Early Childhood

Healthy Communities of the Capital Area (HCCA) works closely with preschools and Head Start programs on physical activity, nutrition, tobacco, and Worksite Wellness initiatives. Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation (SKCDC) is the Head Start provider for our Local Service Area (LSA).

Some successful initiatives that HCCA has collaborated with SKCDC include:

Starting Young in Maine

Starting Young in Maine is an initiative to prevent overweight in the Head Start setting.

  • The Maine Center for Public Health has partnered with Healthy Maine Partnerships to look at ways to increase physical activity and improve nutrition in young children and their families.
  • Surveys were conducted with staff and parents at four SKCDC Head Start sites to determine opportunities for increased physical activity and improved nutrition in an effort to prevent childhood obesity.
  • Each site was awarded a $250.00 mini-grant to help implement interventions to improve physical activity and nutrition based upon survey findings.

Healthy Moms Healthy Babies Healthy Families

The original Healthy Moms Healthy Babies work group began work in 2002 with a goal to decrease the rate of tobacco use among pregnant women.

Representatives from Dartmouth Family Residency Program, WIC, American Lung Association of Maine, KVCAP, SKCDC, Family Planning, Families First, and others work with HCCA to disseminate "Every Mother's Wish" films and materials developed by the Partnership for a Tobacco-Free Maine (PTM). These materials are currently being revised.

It became clear that tobacco use is a family-wide issue. We added Healthy Families and created a family-focused project with SKCDC and other early childhood services providers.

  • Head Start families helped develop two well-received messages, "Another Way to be a Good Role Model" and "What Would You Do with $4,400?". Call 207-588-5012 for samples and more information.
  • HCCA also conducts presentations and provides resources to staff members of Head Start, WIC, Kennebec Families First, Parents as Teachers, CDS of Southern Kennebec County, KVCAP, the Children's Center, and others. HCCA provides them information about their role in helping reduce the cost in both money and negative impacts from tobacco.

For more information, contact Joanne Joy at HCCA, 207-588-5012.


Our local service area includes: Augusta, Chelsea, Farmingdale, Fayette, Gardiner, Hallowell, Litchfield, Manchester, Monmouth, Mount Vernon, Pittston, Randolph, Readfield, Richmond, Vienna, Wayne, West Gardiner, Windsor, Winthrop.

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