During school closures for Covid-19, child care centers which remained open served children of essential workers. Upon limited reopening, a number of children in their care were school age, and others were pre-kindergarten age. Three of these centers in Taylor County expressed interest in continuing either gardening assistance or remote programming for those older children. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Assistant in Taylor County had actively enrolled groups in two of those centers at the time of closures. A plan was needed to assist centers to continue education to their students.

Two centers have had raised bed gardens for several years and requested assistance in continuing these gardens. The Nutrition Assistant supplied them with soil and seed with the Victory Garden toolkit. 

One center requested take home pots for students in July, so a 30 buckets with Victory Garden information, seeds, and gloves were compiled for them. They also asked to continue Literacy, Eating, and Activity for Preschool/Primary (LEAP) programming in August, so the book The Surprise Garden was loaned to them along with a class activity of planting seeds in pots for their garden. Ingredients for Bacon and Tomato Dip were provided through county funds for the teachers to prepare with their students. An additional LEAP activity was presented in September using the book Exercise, with accompanying activities and ingredients for Snack Mix were provided. This group will continue as an active enrolled group into the next programming year. 

An additional center that has just expanded to full capacity has requested remote LEAP activities to continue them into the next year. Plans are being made with them for fall activities. 

Newsletters provided by ChopChop Magazine, Kids Club Newsletters, have been provided to these child care centers through the summer to send home with families. The Nutrition Education Assistant continues to be available as a resource for teachers in these child care centers, even as they have school age students in their center for Non-Traditional Instruction as well as after school care for students returning to the classroom.