• By becoming a Certified Healthy recipient, you will receive recognition as an early childhood program that goes “above and beyond” to create a healthy, nurturing environment.
• Your staff will benefit. Healthier employees are proven to be more productive employees, and they have a direct impact on a program’s success.
• Certified Healthy Early Childhood Programs have the opportunity to provide an environment that encourages healthier children, families, and staff.
• Certified Healthy Early Childhood Program award recipients are invited to professional development opportunities to grow in their wellness efforts.  
• Investing in wellness will enhance your program’s image in the community and add credibility to your early childhood program.
• Certified Healthy Early Childhood Programs are able to utilize their wellness achievements and certification as a recruitment and retention strategy for current and future clients.
  
  Certified Healthy Early Childhood 2021 Map

Early childhood programs of all types and sizes are encouraged to apply to become a Certified Healthy Early Childhood Program. We encourage diversity of applicants, and we hope you will apply, regardless of your program structure or composition. Early Childhood Programs will be certified in the following categories based on type of program:

• Child Care Center

• Part-Day Program

• Out-of-School-Time Program 

• Summer Day Camp

• Head Start (Tribal or Other)

• Early Head Start (Tribal or Other)

• Family Child Care Home: Small (1-7 children) or Large (8-12 children) 

• Drop-in Child Care Program

Smokefree/Tobacco-free

• As a reminder, a Smoke-Free (prohibiting the use of smoking) policy is required for Basic, Smoke-Free indoor and outdoor for Merit, and a tobacco-free policy, submitted with the application, is required for Excellence. Tobacco-Free (prohibiting the use of all tobacco and vapor products) policy must include covering All Products, and your smoke-free policy should prohibit use of any products including commercial tobacco products as well as vapes and e-cigarettes. Your policy may also prohibit smoking marijuana if you wish. 
  • All People: Your smoke-free policy should be applicable to anyone who may be on the property including employees, students, volunteers, guests, residents, and others as needed.
  • All Property: Your smoke-free policy should prohibit use on any of your property, indoor and outdoor, whether owned or leased and should include organization owned or leased vehicles.
  • All Times: Your smoke-free policy should prohibit use 24/7 so there is no exception allowing smoking or other tobacco use at specific times. 
• All policies must be submitted at the time of application submission. All policies must include the name of their organization, be codified, signed, and/or show proof it is part of the agency handbook. No handwritten, signage, video, or screen shot of a sample policy found online will be accepted for Excellence Certification. For assistance with developing or edit a tobacco policy please visit Breathe Easy or e-mail OnlyAir@health.ok.gov.
• Note: The OSDH acknowledges the traditional and sacred use of tobacco among American Indian people living in Oklahoma. Whenever the word tobacco is referenced it refers to the use of commercial tobacco.

Oklahoma Department of Human Services Licensure

The program must be licensed by OKDHS to be eligible to apply for Certified Healthy OR be exempt from licensure.

EXEMPTIONS: Care provided in a child’s own home or by relatives, informal arrangements for the occasional care of children, programs in which children attend on a drop-in basis and parents are on the premises and readily accessible, single activity programs, and programs operating for 15 hours or less per week (OKDHS)

Applicants select activities and policies that are currently offered by their early childhood program in each of seven criteria categories: (1) Nutrition; (2) Physical Activity; (3) Health Promotion; (4) Safe and Healthy Environment; (5) Community and Family Involvement; (6) Professional Development; (7) Staff Health. There are 62 total criteria, including some multiple option criteria (i.e., check all that apply), and a total of seven criteria with a possible N/A response, dependent upon program situation.

Early childhood programs are scored according to type of program, and each criterion selected is worth one point. Certification status is assigned according to the percentage of criteria selected by the applicant in EACH category. 

• As a reminder, a Smoke-Free (prohibiting the use of smoking) policy is required for Basic, Smoke-Free indoor and outdoor for Merit, and a tobacco-free policy, submitted with the application, is required for Excellence. Tobacco-Free (prohibiting the use of all tobacco and vapor products) policy must include covering All Products, and your smoke-free policy should prohibit use of any products including commercial tobacco products as well as vapes and e-cigarettes. Your policy may also prohibit smoking marijuana if you wish. 
  • All People: Your smoke-free policy should be applicable to anyone who may be on the property including employees, students, volunteers, guests, residents, and others as needed.
  • All Property: Your smoke-free policy should prohibit use on any of your property, indoor and outdoor, whether owned or leased and should include organization owned or leased vehicles.
  • All Times: Your smoke-free policy should prohibit use 24/7 so there is no exception allowing smoking or other tobacco use at specific times. 
• All policies must be submitted at the time of application submission. All policies must include the name of their organization, be codified, signed, and/or show proof it is part of the agency handbook. No handwritten, signage, video, or screen shot of a sample policy found online will be accepted for Excellence Certification. For assistance with developing or edit a tobacco policy please visit Breathe Easy or e-mail OnlyAir@health.ok.gov.

Program Classification

• Part-Day Program
  
  • Basic: 35%
  • Merit: 50%
  • Excellence: 65%
• Out-of-School-Time Program
  
  • Basic: 35%
  • Merit: 50%
  • Excellence: 65%
• Summer Day Camp
  
  • Basic: 35%
  • Merit: 50%
  • Excellence: 65%
• Drop-in Childcare Programs
  • Basic: 35%
  • Merit: 50%
  • Excellence: 65%
• Family Child Care Home
  • Basic: 40%
  • Merit: 55%
  • Excellence: 70%
• Head Start (Tribal or Other)
  • Basic: 50%
  • Merit: 65%
  • Excellence: 80%
• Early Head Start (Tribal or Other)
  • Basic: 50%
  • Merit: 65%
  • Excellence: 80%
• Child Care Center
  
  • Basic: 50%
  • Merit: 65%
  • Excellence: 80%

The Oklahoma State Department of Health Certified Healthy Oklahoma Team provides assistance and consultation regarding wellness to any Oklahoma business, health department, state or community agency, organization, association, or coalition. We can provide the following services:

• Sample policies related to physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco

• Resources on how to begin or enhance a wellness program, including the adoption of policies related to physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco

• Content expertise and information regarding best practices.

• Information and technical assistance – trends, data, and best practices

• Training, materials, and toolkits

• Data related to physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco

• Best practices being implemented and/or suggested by the State of Oklahoma

• Information or technical assistance regarding the Certified Healthy process

Helpful Documents

• Example of Application
  
• Resource Guide
• Fact Sheet
• At Home Childcare Policy
• At-Home Childcare Tobacco, Smoke and Vape-Free Policy
• Breathe Easy