETED AUDIENCE:

Child care providers, parents, children, and other KAC stakeholders.

TIMELINE:Immediately upon launch (January 2015) and to be distributed throughout the campaign.

COST: $7,390 ($600 for buttons, $750 for stickers, $5,500 for t-shirts, $80 for coloring sheets and $460 for crayons)

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TACTIC 4:

DESCRIPTION:

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Create a paid Facebook ad to drive traffic to High 5 for Health’s website and Facebook page.

Many parents and providers are active on social media, and because Facebook allows ad purchasers to target a very narrow audience, a paid Facebook ad seems like an ideal way to target the campaign’s desired audience.

Child care providers and parents.

TIMELINE: Prior to the end of the legislative session for approximately one month (April 2015).

COST: $2,000

TACTIC 5:

DESCRIPTION:

Create a radio ad to promote High 5 for Health.

Based on KAC’s past success with radio ads and the ability to target a very narrow audience, radio is an ideal way to reach the most rural parts of Kansas where Internet access may be less consistent. Radio ads would be utilized in the areas of Kansas that are most difficult to reach and have the highest prevalence of food deserts, and would be played during morning and evening drive times.

TARGET AUDIENCE: Child Care providers and parents in rural Kansas.

TIMELINE: Immediately upon launch (January 2015) for approximately two weeks, again at the six-month mark of the campaign (July 2015).

COST: $10,000

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OBJECTIVE 2:

STRATEGY 1:

DESCRIPTION:

TARGETED AUDIENCE:

TIMELINE:

To launch High 5 for Health’s website by January 2015.

Create an online identity for High 5 for Health to serve as the hub of the campaign, as well as unique Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts that include links back to the website.

Create a website and build out portions to reflect each aspect of the campaign (Drink Water, Eat Well, Be a Role Model, Tell a Friend, Support KAC) — including a tab for resources, statistics, fact sheets and coloring sheets related to each aspect that are shareable via e-mail.

By allowing users to share content, they are able to “tell a friend” as they also access resources to complete other portions of the campaign. By developing content that is relevant to all audiences, the site becomes a valuable resource for child care providers and parents alike. By requiring users to sign up in order to access the site, KAC can access the contact information of all users and track their engagement with the site.

Child care providers and parents, policymakers and media.

Launch just before announcement of the campaign (last week of December 2014).

TACTIC 1:

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TACTIC 2:

DESCRIPTION:

TARGETED AUDIENCE:

TIMELINE:

COST:

Bring the Pass on Pop pledge to the High 5 for Health website with an online signup/registration option.

By digitizing this portion of the existing campaign, people can “act” online and engage with the first part of the program instantaneously.

Child care providers and parents.

Just before website launch (December 2015).

Manpower to create online signup form.

OBJECTIVE 3: To increase nutrition education opportunities offered to child care providers and parents through online (also printable) resources such as flyers, fact sheets and newsletters from 45 percent to 75 percent.

OBJECTIVE 4: To increase the percent of providers receiving training or attending workshops on nutrition more than once a year from 48 percent to 80 percent.

STRATEGY 1: Utilize web presence and accompanying resources to reach child care providers and parents and educate them regarding the childhood obesity epidemic.

TACTIC 1: Engage with physicians to comment on the current food and beverage environment and include that information in collateral.

DESCRIPTION: Based on a study of parents conducted by FemMedia, parents regularly seek advice from physicians, and consider that advice to be especially reliable. By working with physicians to promote High 5 for Health, parents and providers will be attracted to the content, want to learn more and consider High 5 for Health to be a credible source. For providers, stress the importance of continued education by attending training specifically focused on nutrition.

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TARGETED AUDIENCES: Parents and child care providers.

TIMELINE: Engage with physicians to have collateral created by December 2014.

OBJECTIVE 5: To increase awareness of obesity as an issue in Kansas from 78 percent to 95 percent.

See above strategies and tactics to complete this objective.

OBJECTIVE 1: To launch a water consumption program — an expansion of “Pass on Pop” as part of High 5 for Health — by March 2015 and enroll at least 100 participants by April 2015.

STRATEGY 1: Utilize Child Care Aware® of Kansas and grocery store tabling to promote water consumption program/contest.

TACTIC 1: Build online portion of High 5 for Health’s main website to host water consumption program/contest.

DESCRIPTION: The water consumption program/contest incorporates both target audiences - child care providers and parents - in an event that motivates multiple behaviors. It incentivizes participants to stay engaged with the entire campaign and to refer others to the campaign. It also incentivizes them to have fun drinking water. The water consumption program/contest uses levels and prizes that range from stickers and buttons to t-shirts and filtered water pitchers. The behaviors range from signing the Pass on Pop pledge to participating in social media photo contests to attending educational events.

To promote increased water consumption through the continued expansion of the Pass on Pop campaign.

Goal3

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TARGETED AUDIENCES: Child care providers, parents, children ages zero to five.

TIMELINE: Throughout the entire campaign until prizes are out of stock.

COST: $9,896

TACTIC 2: Reach out to mommy bloggers in those areas to serve as local spokespeople to attend grocery store events and create traffic to events, as well as promote the campaign on their blogs.

DESCRIPTION: Contact mommy bloggers in main hub cities to serve as local spokespeople for the campaign. Hold introductory meetings with each mommy blogger to explain the campaign’s goals and how they can help through their blog and local events in their cities.

TARGETED AUDIENCE: Parents.

TIMELINE: January-May 2015.

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TACTIC 3:

DESCRIPTION:

TARGETED AUDIENCE:

TIMELINE:

COST:

Station KAC employees/interns and mommy blogger spokespeople at grocery stores in four main hub cities on Saturdays to help people sign up for the water consumption program/contest.

Outfit the table with High 5 for Health branded items, such as t-shirts, buttons and stickers and share information about its initiatives to encourage shoppers to participate. Highlight mommy blogger present at each event.

Parents.

Three weeks before the end of contest, three times per year.

Price of table and branded collateral.

TACTIC 4: Station KAC employees/interns at mandatory provider training classes with information about its initiatives and to encourage providers to sign up/redeem certificates for prizes.

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To promote and encourage healthy eating by providing Kansans with access to healthy recipes.

OBJECTIVE 1: To recruit 500 people to enter the “Eat Well” recipe contest by May 2015.

STRATEGY 1: Create a photo contest hosted on Facebook.

TACTIC 1: Create a recipe page of fast, affordable, healthy meals on the “Eat Well” portion of the High 5 for Health website to be part of the photo contest (promoted via all social media and on the website, as well as at events), including “try this” content to promote sampling of new foods.

DESCRIPTION: According to a survey of parents conducted by FemMedia, 67 percent of parents find it difficult to make healthy meals because of a lack of time and energy, as well as exorbitant costs. Participants submit a photo of their recipe implementation to Facebook after “liking” High 5 for Health, share the photo and the participant whose photo receives the most “likes” wins a Dillons gift card. Having to share the content will increase awareness of High 5 for Health while also promoting the campaign. By showing the time it takes to prepare these meals, quick recipes will be especially appealing to parents and providers whose lives are very busy with little time to spare. This exhibits that High 5 for Health understands their needs and caters to them.

TARGETED AUDIENCE: Parents and child care providers.

