Child Health Advisory Committee Arkansas Department of Health

Child Health Advisory Committee

ACT 1220 of 2003 created the Child Health Advisory Committee to address childhood obesity and develop statewide nutrition and physical activity standards. Act 719 of 2007 amended ACT 1220 of 2003 to add additional members and duties of the committee. The Committee meets monthly and will make policy recommendations to the State Board of Education and the State Board of Health.

There are 20 organizations with one representative each on the CHAC. The appointments are made by the Secretary of Health at the Arkansas Department of Health and the Commissioner of Education at the Arkansas Department of Education.

Arkansas Department of Health:

Arkansas Department of Health
Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly Arkansas Dietetic Association)
Arkansas Academy of Pediatrics
Arkansas Academy of Family Practice
Arkansas SHAPE (formerly Arkansas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance)
.Arkansas Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and the American Lung Association (joint representation)
Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension
Office of Health Equity and HIV Elimination of the Arkansas Department of Health (formerly Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities)

Arkansas Department of Education:

Department of Education
Arkansas School Nutrition Association (formerly Arkansas School Food Service Association)
Arkansas School Nurses Association
Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators
Arkansas Parent Teacher Association
Arkansas School Boards Association
Arkansas Association of School Business Officials
Arkansas ASCD (formerly Arkansas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)
A classroom teacher

Major tasks mandated to schools by the Acts include:

Removing elementary in-school student access to vending machines offering food and beverages.
Requiring schools to include as part of the annual report to parents and the community the amounts and sources of funds received from competitive food and beverage contracts.
Requiring schools to include as part of each student's health report to parents an annual body mass index (BMI) percentile.
Requiring schools to annually provide parents an explanation of the possible health effects of body mass index, nutrition, and physical activity.

Major tasks mandated to the CHAC by the Acts include:

Developing recommendations to ensure that nutrition and physical activity standards are implemented to provide students with the skills, opportunities, and encouragement to adopt healthy lifestyles.
Examining the progress of the Arkansas Coordinated School Health Program and making recommendations to ADE and ADH concerning the implementation of the Arkansas Coordinated School Health Program.
Consult on nutrition and physical activity rules promulgated by the Arkansas State Board of Education to ensure that nutrition and physical activity standards are implemented to provide students with the skills, opportunities, and encouragement to adopt healthy lifestyles.

The Arkansas Department of Health and the Arkansas Department of Education in partnership with the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI) have developed a statewide plan to assist schools in the implementation and reporting of the Body Mass Index to parents.

At the Arkansas Department of Health, the Act 1220 Coordinator(s) work with the 1,102 schools in the 288 districts to ensure school health-related mandates are met and to provide support and professional development to schools’ staff on wellness committee development, physical activity, physical education, nutrition, mental health, hydration, built environment, grant writing, tobacco, and electronic nicotine delivery systems use prevention, BMI data, and much more. Community Health Promotion Specialist and Community Health Nurse Specialist also aid in these efforts while providing additional training in injury prevention, chronic disease management, health education, prescription drug abuse, and much more.

Resources for Schools Nurses: