CLOCC NEWS - December 12, 2016
CLOCC News
Healthy Local Foods Incentive Fund Clears House and Senate

Thanks in part to local public health advocates, including CLOCC partners, who made their voices heard by contacting legislators and submitting witness slips, the Healthy Local Foods Incentive Fund advanced without opposition through the Illinois House and Senate the week of November 28. The legislation (now listed as SB 1367) awaits approval by Governor Rauner. 

The act requires the Department of Human Services to establish a Healthy Local Food Incentives Program which will double the SNAP purchasing power of Illinois residents who currently have limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The latest iteration of the bill stipulates an annual grant of $500,000, which will be distributed to participating Illinois farmers' markets and facilitated by a qualified NPO. The full amount of the fund will be specified for the purpose of providing matching dollar incentives. The managing organization will also need to provide progress reports back to the State for further evaluation. 

You can learn more about the progress of this bill by visiting the website of the General Assembly


Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill Not Happening This Year

Via the Food Research Action Center (FRAC)

Senate leaders stated late last week, as Congress heads for adjournment, that the Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill officially will not be happening this year. 

While the Senate and House Committee versions of the bill have been public for the majority of 2016, finding agreement between the two very different bills proved to be too difficult to accomplish. Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) of the Senate Agriculture Committee stated that "[i]t is unfortunate that certain parochial interests and the desire for issues rather than solutions were put ahead of the well-being of vulnerable and at-risk populations and the need for reform."  Read the full update.


Show Us How Chicago Works!

Share Your Childhood Obesity Prevention Work Via the 2016 CLOCC Blueprint Survey

Please take advantage of this once-a-year opportunity to highlight your organization's childhood obesity prevention work as we move to measure our collective progress relative to the objectives in CLOCC's Blueprint for Accelerating Progress in Childhood Obesity Prevention in Chicago.
 
We are interested in ALL activity related to this work, including - but not limited to - programs, research and direct service. We will also frame our progress in the context of the health and obesity prevention strategies laid out in Healthy Chicago 2.0 .  
 
The Blueprint identifies goals and recommendations for action in six focus areas:
  • Food and Beverage Access
  • Physical Activity and the Built Environment
  • Schools
  • Early Childhood
  • Business Sector and Industry Practices
  • Health Promotion and Public Education.
The Blueprint is meant to be a guide for childhood obesity prevention work in Chicago with the idea that all of our collective work as a consortium will help to address these goals. The annual survey  helps track and report Chicago's progress.
 
The survey will close in January. We know these surveys require your valuable time and effort and we thank you in advance for your participation!
 


Childhood Obesity in the News   
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CLOCC Focus Areas

Food and Beverage 

Physical Activity 

Early Childhood
Health Education 

Research and Evaluation 

Schools
Policy and Advocacy 

About CLOCC

The Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) is a nationally recognized leader for community-based obesity prevention. We support, coordinate, and unite partners to promote healthy and active lifestyles for children and families. Our multi-sector approach emerged in Chicago and can be adapted for use anywhere.

 

225 E. Chicago Ave., Box 157

Chicago, IL 60611

312-227-7100

www.clocc.net
info@clocc.net
 


Congratulations to Rob Castaneda (right), Executive Director of Beyond the Ball and 2016 recipient of CLOCC's Katherine Kaufer Christoffel Founder's Award. Rob accepted the honor from CLOCC Executive Director Adam Becker, PhD, at the Consortium's Quarterly Meeting on December 7th.  
Funding and Recognition Opportunities

The American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are working to create a culture of health through Voices for Healthy Kids.  The goal of the grant opportunities within this initiative is to make effective strategic investments
in ongoing state, local, and tribal public policy issue campaigns in order to increase public policy impact on healthy weight and living among children. Voices for Healthy Kids is focusing efforts in schools, community, and out-of-school time/early care and education. Applications should support at least one Voices for Healthy Kids Policy Lever. This Strategic Campaign Funds Open RFA opportunity aims to fund strategic issue advocacy campaigns focused on helping kids grow up at a healthy weight through state, local, and tribal public policy campaigns. The duration of these grants will vary but will generally be one year or less. Awards of up to $90,000 are available. Applications must be specific to an individual campaign focused on changing public policy in one state, local, or tribal geographic location and must align with one of the Voices for Healthy Kids policy priorities . Click here to learn more The deadline for application submission is Thursday, December 15, 2016.