TIMELINE: Four times per year (quarterly) — two-week contest.

Goal4

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TACTIC 2:

DESCRIPTION:

TARGETED AUDIENCE:

TIMELINE:

Create individual print-outs of recipes that include a link to the main High 5 for Health website to be dispersed at grocery stores and events.

Parents and child care providers say time and cost are barriers to creating healthy meals, so by creating a wealth of recipes from which they can draw, those barriers are eliminated.

Parents and child care providers.

To be created at the beginning of the campaign and distributed throughout.

TACTIC 3: Incorporate “role model” language into the recipe contest to stress the importance of the role of parents and child care providers in shaping the eating habits of the children with whom they interact.

DESCRIPTION: According to a survey of parents conducted by FemMedia, 93 percent of individuals believe that parents’ actions regarding food and beverage can impact children’s future behavior. By stressing the research behind modeling behavior, parents and child care providers will begin to realize that they must “practice what they preach,” and reevaluate their own habits to reflect those they wish the children they care for to adopt.

COST: None. Pending Dillons proposal acceptance, gift cards will be donated.

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OBJECTIVE 2:

OBJECTIVE 3:

To increase the percent of children at in-home child care facilities who are encouraged to try new foods most or all of the time from 80.8 percent to 95 percent.

See above strategies and tactics to complete this objective.

To increase the percent of providers who talk to children about trying and enjoying healthy foods most or all of the time from 90.2 percent to 95 percent.

See above strategies and tactics to complete this objective.

Make High 5 for Health participants aware of existing regulation of child care facilities, or lack there of, in the food and beverage environment.

OBJECTIVE 1:

STRATEGY 1:

To obtain online signatures from 500 “members” who pledge to support KAC’s legislative agenda by December 2015.

Make stakeholders aware of the opportunity to voice their opinions regarding legislative change via e-mail, social media and on High 5 for Health’s website.

TACTIC 1: Create a pop-up on High 5 for Health’s website that allows site visitors to populate a field with their information and pledge support for specific items on KAC’s legislative agenda. Additionally, include links to legislators’ Facebook pages to incentivize stakeholders to engage with their representatives about the issues relevant to them.

Goal5

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DESCRIPTION: According to a survey of parents conducted by FemMedia, 79.8 percent of those surveyed support regulation of food and beverages served in child care facilities. Based on this statistic and after gaining support of site visitors throughout the High 5 for Health campaign, KAC is well-positioned to leverage the support of this educated audience and put it behind its legislative efforts to impact the food and beverage environment in child care settings in Kansas.

TARGETED AUDIENCE: All High 5 for Health stakeholders.

TIMELINE: December 2015 (final month of the campaign).

Create media buzz throughout the campaign.

OBJECTIVE 1: To earn positive media coverage in more than 12 Kansas outlets by the end of the campaign.

STRATEGY 1: Utilize traditional media to highlight each portion of the campaign.

TACTIC 1: Create media kits and press releases to accompany High 5 for Health’s campaign.

DESCRIPTION: Utilize KAC’s existing media contacts to create a list of relevant recipients (large media outlets in major metropolitan areas, as well as local community papers) and mail content, which includes press releases, fact sheets, giveaways, backgrounders, photo opportunity information and program statistics (water consumption numbers, etc.). Send kits to policymakers as well, making them aware of High 5 for Health’s existence, events and eventual goal.

Goal6

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TARGETED AUDIENCE: Kansas media and policymakers.

TIMELINE: One blast at end of the legislative cycle (April 2015) outlining the campaign, follow-up via e-mail throughout the campaign.

COST: Folders, printing, giveaways and mailing.

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WHAT WE ARE SELLING:

WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH:

WHO WE WANT TO CONNECT WITH:

Solutions to equip parents and child care providers with the information necessary to make changes in the food and beverage environments of the children in their care.

To make parents and child care providers aware of the importance of early intervention and their role in shaping the future health of the children in their care.

First and foremost, parents and child care providers in Kansas; eventually, policymakers.

CREATIVE BRIEF

CLIENT:

PROJECT GOAL:

RUN DATES:

BUDGET:

Kansas Action for Children (KAC)

To create awareness of KAC’s High 5 for Health Campaign, which focuses on alleviating childhood obesity.

January 2015 - December 2015, with special focus on May - December

$30,000

The KAC logo, the High 5 for Health logo and the slogan, “A helping hand for Kansas Kids.”

ADVERTISING MANDATORIES:

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WHY SHOULD OUR AUDIENCE BELIEVE IT:

WHY CARE ABOUT THE PRODUCT:

WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND ABOUT THE AUDIENCE:

High 5 for Health’s goal is to help educate stakeholders about the food and beverage environment in Kansas and its impact on childhood obesity. Intervening early can impact the future health of Kansas’ population. By becoming involved in High 5 for Health, parents and child care providers can ensure that the children in their care will live healthier, happier lives and not be plagued with health problems associated with obesity, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and heart disease. Child care providers who are involved with High 5 for Health will see happier, more energetic kids and parents will be more satisfied with the care they are providing. The five parts of High 5 for Health (Drink Water, Eat Well, Be a Role Model, Tell a Friend and Support KAC) are easy, cost-effective and quick ways for target audiences to improve the health of the children in their care.

Child care providers and parents want easy, cost-effective solutions to providing healthy food and beverages to children.

High 5 for Health recognizes the barriers to healthy food and beverage consumption and seeks to eliminate them, making life easier for parents and child care providers.

MAIN THOUGHT:

TONE:

SCOPE OF CAMPAIGN:

Education and information that positively impact the food and beverage environment among youth in Kansas, leading to a healthier future for Kansas residents; one that is plagued by few incidences of health conditions associated with obesity, but rather brimming with healthy, happy, energetic Kansas kids.

Educational, empowering, entertaining and engaging.

Integrated mix of advertising, public relations and contest, including local radio stations, presence at existing events, media outreach and giveaways.

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7Executions

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DRINK WATER EAT WELL

BE A ROLE MODEL

TELL A FRIEND

SUPPORT KAC

1. 2.

3. 4.

5.

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TACTICS

TACTIC 1:

TITLE: Present information regarding KAC’s legislative history and eventual goal for High 5 for Health.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:By clarifying KAC’s unique position and its capabilities, as well as its current efforts in the food and beverage environment, it should become clear to Child Care Aware® of Kansas (CCAK) that a formal relationship would be mutually beneficial. Presenting a clear plan with specific examples of CCAK’s potential involvement would make it easy to picture how the two might work together.

LOCATION: Plansbook

STATUS: Pending conversation with CCAK based on presentation of materials included in this plansbook.

TACTIC 2:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCCRITION:

STATUS:

LOCATION: N/A

Update KAC’s social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, blog and website) to announce launch of High Five for Health and direct followers/friends to High Five for Health’s website.

Leverage existing, engaged followers and direct them to KAC’s latest campaign, High Five for Health. Simply announce the campaign (including logo, five parts, etc.) via Facebook and Twitter posts, as well as a brief announcement on the website with a link to High Five for Health’s website. Also create a blog post for the KAC blog with further detail about High Five for Health and a link to the High Five for Health website.

