February 4, 2025

Family Resources Newsletter – February 2025

 

Dear CDA Families,

February is American Heart Month, a time to focus on our health and take steps to protect and strengthen our hearts. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. In San Diego County, heart disease continues to be the second leading cause of death. Heart health is important for everyone, and simple habits like staying active, eating nutritious meals, and managing stress can have a big impact over time. It’s also a great opportunity to teach children how to care for their bodies in fun and meaningful ways.

At the start of a new year, many of us set goals or resolutions to improve our well-being. If you’ve stayed on track, great! If not, don’t worry, it’s never too late to start again. Healthy habits don’t have to be perfect, and every small effort counts. This month is a chance to focus on progress, not perfection, and to make heart health a priority for yourself and your family.

 

Heart-Healthy Tips for the Whole Family

Here are some simple tips to help your family stay healthy and strong:

1. Get Moving Together

Aim for at least 30 minutes of movement each day.

Try fun activities like family walks, dance parties, or outdoor games.

2. Healthy Family Meals

Include more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins in your meals.

Reduce snacks and drinks high in sugar or salt.

3. Drink More Water

Replace sugary drinks with water and add fruit slices for extra flavor.

Encourage kids to make water their favorite beverage.

4. Take Time to Relax

Stress can affect heart health. Practice deep breathing, mindfulness, or yoga together as a family.

Unplug from screens and spend quality time with loved ones.

5. Get Regular Checkups

Visit your doctor to check blood pressure, cholesterol, and overall health.

6. Start Small, Stay Consistent

Focus on one or two small changes to get started, such as drinking more water or adding a short daily walk.

Small, consistent actions like these can lead to big improvements over time and help build lifelong healthy habits.

Heart health is something we can work on every day, and every step, big or small, counts. Whether you’re just starting or continuing your journey, it’s never too late to make healthy choices for yourself and your family. Let’s keep pushing forward to creating healthy habits that bring ongoing wellness and success into our lives.

Resources

1. Love Your Heart: February 10-14, 2025

Love your heart is an annual event in which organizations from across the U.S. and Mexico join together to provide FREE blood pressure screenings to the public on or near Valentine’s Day. The event brings together community partners to prevent heart disease and stroke and empowers the public to take control of their heart health, know their blood pressure numbers, and know what they mean.

Love Your Heart 2025 is taking place February 10-14! To learn more and find heart health tips and resources, click here.

2. American Heart Association
High Blood Pressure Tools and Resources

3. San Diego Parks and Recreation
Discover free or affordable outdoor activities for families, click here for more information.

4. Feeding San Diego
Access free food distributions with nutritious options for your family. Use their Find Food Map to locate programs near you.

5. 211 San Diego
Connect with health programs, screenings, and support services by dialing 2-1-1 or click here for more information.

6. YMCA Family Fitness Events
Participate in family-friendly fitness classes and programs. Check out your local YMCA or click here for more information.

Heart Healthy Recipe: Banana Oat Pancakes

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  • 1/4 cup milk (or plant-based milk)
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil or butter for cooking
  • Optional toppings: fresh fruit, a drizzle of honey, or a dollop of plain Greek yogurt

Instructions:

  1. In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth.
  2. Add the oats, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix until well combined. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
  3. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with olive oil or butter.
  4. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook for 2–3 minutes until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook for another 2–3 minutes until golden brown.
  5. Serve warm with your choice of toppings like fresh fruit, honey, or yogurt.

This recipe is fun, healthy, and perfect for breakfast or a snack.

Upcoming Workshops

We have FREE workshops all year round. Click the button below for more information and register today:

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We’re Here to Help

For individualized assistance with resources or referrals, please contact our Family Resources Team via the contact form on our workshops page:

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CDA Reimbursement Schedule
Family is authorized with a variable schedule

Variable schedules are reimbursed for the actual care hours provided that are within the hours authorized. The reimbursement will not exceed the amount billed by the provider or the full-time (FT) or part-time (PT) RMRC listed on the certificate for child care services. CDA will not reimburse for child absences, provider holiday or closure days on a variable schedule. If the full billed/invoiced amount is not paid, the parent is responsible for the difference directly to the provider.

Reimbursement of provider non-operation days/holidays

The number of reimbursable provider holidays and/or non-operation days is limited to a maximum of 10 days per fiscal year. Once these allowable limits are exceeded, reimbursement will be prorated for future closure days.

Reimbursement of registration fees, material fees, insurance fees

Fees for registration, material and/or insurance may be reimbursed if the current reimbursement amount does not exceed the Regional Market Rate Ceiling (RMRC). Reimbursement of these fees is limited to one (1) per child, per fiscal year and will be made in a single payment when requested on the child’s attendance record.

Note: For providers with programs that have multiple fees in one year or where it has been determined that the reimbursement amount exceeds the RMRC, the excess fees will be the responsibility of the parent.

License-Exempt Providers

When child care is authorized for a total of 25 or more hours per week the Full Time Weekly RMRC will be used. When child care is authorized for a total of less than 25 hours per week the Part Time RMRC will be used.

View the State’s RMRC by County See the full Program Guidelines

Congratulations! You may be eligible for CDA’s program.

Let’s get started:

We’re sorry, you may not be eligible for CDA’s program.

If you would like to receive a personal eligibility screening, please complete the form below:

We’re sorry, it appears you may have different need for child care services than those listed.

To receive a personal eligibility screening, please call us at: (619) 427-4411 ext. 1400