D. Developing A Wellness Plan

After completing the self-assessment, review your results, and identify your areas of success and improvement. After your review, think about those areas you would like to improve on. Using the plan, choose wellness policies from the different sections. The goal is to have a variety of policies to work on that enhance your day-to-day practices.

As you move forward with developing your wellness policies, use the following questions to guide your thinking:

• What am I currently doing and how is it being implemented?
• What do I want to work on?
• What resources do I currently have to help me reach my goal?
• Who will be included in making the changes?
• When would I like to complete my goal?

Remember, developing wellness policies doesn’t have to be hard. Develop and monitor your policies by:

• Starting small – think about what changes you can make immediately and those that will take more time. You don’t have to make changes all at once.

• Writing down action steps – What do you need to do in order to reach your goal? Make a plan and write down the steps you need to make.

• Including staff – having a team of individuals dedicated to help support your changes is important. Talk with your staff about the changes you plan to make and how.

• Identifying challenges – Is it working? Continue to monitor your progress and if little to none is being made, think about another goal you would like to reach and begin working on it. This process is ongoing, so you can revisit a goal and continue making changes.

Think about how to get families involved in the goal-setting process. Inviting and encouraging families to participate in the development and change process, gives them an opportunity to be involved in increasing the quality of care their child receives. Wellness policies can serve as a point of communication during orientation, improve relationships, provide an opportunity for nutrition and physical activity related activities and reinforce parent education. Be open and respectful, and consider all families’ values and priorities.