Healthy Starts for Infants and Toddlers is an innovative project to improve outdoor spaces for infants and toddlers, birth to 35 months, in 12 childcare centers in Wake and Orange counties, North Carolina.

Using the Preventing Obesity by Design (POD) strategy, NLI applies evidence-based design assistance and professional development to deliver high-quality, developmentally appropriate, outdoor learning environments. Best practices encourage infants and toddlers’ active living, healthy eating, and outdoor learning.

The initiative is supported by NC DHHS: Division of Child Development and Early Education, delivered through Shape NC, a long-term program hosted by the NC Partnership for Children (Smart Start).