N/A

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TACTIC 3:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

STATUS:

LOCATION:

Create an announcement e-mail to send to KAC’s current e-mail subscribers (such as Pass on Pop pledge signers, survey respondents, etc.) and partner organizations or fellow allies in the non-profit sector (such as Child Care Aware® of Kansas).

Leverage existing, engaged KAC supporters and those who are familiar with its previous campaigns. Create one e-mail for Pass on Pop pledgers and a separate one for KAC’s partners and allies, each tailored to its specific audience.

Content created.

Following this description.

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TACTIC 4:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

STATUS:

LOCATION:

Create High Five for Health t-shirts, stickers, buttons and coloring sheets to distribute at events and to relevant media.

Emblazon a variety of materials (t-shirts, buttons, stickers, coloring sheets) with High Five for Health’s logo to serve as a visual representation of the brand; giveaways at events, etc. “Swag” can also be sent to relevant media when appropriate.

Mock-ups created, samples created (ready to be ordered in bulk).

Samples included in sample media kit that accompanies this plansbook.

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TACTIC 5:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

STATUS:

LOCATION:

Create a paid Facebook ad to drive traffic to High Five for Health’s website and Facebook page.

Many parents and providers are active on social media, and because Facebook allows ad purchasers to target a very narrow audience, a paid Facebook ad seems like an ideal way to target the campaign’s desired audience.

Content created, ready to be purchased.

Following this description. Ad details (including audience targeted) are included in the appendix of this plansbook.

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TACTIC 6:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

STATUS:

LOCATION:

Create a radio ad to promote High Five for Health.

Based on KAC’s past success with radio ads and the ability to target a very narrow audience, radio is an ideal way to reach the most rural parts of Kansas where Internet access may be less consistent. Radio ads would be utilized in the areas of Kansas that are most difficult to reach and have the highest prevalence of food deserts, and would be played during morning and evening drive times.

Scripting complete for all ads, campaign launch ad produced and ready to be broadcast.

Following this description, launch ad included in materials accompanying this plansbook. Further details of radio flight specifics can be found in the appendix of this plansbook.

KAC: High 5 for HealthFemMediaCampaign Launch Radio Spot

Time: 0:18

NARRATOR:

What keeps your kids from eating well all the time? If time and cost are a factor, you’re not alone. That’s where High 5 for Health comes in, providing easy solutions to help ensure that Kansas kids are healthy kids. For recipes, contests and information about how to live a healthy life, visit High5forHealth.com. YOU can be a helping hand for Kansas kids. Visit High5forHealth.com

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KAC: High 5 for HealthFemMediaBe a Role Model/Eat Well

Time: 0:25

KAC: High 5 for HealthFemMediaDrink Water! Challenge

Time: 0:20

CHILD: What are you eating, Mommy? Can I have a bite?

SFX: (FORK HITTING THE PLATE)

NARRATOR:

Have you ever been asked this question by your child? Be a role model; show your kids you care by eating well. Children’s eating habits are formed in early childhood. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle with help from High 5 for Health, you’re setting an example for your children and making sure their futures are bright. Be healthy together; visit High5forHealth.com for easy recipes and other tips. YOU can be a helping hand for Kansas kids. Visit High5forHealth.com.

CHILD: I’m thirsty!

SFX: (SOUND OF FRIDGE OPENING)

ADULT: What would you like to drink? We have...

NARRATOR:

Stop right there. Water is the simple, easy, healthy answer, without the added sugar of juice, sports drinks or pop. Visit High5forhealth.com today and sign up for the Drink Water! Challenge, where families and child care providers can win prizes just for drinking water - it’s that simple! Stay hydrated, visit High5forhealth.com today.

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KAC: High 5 for HealthFemMediaTabling Event Radio Spots

Time: 0:20

NARRATOR:

High 5 for Health is coming to a Dillons near you! Stop by for recipes, prizes and giveaways, plus a visit from [NAME OF MOMMY BLOGGER], all in the name of a healthier future for Kansas kids. Come find out how YOU can be a helping hand for Kansas kids this Saturday at [ADDRESS] from [TIME OF EVENT].

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TACTIC 7:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

STATUS:

LOCATION:

Create a website and build out portions to reflect each aspect of the campaign (Drink Water, Eat Well, Be a Role Model, Tell a Friend, Support KAC) — including a tab for resources, statistics, fact sheets and coloring sheets related to each aspect that are shareable via e-mail.

By allowing users to share content, they are able to “tell a friend” as they also access resources to complete other portions of the campaign. By developing content that is relevant to all audiences, the site becomes a valuable resource for parents and child care providers alike. By requiring users to sign up in order to access the site, KAC can access the contact information of all users and track their engagement with the site.

Complete, awaiting publication.

Following this description, also available online.

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TACTIC 8:

TITLE: Bring the Pass on Pop pledge to the High Five for Health website with an online signup/registration option.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: By digitizing this portion of the existing campaign, people can “act” online and engage with the first part of the program instantaneously.

STATUS: Complete, awaiting publication of website.

LOCATION: Included in Drink Water! Challenge information below.

TACTIC 9:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

STATUS:

LOCATION:

Engage with physicians to comment on the current food and beverage environment and include that information in collateral.

Based on a study of parents conducted by FemMedia, parents regularly seek advice from physicians, and consider that advice to be especially reliable. By working with physicians to promote High Five for Health, parents and providers will be attracted to the content, want to learn more and consider High Five for Health to be a credible source. For providers, stress the importance of continued education by attending training specifically focused on nutrition.

Suggested but not executed by FemMedia.

N/A

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TACTIC 10:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

Build online portion of High Five for Health’s main website to host water consumption program/contest.

The water consumption program/contest incorporates both target audiences - child care providers and parents - in an event that motivates multiple behaviors. It incentivizes participants to stay engaged with the entire campaign and to refer others to the campaign. It also incentivizes them to have fun drinking water. The water consumption program/contest uses levels and prizes that range from stickers and buttons to t-shirts and filtered water pitchers. The behaviors range from signing the Pass on Pop pledge to participating in social media photo contests to attending educational events.

STATUS:

LOCATION:

Complete, awaiting publication.

Following this description, as well as online. Samples of filter pitchers and lidded cups are included in materials accompanying this plansbook.

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TACTIC 11:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

Reach out to mommy bloggers in target areas to serve as local spokespeople, to attend grocery store events and to create traffic to events, as well as promote the campaign on their blogs.

Contact mommy bloggers in main hub cities to serve as local spokespeople for the campaign. Hold introductory meetings with each mommy blogger to explain the campaign’s goals and how they can help through their blog and local events in their cities.

STATUS: Initial contact made, ideal blogger contacts identified.

LOCATION: Information about target mommy bloggers follows this description; contact thus far with identified bloggers is included in the appendix of this plansbook.

Amanda, Mommy of Two Little Monkeys

The information below represents the contact that FemMedia has had with Kansas mommy bloggers thus far. To date, one blogger, Farrah Udell of Reflective Mama, has responded with interest in learning more about KAC and working with High 5 for Health should the campaign become a reality.

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Farrah Udell, Reflective Mama

Erin Kelly, It All Matters Mom

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TACTIC 12:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

STATUS:

LOCATION:

Station KAC employees/interns and mommy blogger spokespeople at grocery stores in four main hub cities on Saturdays to help people sign up for the water consumption program/contest and to promote High 5 for Health in general.

