Fit Kids

The Fit Kids program, is a collaboration between Western Connecticut Health Network, the Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut and Family & Children’s Aid.

Fit Kids is a 10-week multidisciplinary program designed to support parents who are concerned about their child’s weight as they work towards a healthier lifestyle. Through physical education, nutrition and behavior support, the families will receive the expertise they need to begin their journey.

The program is held on Tuesdays at 5:15 pm at Family & Children's Aid on West St in Danbury. A referral from a pediatrician, school nurse or other medical provider is required. At least one parent must attend the sessions with the child.

Go! 5, 2, 1, 0

Let’s Go! is a nationally recognized childhood obesity prevention program. Our goal is to increase physical activity and healthy eating for children from birth to age 18 through policy and environmental change. Let’s Go! works in six settings to reach families where they live, learn, work, and play to reinforce the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.

Let’s Go! helps participating programs to:

• Reflect on their nutrition and physical activity environments and make changes to support healthy behaviors in kids.
• Increase healthy eating in kids by providing appropriate foods and beverages, and role modeling healthy eating behaviors.
• Increase opportunities for physical activity.
• Reach out to parents to promote healthy behaviors at home.
• Promote the 5-2-1-0 message.

Youth Triathlon Training Program

( Ages 6-12 )

Race 4 Chase is named for Chase Kowalski, an amazing little boy from Newtown, who loved to run. Race 4 Chase strives to empower kids to reach their full potential.

Registration is for children ages 6 years old to 12 years old (Must be 12 through December 31, 2019. Child will not be eligible if they turned 13 before or during program.) wishing to participate in the Race 4 Chase Triathlon Program. This program provides youth with a fun, skill building, and life-changing experience by introducing them to the sport of triathlon.

Students Can Run And Move

( Grades K-5)

In an effort to reverse the rising local childhood obesity rates, the Regional Y operates the SCRAM (Students Can Run and Move) afterschool fitness/nutrition program to get at-risk, low-income Danbury elementary school students (grades K-5) moving and to educate them and their families about good nutrition and the importance of exercise.

SCRAM was the vision and plan developed by the Coalition for Healthy Kids, a Danbury based Coalition.

SCRAM runs from October to May in conjunction with the Danbury Public Schools' after-school, Extended Learning Program (ELP). SCRAM features a daily healthy snack, weekly nutrition lessons, and 45 minutes of daily physical activities. At the end of the 26 weeks, students show improved physical fitness test scores, are more knowledgeable about good nutrition and increase their fruit and vegetable consumption. SCRAM is proven to help overweight children stabilize and even improve their BMI levels, and through quality physical activity programming.  Through an effective parent education component, SCRAM helps families reinforce healthy behaviors at home. SCRAM has been recognized by the CDC as an effective health strategy. A 4 to 6 week summer variation is also offered at up to four Danbury Public School summer school sites.

During the spring and summer months, students involved in SCRAM experience hands-on nutrition projects and activities including tending to a raised bed gardens, preparing and tasting a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and taking walking field trips to the Farmer's Market located at Kennedy Park in Danbury, CT.

Children and families are taught the Let's Go health message of "5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, 2 or less hours of recreational screen time, 1 hour of play every day and 0 intakes of sugar sweetened beverages." Program outcomes include improved weight status and fitness levels, increased fruit and vegetable consumption, decreased sugar sweetened beverage intake, and decreased time spent in recreational screen time and more time playing.

Since 2010, the program has reached more than 2500 children and families.

The Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of the SCRAM Program:

• Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation 2015-2016
• CDC- ACHIEVE- Action Communities for Health Innovation and Environmental Change 2011, 2012
• Communities Putting Prevention to Work 2010
• Danbury Public Schools 2012 - 2015
• General Mills 2014 - 2015
• Goodrich-UTC Aerospace Systems 2010 - 2015
• Meserve Foundation 2012 - 2015
• Peggy Zamore- individual sponsor 2015
• State Farm of Danbury 2014 and 2015
• Trust for Public Land 2013
• Union Savings Bank- 2012, 2014, 2016
• United Way of Western Connecticut through Strong Heart Healthy Children 2011 - 2016
• Whole Foods Foundation 2014

Volunteer Capacity:

• Western Connecticut State University Health Promotion Program
• Danbury Garden Club
• UCONN Extension service- Danbury Master Gardeners
• Regional YMCA employees for summer Farmer's Market Program