Blog

Local residents have stepped up to install more than 300 lawn signs as part of the drive2Bbetter campaign, which aims to make our community’s roads safer for all users. The signs remind drivers of three simple driving habits to protect road users: slow, scan and space. Slowing down, scanning for...

Healthi Kids was excited to read the draft Rochester 2034 Comprehensive Plan, which will set the city's strategic vision and goals for the future. This important plan will affect kids and families across our city. Learn more.

During its 4th annual PlayROCs Your Neighborhood event on July 13, 2019, Healthi Kids teamed up with 55 neighborhood partners to repurpose, reclaim and restore play to public spaces.

The Healthi Kids Coalition, with input from the Greater Rochester Parent Leadership Training Institute Alumni, created a 2019 questionnaire around our advocacy agenda for Whole Child Health.  Each candidate for Rochester City Council and School Board was given an opportunity to respond. 

For the last three years, children, families and neighborhood organizers have rallied together throughout the City of Rochester to raise awareness for safe and accessible play spaces for every child, in every neighborhood. Our city wide coordinated play day PlayROCs your Neighborhood has brought tog...

Do you bike, walk, run, use a wheelchair, scooter, or skateboard or take the bus? Those are examples of active transportation. About 120 people took part in discussions of active transportation during the Active Transportation Summit May 23rd at the Rochester Riverside Hotel. The goal of the...

The Cameron Community Ministries after school program hosts seventh annual peace walk through Lyell/Otis Neighborhood.

Are you a parent or caregiver of a child ages 0-5? Do you work with our youngest kids? Are you an administrator of an early childhood program? The New York State Council on Children and Families wants to hear from you! The Council is in the process of conducting a statewide needs assessment of th...

  It's great news for after school and students across New York State! This year the Advantage statewide funding stream for after school has increased from $1375 per student to $2000 per student! This is a huge win for providers and kids across the state as additional dollars will go towards...

  Join us at the 7th Annual Cameron Community Ministries Peace Walk Every child has the right to a safe place to play in their neighborhood. Data from the Healthi Kids Coalition demonstrates that one of the top barriers to play is neighborhood safety. As kids at Cameron Community Ministrie...

  Join us on Saturday, May 11th, as we take over Court Street for a FREE PLAY DAY! We'll be providing interactive opportunities for kids and families across the City of Rochester.  To learn more please reach out to Joe at 224-3127.  

In 2018, Healthi Kids expanded our focus to encompass whole child health. Learn more in our Year in Review infographic.

We are promoting complete streets to improve safety for all road users. 

In New York State, 37 percent of children under the age of 18 live in immigrant families. That’s more than 1.54 million children across the state that come to the United States with their families or have at least one parent who was born outside of the country. There’s been a lot of chatter r...

At the end of March the New York State Assembly finalized the 2018-19 annual budget. The $168.3 billion state budget covers spending in a variety of areas including health, education and aid to localities. So how does this year’s state budget affect kids across the state? After tireless advoc...

You might have been hearing about the Farm Bill through social media or in the news. Maybe something about “food stamps” or “SNAP,” and a vote in Congress. There’s talk of major changes and millions of people losing access to food. So what is going on? And what is the Farm Bill anyways? The histo...

Last month the President signed into law the 2018 federal omnibus appropriations bill. The bill authorizes smaller spending bills into one larger bill that requires one set of votes in each house. The $1.3 trillion law covers government spending on everything from science, arts, and military to chil...

A new data brief from the Healthi Kids team shows that place matters for bicyclists and pedestrians. It notes that residents from some neighborhoods are more likely to be struck by a car while walking or biking than residents from other neighborhoods. It also notes that car crash locations are clust...

The Healthi Kids Coalition supports the current school food standards in the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, the coalition wrote to USDA’s Division of the Food and Nutrition Service. A work group of local food leaders drafted the letter. It responds to proposed changes to school food rules for...

Healthi Kids’ focus on children’s health is growing broader. That growth is due to its partnership with the Greater Rochester Health Foundation.​​​​​​​ Healthi Kids is an initiative of Common Ground Health with funding from the Health Foundation. It has focused on children reaching a healthy...

Low-income neighborhoods have many forces preventing progress. They still bear the scars of discrimination based on race and class. Conscious and unconscious biases perpetuate their differences. And they lack chances to be healthy, economic successful and spiritually well. Communities without...

Healthy event raised funds through exercise Kids enjoy a game at the School 53 Walkathon Nov. 17. Kudos to Montessori School No. 53 for choosing a healthy fundraiser. The PTA at School 53 hosted its annual walkathon Nov 17. During the event, students walked, danced, stretched, jumped...

Put the brakes on speeding cars Residents spoke to Rochester City Council Oct. 17 about speeding cars. From left, are Jackie Graham, FLRT Block Club; Renee Stetzer, Reconnect Rochester; Hasana Martin, Beechwood Neighbors Association; Evan Lowenstein, Neighborhood of the Arts Neighborhoo...

ROCHESTER, N.Y., September 28, 2017 – More than 100 children, volunteers, partners and community organizers joined the Healthi Kids Coalition last night to celebrate its successful PlayROCs initiative, dedicated to making Rochester a more playful city. The celebration, hosted at the Strong Mu...

Healthi Kids and Parent Leadership Training Institute Alumni Share Results of Candidate Questionnaires for Upcoming City of Rochester Primary Elections Questions focused on children’s health and wellbeing issues ROCHESTER, N.Y., September 5, 2017 – With primary elections in Rochester sched...

Having a Healthy School Year from Start to Finish Tips for parents on how to kick off a healthy school year Now your child is ready to have an awesome school year and they have everything they need to be successful, right? Not so fast!  Yes, those items are necessary and useful tools f...

Zagster Comes to Rochester At the end of last month, the City of Rochester opened its bike sharing program to the public! Through a partnership with the company Zagster, 340 bikes will be available at 46 stations in the City around the downtown area. The program will give residents a he...

Healthi Kids' Change Agenda Healthi Kids, which was created in 2007, stands for "Healthy Eating and Active Living Through policy and practice Initiatives for Kids." Back in 2008, our Healthi Kids Policy Team, a group of community leaders brought together by Common Ground Health, created...

Can a Corner Store Be Healthy? In Rochester, kids often snack on chips and soda instead of healthy options like fresh fruits. For decades, studies have shown that most Americans are eating too few healthy fruits and vegetables, and too many sugary beverages like soda. This has led to an epide...