Outfit table with the High 5 for Health branded items, such as t-shirts, buttons and stickers and share information about its initiatives to encourage shoppers to participate. Highlight mommy blogger present at each event.

N/A

Table visual following this description and table deliverables in accompanying materials.

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TACTIC 13:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

Create a recipe page of fast, affordable, healthy meals on the “Be Well” portion of High Five for Health website to be part of the photo contest (promoted via all social media and on the website, as well as at events), including “try this” content to promote sampling of new foods.

According to a survey of parents conducted by FemMedia, 67 percent of parents find it difficult to make healthy meals because of a lack of time and energy, as well as exorbitant costs. Participants submit a photo of their recipe implementation to Facebook after “liking” High Five for Health, share the photo and the participant whose photo receives the most “likes” wins a Dillons gift card. Having to share the content will increase awareness of High Five for Health while also promoting the campaign. By showing the time it takes to prepare these meals, quick recipes will be especially appealing to parents and providers whose lives are very busy with little time to spare. This exhibits that High 5 for Health understands their needs and caters to them.

STATUS:

LOCATION:

Sample recipes gathered from Kansas child care providers, recipe cards completed; contest ready to be launched.

Following this description.

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TACTIC 14:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

STATUS:

LOCATION:

Create individual print-outs of recipes that include a link to the main High Five for Health website to be dispersed at grocery stores and events.

Parents and child care providers say time and cost are barriers to creating healthy meals, so by creating a wealth of recipes from which they can draw, those barriers are eliminated.

Sample recipes gathered from Kansas child care providers, recipe cards completed.

Following this description, also located in materials accompanying this plansbook.

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TACTIC 15:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

STATUS:

LOCATION:

Incorporate “role model” language into the recipe contest to stress the importance of the role of parents and child care providers in shaping the eating habits of the children with whom they interact.

According to a survey of parents conducted by FemMedia, 93 percent of individuals believe that parents’ actions regarding food and beverage can impact children’s future behavior. By stressing the research behind modeling behavior, parents and child care providers will begin to realize that they must “practice what they preach,” and reevaluate their own habits to reflect those they wish the children they care for to adopt.

N/A

N/A

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TACTIC 16:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

STATUS:

LOCATION:

Create a pop-up on High Five for Health’s website that allows site visitors to populate a field with their information and pledge support for specific items on KAC’s legislative agenda. Additionally, include links to legislators’ Facebook pages to incentivize stakeholders to engage with their representatives about the issues relevant to them.

According to a survey of parents conducted by FemMedia, 79.8 percent of those surveyed support regulation of food and beverages served in child care facilities. Based on this statistic and after gaining support of site visitors throughout the High Five for Health campaign, KAC is well-positioned to leverage the support of this educated audience and put it behind its legislative efforts to impact the food and beverage environment in child care settings in Kansas.

Complete, awaiting publication of website and appropriate time in legislative cycle.

Following this description, as well as online.

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TACTIC 17:

TITLE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

STATUS:

LOCATION:

Create media kits and press releases to accompany High 5 for Health’s campaign.

Utilize KAC’s existing media contacts to create a list of relevant recipients (large media outlets in major metropolitan areas, as well as local community papers) and mail content, which includes press releases, fact sheets, giveaways and backgrounders. Send kits to policymakers as well, making them aware of High 5 for Health’s existence, events and eventual goal.

Media kit content created, awaiting campaign launch/mailing.

Following this description, also included in sample media kit accompanying this plansbook. See appendix for full-page documents.

PRESS RELEASE:

     

785-232-0550 | 720 SW Jackson St., Suite 201 | Topeka, KS 66603 | high5forhealth.com

April 30, 2015 Contact: Lauren Beatty lauren@kac.org High 5 for Health launches campaign TOPEKA – Today, KAC launches High Five for Health, a program that provides parents and child care providers support for living healthy lives and passing healthy habits onto the children in their care. Childhood obesity is a growing issue in Kansas, affecting one out of every ten children between the ages of two and five. Its consequences are serious, with obese children at higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It can also lead to depression and low self-esteem. Fortunately, obesity is preventable, but early intervention is key. When surveyed, parents cited cost and time spent preparing meals as major barriers to serving healthy food. High 5 for health seeks to eliminate these barriers through education. High 5 for Health includes five steps to help combat obesity and impact the food and beverage environment:

1. Drink Water - reduce consumption of sugary drinks 2. Eat Well - provide healthy options that are inexpensive, quick and easy 3. Be a Role Model - set an example for Kansas youth whose dietary habits are

developed early 4. Tell a Friend - share the message 5. Support KAC - impact policy for benefit of Kansas kids

The program includes resources for parents and child care providers, contests to encourage water consumption and healthy eating habits, as well as easy ways to share High 5 for Health’s message with others. To see High 5 for Health in action, stop by one of the following locations:

• Dillons Wichita [INSERT ADDRESS HERE] • Dillons Leavenworth [INSERT ADDRESS HERE] • Dillons Topeka [INSERT ADDRESS HERE] • Dillons Lawrence [INSERT ADDRESS HERE]

For more information, visit High5forhealth.com. About KAC Kansas Action for Children was founded in 1979 under leadership from the Junior League of Topeka, Junior League of Wichita, Junior League of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties, and the Kansas Children’s Service League. These four organizations came together with a mission to establish an independent voice in the state for Kansas children. Since that time, KAC has grown to become one of the leading child advocacy organizations in the country. Through support from individuals and private foundations, KAC has worked alongside legislators and community leaders to achieve tremendous results on behalf of the 700,000 kids who call Kansas “home.”

BACKGROUNDER:

Overview Kansas Action for Children (KAC) was founded in 1979 with a mission “to shape health, education and economic policy that will improve the lives of Kansas children and families.” Since that time, KAC has grown to become one of the leading child advocacy organizations in the country. Through support from individuals and private foundations, KAC has worked alongside legislators and community leaders to achieve tremendous results on behalf of the 700,000 kids who call Kansas “home.” Past Successes Lexie’s Law: Facilitated complete overhaul of child care licensing to ensure every child care facility in Kansas is inspected and registered. Parents can now review child care providers in an online database before choosing care for their children. Immunizations: Increased access to timely immunizations in areas of the state that have traditionally experienced low childhood immunization rates. By providing the resources for nursing staff to give shots and track immunizations at Women, Infants and Children (WIC) clinics, more Kansas children and communities will be protected from preventable and costly outbreaks. Children’s Initiatives Fund: Designated a public funding stream for results­oriented early childhood programs. By investing in early education for at­risk Kansas children, our next generation will be better positioned to thrive in school and in the workforce.

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PREDICTIONS AND EVALUATIONS

OVERALL GOAL:

EVALUATION:

Educate and engage Kansas parents and child care providers in healthy habits and positive attitudes towards Kansas Action for Children.

PREDICTION: FemMedia predicts that through the High 5 for Health campaign, Kansas Action for Children will see an increase in supporters for its health care objectives.

To evaluate the success of this campaign, we recommend comparing the number of supporters KAC’s email list currently includes to a new figure in December 2015.

