Child Health Advisory Committee Arkansas Department of Health

Child Health Advisory Committee

Act 1220 of 2003 created the Child Health Advisory Committee (CHAC) to work on creating standards to improve school nutrition and lower childhood obesity. Act 719 of 2007 amended ACT 1220 of 2003 to add additional members and duties of the committee. The CHAC meets monthly and serves as a resource to legislators interested in a policy that impacts child health; helps create a yearly report on the changes in-school nutrition and physical education standards to the co-chairs of the House and Senate Interim Committees on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor. 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 Secretary of the Department 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.BoozmanCollege 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.

Additional 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 SchoolHealth 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, Arkansas Department of Education, and the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI) have developed a statewide plan to help schools with the Body Mass Index program. For more information regarding the BMI Project see School Health and Wellness or contact the State School Health and Wellness Coordinator(s).

Arkansas Department of Health, State School Health & Wellness Coordinator: Shanetta Agnew, (501) 280-4889.

Division of Education and Secondary Education, State School Health and Wellness Coordinator: Shy Whitley, (501) 683-3604.

Resources for Schools Nurses:

Resources for Wellness Committees:

CHAC Information: