Applying a behavior change model proven to be effective in Child Care settings to licensed Food Establishments (50m Lecture)

Lincoln-Lancaster County’s Environmental Health Division’s Child Care Health Consultation Services protect the health of children; their families and our community by preventing communicable disease outbreaks that originate in child care settings. Many child care centers lacked adequate health and safety practices, especially those sites that serve low income or racial/ethnic minority families. The Child Care Health Consultant works with child care centers to improve staff training, create/update health and safety policies, and provide guidance on how to assure such policies are implemented. In addition, highly interactive mandatory health and safety trainings are offered, along with special topics such as: responding to emergencies, integrated pest management, outdoor classrooms, and bed bugs. Prior to implementing this strategy in 2002, we had an average of one major outbreak of illness in our community per year originating from child care. Since 2002, we have had zero (0). 

This presentation will introduce this model behavior change strategy used by LLCHD’s Child Care Health Consultation Services AND relate this strategy to food safety and food establishments. LLCHD was fortunate to have received an FDA Retail Food Safety grant, and we are now using this same behavior change model in lower performing food establishments to increase the implementation of Active Managerial Controls for the BIG 5 risk factors for foodborne illness. Lessons learned and results of the first full year of implantation of our Retail Food Safety Consultant model will be presented.

Note: As a special ROI, two resources will be provided. First, LLCHD’s Child Care Emergency Response Handbook, based on Snohomish Health District Child Care Health Program’s handbook, will be highlighted. The purpose of this handbook is to give child care personnel step-by-step procedures on how to respond to various emergency situations in the first 30 minutes. Second, the resources our Retail Food Safety Consultant is using in the field, including specific Active Managerial Control implementation strategies, will be highlighted.