HIGH 5 FOR HEALTH CAMPAIGN: GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Goal1

To define a clear partnership with Child Care® Aware of Kansas (CCAK).

PREDICTION:

EVALUATION:

FemMedia predicts that by solidifying a partnership with CCAK by December 2015, Kansas Action for Children will have direct access to more child care providers.

To evaluate the success of this goal, Kansas Action for Children will need to determine whether the terms under which CCAK is willing to partner allow KAC the access to providers it desires; if the two come to an agreement and a partnership is formed, this goal will have been successfully completed.

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Goal2

To launch the High 5 for Health campaign in January 2015 in order to increase nutrition and obesity education and awareness among child care providers and parents.

PREDICTION:

EVALUATION:

FemMedia predicts that by creating the High 5 for Health Campaign, target audiences will be more engaged, informed and active regarding choices in the food and beverage environments.

To evaluate this goal, Kansas Action for Children will need to first document how many participants sign up on the site by the end of the campaign, and it will need to send a survey to child care providers and parents regarding their knowledge and beliefs about obesity.

Goal3

To increase water consumption by Kansas families through expansion of the Pass on Pop movement, with at least 100 people enrolling by April 2015.

PREDICTION:

EVALUATION:

FemMedia predicts that by creating the Drink Water! Challenge, people will have an incentive to encourage the children in their care to drink more water and by promoting the Challenge in grocery stores, it will be easier to engage participants.

To evaluate this goal, Kansas Action for Children will need to record the number of pledges to Pass on Pop in December 2014 and indicate whether the number has grown by at least 100 people in April 2015.

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Goal4

To promote and encourage healthy eating by providing Kansans with access to healthy recipes and incentives for cooking those recipes for the children in their care, and encouraging child care providers and parents to encourage children to try new foods.

PREDICTION:

EVALUATION:

FemMedia predicts that by hosting an incentivised “Eat Well” recipe contest, at least 500 people will submit their photos of their cooked meal to the Facebook page. The provided recipes and the contest will allow child care providers to increase the amount they encourage children to try new foods from the current 80.8 percent to 95 percent, as well as increase the amount they talk to the children about trying and enjoying healthy foods from 90.2 percent to 95 percent.

To evaluate this goal, Kansas Action for Children will need to record how many photo submissions it receives from the Eat Well contest between January 2015 and May 2015. It will also need to send out a survey to child care providers regarding the food and beverage choices they provide in their homes.

Goal5

Make High Five for Health participants aware of existing regulation, or lack thereof, in the food and beverage environment.

PREDICTION: FemMedia predicts that by participating in High 5 for Health, Kansas residents will be more likely to support regulation regarding food and beverage environments in child care facilities. Based on previous numbers, FemMedia predicts that more than 500 people will pledge support to KAC’s legislative agenda by December 2015.

EVALUATION: To evaluate this goal, Kansas Action for Children will need to record the number of people who have pledged support on the High 5 for Health website in December 2015.

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Goal6

To gain positive media attention.

PREDICTION:

EVALUATION:

FemMedia predicts that by the end of the campaign, the discussion around children’s food and beverage environments will have gained the campaign positive media coverage in more than 12 Kansas outlets by the end of the campaign.

To evaluate this goal, Kansas Action for Children will need to track the number of High 5 for Health media mentions for the entire duration of the campaign.

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8References

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SITUATION ANALYSIS

Guidestar. (2014). Financials. Kansas Action for Children Inc. Retrieved from http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/48-0879502/kansas-action-children.aspx

Child Care Aware of Kansas. (2010). Who cares for Kansas children? Early education workforce study: 2010 Kansaschildcareworkforceprofile. Retrieved from http://www.ks.childcareaware.org/PDFs/2010%20Workforce%20Studies/WKFC_Study2010. pdf

Child Care Aware of Kansas. (2010). Who cares for Kansas children? Early education workforce study: 2010 state childcareprofile. Retrieved from http://www.ks.childcareaware.org/PDFs/2010%20Workforce%20Studies/WKFC_StatePro file.pdf

Kansas Action for Children. About us. Retrieved from http://kac.org/about-us/

Kansas Action for Children. Data and research. Retrieved from http://kac.org/data-and-research/

Kansas Action for Children. Pass on pop. Retrieved from http://kac.org/passonpop/

Kansas Action for Children. (2014). We can do better for Kansas kids: 2014 legislative wrap-up. Retrieved from http://kac.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/52107_KAC_LegWrap_v2.pdf

Kansas Department of Health and Environment. (2011). FY 2011 total facility count and total capacity. Retrieved from http://www.kdheks.gov/bcclr/download/FY11_Total_Facility_Count_and_Capacity.pdf

Kansas Department of Health and Environment. (2013). Kansas laws and regulations for licensing day care homes and group day care homes for children. Retrieved from http://www.kdheks.gov/bcclr/regs/lic_group_daycare/Day_Care_homes_and_Group_Day_ Care_all_sections.pdf

Kansas Legislature. (2014). Welcome. Retrieved from http://www.kslegislature.org/li/

National Center for Charitable Statistics. (2013). Numberof nonprofitorganizationsinKansas,2003–2013. Retrieved from http://nccsweb.urban.org/PubApps/profile1.php?state=KS

National Conference of State Legislatures. (2014). Legislator demographics. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/legislator demographics.aspx

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SECONDARY RESEARCH:

American Heart Association. (2014). Overweight in children. Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/HealthierKids/ChildhoodObesity/ Overweight-in-Children_UCM_304054_Article.jsp

American Heart Association. (2014). What is childhood obesity? Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/HealthierKids/ChildhoodObesity/What- is-childhood-obesity_UCM_304347_Article.jsp

California Center for Public Health Advocacy. (2014). Hiding under a health halo: Examining the data behind health claims on sugary beverages. Retrieved from http://publichealthadvocacy.org/_PDFs/healthhalo/HealthHalo_FactSheet_English.pdf

California Center for Public Health Advocacy. (2014). Hiding under a health halo: Examining the data behind health claims on sugary beverages. Retrieved from http://publichealthadvocacy.org/_PDFs/healthhalo/HealthHalo_PolicyBrief.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Increasing access to drinking water and other healthier beverages in early care and education settings. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/early-childhood-drinking-water-toolkit-final- 508reduced.pdf

Child Care Aware of America. (2014). 2014 Child care in the state of: Kansas. Retrieved from http://www.naccrra.org/sites/default/files/kansas_fact_sheet_.pdf

Eating Healthy Research. About us. Retrieved from http://healthyeatingresearch.org/who-we-are/about-us/

Fulgoni III, V. L. and Quann, E. E. (2012). National trends in beverage consumption in children from birth to 5 years: Analysis of NHANES across three decades. Nutrition Journal, 11(92). Retrieved from http://www.nutritionj.com/content/pdf/1475-2891-11-92.pdf

Gallup, Inc. (2014). Kansas Scorecard. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/poll/174656/kansas-scorecard.aspx

Harvard School of Public Health. (2014). Healthy drinks: Sugary drinks. The Nutrition Source. Retrieved from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/sugary-drinks/

Index Mundi. (2010). Kansas population by county. Retrieved from http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/united-states/quick-facts/kansas/population#map

