Childhood Health

Nutrition Education for Children

Poverty puts families at higher risk for malnutrition, hunger and disease. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Extension Agent trains and supports paraprofessionals in communities to reach preschool and elementary-age children who come from low income families. Lessons focus on diet, health and overall well-being of the children. In 2007, through the EFNEP program, a total of 1,606 youth from low income families were reached in Clarke, Walton, Gwinnett and Hall counties. The children learned how to improve their diet and how to prepare their own food, if necessary. They also learned skills that complement school objectives by learning how to read recipes, measure ingredients, and recognize the importance of certain nutrients for the human body. With the Fight BAC curriculum conducted with 102 Clarke County students during summer lunch programs, the average knowledge pre- and post-test scores increased from 57 percent to 99 percent. (2007)

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