SHINE Element 10: Leadership Team

Overview

Guidance for implementing the criteria for Element 10, Leadership Team, of the Preschools Shaping Healthy Impressions through Nutrition and Exercise (SHINE) program.

Criteria for Element 10, Leadership Team

1. Form a Preschools SHINE leadership team with a minimum of two preschool staff.
2. Complete the Preschools SHINE leadership responsibilities to successfully apply for certification.

To complete the Preschools SHINE criteria and create an optimal wellness environment at the child care site, a leadership team is needed. The leadership team is the leader and advocate for achieving a high-quality child care nutrition and physical activity program at the site. The team serves as the catalyst for innovation, creativity, and outside-the-box thinking to create a healthy nutrition and physical activity environment, and are responsible for completing the Preschools SHINE criteria and applying for Preschools SHINE recognition.

Making changes to improve the nutrition and physical activity environment requires a team effort. Sometimes the process may seem overwhelming, especially if only one person tries to do it all.

Follow the practices below to meet the criteria for Element 10

1. Form a Preschools SHINE leadership team with a minimum of two preschool staff:
   
   
   • A center director may form a leadership team with board members, teachers, food services personnel (nutritionists, cooks, and menu planners), families, health advocates, and community members.
     
     
   • Family child care providers may form a leadership team with the provider’s staff, the sponsor organization’s staff, families, health advocates, and community members.
     
     
2. Complete the Preschool SHINE leadership responsibilities to successfully apply for application:
   
   
   • Review the information in the California of Department of Social Services (CDSS) Preschools SHINE Program web page to determine the level of Preschools SHINE certification the leadership team wants to achieve.
     
     
   • For sites not achieving Gold level certification, determine which elective elements the leadership team wants to complete.
     
     
   • Communicate the vision of a Preschools SHINE site to staff members.
     
     
   • Conduct a site assessment using the CDSS Preschools SHNE Self-Assessment (PDF)
     
     
   • Use the CDSS Preschools SHINE Action Plan (PDF) to complete the criteria within the selected Preschools SHINE elements.  Identify each team member’s responsibility and to establish timelines.
     
     
   • Promote team building and encourage staff to work together, face challenges, and develop solutions to complete the criteria within each element.
     
     
   • Apply for Preschools SHINE recognition by completing the online CDSS Preschools SHINE application after meeting the criteria within the required and selected elective elements.

Questions: Preschools SHINE Program | PreschoolsSHINE@dss.ca.gov

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