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Kansas Department of Health and Environment. (2014). Licensing and regulation for child care facilities: Definitionsandrequirements.Retrieved from http://www.kdheks.gov/bcclr/lic_and_req.html#licensed

Kansas Legislature. (2014). Welcome. Retrieved from http://www.kslegislature.org/li/

Kansas Policy Institute. About: history and mission. Retrieved from http://www.kansaspolicy.org/AboutUs/History/default.aspx

Kansas Policy Institute. About:boardof trusteesandofficers.Retrieved from http://www.kansaspolicy.org/AboutUs/BoardofTrustees/

May, A. L., Freedman, D., Sherry, B. and Blanck, H. M. (2013). Obesity – United States, 1999 – 2010. MorbidityandMortalityWeeklyReport,62(03).Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6203a20.htm

Middleton, A. E., Henderson, K. E. and Schwartz, M. B. (2013). From policy to practice: Implementation of water policies in child care centers in Connecticut. Journal of Nutrition, Education and Behavior, 45(2). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=23472930

National Conference of State Legislatures. (2014). Legislator demographics. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/legislator-demographics.aspx

NC State University Cooperative Extension Service. (2008). Re-think your drink. Retrieved from http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/pdfs/RethinkDrink_School_Age.pdf

Oral Health Kansas. (2014). Mission, vision, values and beliefs. Retrieved from http://www.oralhealthkansas.org/Mission.html

Oral Health Kansas. (2014). Public policy priorities. Retrieved from http://www.oralhealthkansas.org/PublicPolicy.html

Park, S., Pan, L., Sherry, B. and Blanck, H. (2011). Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among US adults in 6 states: Behavioral risk factor surveillance system, 2011. Preventing Chronic Disease. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/13_0304.htm

Pirotin, S., Becker, C. and Crawford, P. B. (2014). Looking beyond the marketing claims of new beverages: Healthrisksof consumingsportsdrinks,energydrinks,fortifiedwaterandotherflavoredbeverages. Retrieved from http://publichealthadvocacy.org/_PDFs/healthhalo/HealthHalo_FullStudy.pdf

Saint Louis, C. (2014). Childhood diet habits set in infancy, studies suggest. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/02/health/childhood-diet-habits-set-in-infancy-studies- suggest.html?_r=2

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Tobias, S. P. (2012). Lexie’s Law raised standards for Kansas child care, officials say. The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved from http://www.kansas.com/news/article1096028.html

United States Census Bureau. (2014). KansasquickfactsfromtheU.S.CensusBureau. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/20000.html

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9Appendices

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APPENDIX 1: AD DETAILS (SAMPLE FOR $1000 AD)

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Mommy of Two Little Monkeys Amanda Kansas City Website reach: approximately 50,000 Twitter: 24,700 followers Facebook: 15,248 likes Instagram: 1,688 Google+: 2,729 followers Pinterest: 8,201 followers Content: Parenting, Fitness, Recipes, Crafts, etc. Reached out 11/20 http://www.mommyoftwolittlemonkeys.com/ Hi Amanda, My name is Elizabeth Erker, and I am a senior at the University of Kansas pursuing a degree in journalism with an emphasis in strategic communication. I am currently enrolled in the capstone journalism class, in which the class is divided up into groups (mini agencies, if you will) to serve a real-world client. This semester, our client is Kansas Action for Children (KAC) who is entering the second year of a three-year campaign to fight childhood obesity in Kansas. Our class has been tasked with designing the second year of the campaign. My group, FemMedia (composed of all women, hence the name) is interested in reaching out to parent blogs in Kansas to help serve as spokespeople for the campaign. Your blog immediately stood out as I perused the web. Your focus on parenting, fitness and recipes is exactly what we're looking for, and your site is clearly very popular with a tone that is warm, friendly and engaging. We are open to tailoring the relationship to fit your preferences, although we have some ideas for involvement that we'd love to discuss further. These include (but are not limited to) having you guest post on our campaign's website, post about the campaign on your website, contribute a healthy recipe to the "resources" portion of our website or attend tabling events at local grocery stores to draw traffic to such events. Here's the catch: there is no guarantee that KAC will select to execute FemMedia's campaign. Therefore, if you are willing to discuss a concrete plan, the most we would ask is that you sign a letter of intent, signifying that if KAC were to select our campaign, you would be willing to work with them as a partner in the future. Please let me know if you have any additional questions, or if you're open to further discussing this potential partnership. I'd also be happy to elaborate on our specific campaign and why we think it's a perfect fit with your blog (lots of good stuff)! Best, Elizabeth Erker ecerker@ku.edu 402.238.6946

APPENDIX 2: MOMMY BLOGGER OUTREACH

The information in appendix 2 represents the contact that FemMedia has had with Kansas mommy bloggers thus far. To date, one blogger, Farrah Udell of Reflective Mama, has responded with interest in working with High 5 for Health.

NOTE:

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Reflective Mama Farrah Udell Overland Park, KS Twitter: 1,230 followers Facebook: 276 likes Instagram: 475 followers Google+: 145 followers Pinterest: 622 followers Content: books, yoga and fitness Reached out 11/21 http://www.reflectivemama.com/ Hi Farrah, My name is Elizabeth Erker, and I am a senior at the University of Kansas pursuing a degree in journalism with an emphasis in strategic communication. I am currently enrolled in the capstone journalism class, in which the class is divided up into groups (mini agencies, if you will) to serve a real-world client. This semester, our client is Kansas Action for Children (KAC) who is entering the second year of a three-year campaign to fight childhood obesity in Kansas. Our class has been tasked with designing the second year of the campaign. My group, FemMedia (composed of all women, hence the name) is interested in reaching out to parent blogs in Kansas to help serve as spokespeople for the campaign. Your blog immediately stood out as I perused the web. Your focus on family and fitness is exactly what we're looking for, and your site has a tone that is warm, friendly and engaging. We are open to tailoring the relationship to fit your preferences, although we have some ideas for involvement that we'd love to discuss further. These include (but are not limited to) having you guest post on our campaign's website, post about the campaign on your website, contribute a healthy recipe to the "resources" portion of our website or attend tabling events at local grocery stores to draw traffic to such events. Here's the catch: there is no guarantee that KAC will select to execute FemMedia's campaign. Therefore, if you are willing to discuss a concrete plan, the most we would ask is that you sign a letter of intent, signifying that if KAC were to select our campaign, you would be willing to work with them as a partner in the future. Please let me know if you have any additional questions, or if you're open to further discussing this potential partnership. I'd also be happy to elaborate on our specific campaign and why we think it's a perfect fit with your blog (lots of good stuff)! Best, Elizabeth Erker ecerker@ku.edu 402.238.6946

 

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It All Matters Mom Erin Kelly Wamego, KS Twitter: 245 followers Facebook: 335 Instagram: N/A Google+: N/A Pinterest: 200 followers Content: Around the house, Faith, Family, Recipes, Saving money Reached out 11/21 http://www.itallmattersmom.com Hi Erin, My name is Elizabeth Erker, and I am a senior at the University of Kansas pursuing a degree in journalism with an emphasis in strategic communication. I am currently enrolled in the capstone journalism class, in which the class is divided up into groups (mini agencies, if you will) to serve a real-world client. This semester, our client is Kansas Action for Children (KAC) who is entering the second year of a three-year campaign to fight childhood obesity in Kansas. Our class has been tasked with designing the second year of the campaign. My group, FemMedia (composed of all women, hence the name) is interested in reaching out to parent blogs in Kansas to help serve as spokespeople for the campaign. Your blog immediately stood out as I perused the web. Your focus on family, recipes and saving money is exactly what we're looking for, and your site has a tone that is warm, friendly and engaging. We are open to tailoring the relationship to fit your preferences, although we have some ideas for involvement that we'd love to discuss further. These include (but are not limited to) having you guest post on our campaign's website, post about the campaign on your website, contribute a healthy recipe to the "resources" portion of our website or attend tabling events at local grocery stores to draw traffic to such events. Here's the catch: there is no guarantee that KAC will select to execute FemMedia's campaign. Therefore, if you are willing to discuss a concrete plan, the most we would ask is that you sign a letter of intent, signifying that if KAC were to select our campaign, you would be willing to work with them as a partner in the future. Please let me know if you have any additional questions, or if you're open to further discussing this potential partnership. I'd also be happy to elaborate on our specific campaign and why we think it's a perfect fit with your blog (lots of good stuff)! Best, Elizabeth Erker ecerker@ku.edu 402.238.6946  

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APPENDIX 3: RADIO FLIGHTS

Radio Flights FemMedia

Launch Flights Purpose: The launch flights will be used in May of the campaign year to kick off High 5 for Health. They should reach all target cities, and they should be between one to two weeks in length. Suggested Cities, Stations and Contact People: Wichita

● Clear Channel - Clayton Nash, 212-377-1275 ○ Offered PSA-type messaging, in addition to traditional spots

● Connoisseur Media - Kristen Woodward, 316-558-8800 ○ Offered live, on-site broadcasting, in addition to traditional spots

Salina, Hays and Great Bend - Tammy Manley, Eagle Communications 580-220-1180 Salina

● KINA (talk radio) ● KSKG (country)

Hays

● KFIX (rock) - 61 percent male, 49 percent parents ● KJLS* (adult contemporary) - 58 percent female, 57 percent parents ● KKQY (country) - 67 percent female, 59 percent parents

Great Bend

● KHOK (country) ● KBGL (adult contemporary)

Kansas City and Topeka - Cumulus Broadcasting, Randy Hughes, 785-554-0069 Kansas City

● KCFX (classic rock) - ages 25-54, 60 percent male ● KZHZ-FM (top 40) - 55 percent female, 63 percent parents

Topeka

● KMAJ (adult contemporary) - 60 percent female ● KQTP-FM (country) - 58 percent female

Lawrence - Great Plains Media, 785-843-1320 Garden City - Jalayene Perez, 620-640-7240 Event Flights Purpose: The event flights will be used in tandem with the grocery store tabling events with Dillons. They should reach the four hosting cities, and they should be one week in length. Hosting Cities (see above for stations and contact people): Wichita, Topeka, Lawrence and Leavenworth

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APPENDIX 4: PARENTS’ SURVEY

Primary Research: Parents’ Survey

FemMedia

Demographics. Participants in this study included 79 parents of children living in the

state of Kansas solicited from a convenience sample. Participants must have lived in the state of

Kansas with children under the age of 20 years old to be eligible for the study. Of the participants,

64 (81.01 percent) were female, 14 (17.72 percent) were male, and one participant did not specify

gender. The majority of participants were between 24 and 44 years old (n = 67, 84.81 percent),

followed by six participants who were between 20 and 24 years old (7.59 percent). 57 participants

were married or in a domestic partnership (72.15 percent), and 14 were single, never married

(17.72 percent). Participants were overwhelmingly Caucasian (n = 70, 88.61 percent), and the

majority indicated some college education to graduate school for education level (n = 74, 93.66

percent). 61 participants were employed for wages (77.22 percent), and 10 were self-employed

(12.66 percent). The majority of participants reported a total household income between $20,000

and $40,000 (n = 26, 32.91 percent), followed by 25 participants reporting $80,000 or more

(31.65 percent) and 19 reporting between $40,000 and $80,000 (24.06 percent). Of the

participants, 52 lived in or near Wichita, KS (65.82 percent), 18 lived in or near Lawrence, KS

(22.78 percent), five lived in or near Topeka, KS (6.33 percent), three lived in or near Salina,

Hays and Garden City (3.81 percent) and one lived in or near Kansas City (1.27 percent).

Questions 4 – 5. Participants reported the use of child care facilities for their children by selecting

“yes” or “no” to Question 4. If the participant reported “yes,” (s)he indicated the type of child

care facility that was used in Question 5. The participant was able to select more than one option.

59 participants had used child care facilities for their children (74.68 percent). The majority of

participants indicated full-time care (n = 28, 47.46 percent) and family child care  

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homes (n = 27, 45.76 percent), followed by child care centers (n = 23, 38.98 percent). Part-time

care and babysitter/nanny were each reported by 14 participants (23.73 percent), and five

participants reported “other” (8.47 percent).

Questions 6 – 11. Participants reported their opinions regarding childhood obesity and the

food and beverage environment by reporting the degree to which they agree or disagree with six

statements on a semantic differential scale (e.g., 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree).

See below for statements and responses.

6. I am concerned about my family being overweight or obese.

a. Average rating = 2.96 / 5

b. 31 participants indicated strong disagreement or disagreement (39.24 percent)

c. 19 participants indicated neutrality (24.05 percent)

d. 29 participants indicated agreement or strong agreement (36.71 percent)

7. Childhood obesity is a public health concern in Kansas right now.

a. Average rating = 3.92 / 5

b. 7 participants indicated strong disagreement or disagreement (8.86 percent)

c. 10 participants indicated neutrality (12.66 percent)

d. 62 participants indicated agreement or strong agreement (78.48 percent)

8. Suitable alternatives to water for my children include fruit juice, fruit punch, Gatorade,

juice boxes, vitamin water, etc.

a. Average rating = 2.53 / 5

b. 43 participants indicated strong disagreement or disagreement (54.43 percent)

c. 11 participants indicated neutrality (13.92 percent)

d. 25 participants indicated agreement or strong agreement (31.65 percent)

 

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6. My children and family would like to learn more about how to live healthfully, including

increasing our fruit, vegetable and whole grain consumption.

a. Average rating = 3.58 / 5

b. 9 participants indicated strong disagreement or disagreement (11.40 percent)

c. 25 participants indicated neutrality (31.65 percent)

d. 45 participants indicated agreement or strong agreement (56.96 percent)

7. I believe that my actions regarding food and beverage can affect the other members of

my family.

a. Average rating = 4.53 / 5

b. 0 participants indicated strong disagreement or disagreement (0 percent)

c. 3 participants indicated neutrality (3.80 percent)

d. 76 participants indicated agreement or strong agreement (96.20 percent)

8. I believe that the food and beverage environment I model to my children from infancy to

age five holds a lasting impact on their individual future food and beverage behavior.

a. Average rating = 4.44 / 5

b. 1 participants indicated strong disagreement or disagreement (1.27 percent)

c. 3 participants indicated neutrality (3.80 percent)

d. 75 participants indicated agreement or strong agreement (94.94 percent)

Questions 12 – 16. Participants reported their primary sources for advice, preferred

communication channels and personal food experiences. The participant was able to select more

than one option for Questions 12, 13, 15 and 16. Question 14 did not require an answer. See

below for statements and responses.

 

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6. I look to these individuals for advice.

a. The top four sources for advice include: physicians (n = 72, 91.14 percent),

family (n = 64, 81.01 percent), friends (n = 54, 68.35 percent) and the Internet (n

= 37, 46.84 percent).

b. The bottom three sources include: child care providers (n = 20, 25.32 percent),

media outlets (e.g. TV, radio and newspaper, n = 8, 10.13 percent) and other (n =

3, 3.8 percent).

7. How can we provide you with key educational materials promoting healthy food and

beverage environments?

a. The top three communication channels include: social media (n = 37, 53.62

percent), e-mail (n = 34, 49.28 percent) and direct mail (n = 25, 36.23 percent).

b. The bottom four sources include: text message (n = 12, 17.39 percent),

conferences and networking opportunities (n = 7, 10.14 percent), other (n = 4,

5.80 percent) and phone call (n = 2, 2.9 percent).

8. 19 participants entered some form of contact information.

9. Where do you buy most of your children’s food?

a. The “best three” locations constituted 77.34 percent of responses: grocery stores

(n = 76, 96.20 percent), farmers’ markets (n = 14, 17.72 percent) and specialty

grocery stores (e.g. Whole Foods and Natural Grocers, n = 9, 1.39 percent).

The “worst three” locations constituted 21.88 percent of responses: fast casual restaurants (e.g.

Applebee’s, Olive Garden and Chili’s, n = 14, 17.72 percent), fast food restaurants (e.g.

McDonald’s, Burger King and Taco Bell, n = 10, 12.66  

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a. percent) and convenience stores (e.g. QuikTrip, KwikShop and 7-11, n = 4, 5.06

percent). One participant indicated “other.”

7. If your family struggles to eat healthfully, what are some of the reasons?

a. The top two reasons include: lack of time and/or energy (n = 47, 59.49 percent)

and cost (n = 43, 54.43 percent)

b. The middle three reasons include: do not want to stop eating favorite foods (n =

1, 13.92 percent), healthy food accessibility (n = 9, 11.39) and do not know how

to prepare healthier meals (n = 8, 10.13 percent).

c. Eight participants reported no issue with healthy eating (10.13 percent), and five

participants reported that they do not like the taste of healthier foods (6.33

percent).

Questions 17 – 20. Participants reported their opinions regarding child care facilities and

regulations by reporting the degree to which they agree or disagree with four statements on a

semantic differential scale (e.g., 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree). See below for

statements and responses.

8. I believe healthy food and drinking water are served at child care facilities.

a. Average rating = 3.61 / 5

b. 12 participants indicated strong disagreement or disagreement (15.19 percent)

c. 20 participants indicated neutrality (25.32 percent)

d. 47 participants indicated agreement or strong agreement (59.49 percent)

9. I believe there are current regulations about the types of food and beverages that can be

served at child care facilities.

a. Average rating = 3.8 / 5

 

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a. 9 participants indicated strong disagreement or disagreement (11.40 percent)

b. 14 participants indicated neutrality (17.72 percent)

c. 56 participants indicated agreement or strong agreement (70.89 percent)

7. I would support the regulation of food and beverages served at child care facilities.

a. Average rating = 4.04 / 5

b. 5 participants indicated strong disagreement or disagreement (6.33 percent)

c. 11 participants indicated neutrality (13.92 percent)

d. 63 participants indicated agreement or strong agreement (79.75 percent)

8. I believe that food and beverage behavior should be modeled by child care providers.

a. Average rating = 4.11 / 5

b. 2 participants indicated strong disagreement or disagreement (2.54 percent)

c. 9 participants indicated neutrality (11.39 percent)

d. 68 participants indicated agreement or strong agreement (86.07 percent)

 

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785-232-0550 | 720 SW Jackson St., Suite 201 | Topeka, KS 66603 | high5forhealth.com

April 30, 2015 Contact: Lauren Beatty lauren@kac.org High 5 for Health launches campaign TOPEKA – Today, KAC launches High Five for Health, a program that provides parents and child care providers support for living healthy lives and passing healthy habits onto the children in their care. Childhood obesity is a growing issue in Kansas, affecting one out of every ten children between the ages of two and five. Its consequences are serious, with obese children at higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It can also lead to depression and low self-esteem. Fortunately, obesity is preventable, but early intervention is key. When surveyed, parents cited cost and time spent preparing meals as major barriers to serving healthy food. High 5 for health seeks to eliminate these barriers through education. High 5 for Health includes five steps to help combat obesity and impact the food and beverage environment:

1. Drink Water - reduce consumption of sugary drinks 2. Eat Well - provide healthy options that are inexpensive, quick and easy 3. Be a Role Model - set an example for Kansas youth whose dietary habits are

developed early 4. Tell a Friend - share the message 5. Support KAC - impact policy for benefit of Kansas kids

The program includes resources for parents and child care providers, contests to encourage water consumption and healthy eating habits, as well as easy ways to share High 5 for Health’s message with others. To see High 5 for Health in action, stop by one of the following locations:

• Dillons Wichita [INSERT ADDRESS HERE] • Dillons Leavenworth [INSERT ADDRESS HERE] • Dillons Topeka [INSERT ADDRESS HERE] • Dillons Lawrence [INSERT ADDRESS HERE]

For more information, visit High5forhealth.com. About KAC Kansas Action for Children was founded in 1979 under leadership from the Junior League of Topeka, Junior League of Wichita, Junior League of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties, and the Kansas Children’s Service League. These four organizations came together with a mission to establish an independent voice in the state for Kansas children. Since that time, KAC has grown to become one of the leading child advocacy organizations in the country. Through support from individuals and private foundations, KAC has worked alongside legislators and community leaders to achieve tremendous results on behalf of the 700,000 kids who call Kansas “home.”

APPENDIX 5: PRESS RELEASE & BACKGROUNDER

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Overview Kansas Action for Children (KAC) was founded in 1979 with a mission “to shape health, education and economic policy that will improve the lives of Kansas children and families.” Since that time, KAC has grown to become one of the leading child advocacy organizations in the country. Through support from individuals and private foundations, KAC has worked alongside legislators and community leaders to achieve tremendous results on behalf of the 700,000 kids who call Kansas “home.” Past Successes Lexie’s Law: Facilitated complete overhaul of child care licensing to ensure every child care facility in Kansas is inspected and registered. Parents can now review child care providers in an online database before choosing care for their children. Immunizations: Increased access to timely immunizations in areas of the state that have traditionally experienced low childhood immunization rates. By providing the resources for nursing staff to give shots and track immunizations at Women, Infants and Children (WIC) clinics, more Kansas children and communities will be protected from preventable and costly outbreaks. Children’s Initiatives Fund: Designated a public funding stream for results­oriented early childhood programs. By investing in early education for at­risk Kansas children, our next generation will be better positioned to thrive in school and in the workforce.

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APPENDIX 6: ADDITIONAL FACEBOOK COMMUNICATION

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APPENDIX 7: BUDGET

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