Our Commitment to Equity
After centuries of inequitable investments in child health and education, we can and must do better. AFHK is dedicated to alleviating health disparities through equitable, culturally responsive interventions to empower families and schools. Through policies, practices, programming and leveraging the AFHK District Equity Index, we are dedicated to equitable distribution of power and resources in underserved and under-resourced communities.
Why does this matter?
Today’s children face an unprecedented set of challenges to their physical, mental, social, and emotional health and well-being. Lack of access to health care, food insecurities, anxiety and trauma disproportionately affect students of color, indigenous populations, and those in high-need communities. Many of these adversities stem from systematic racism and social injustice. COVID-19 has further compacted stressors in these marginalized communities.
Our Goals & Strategies
As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and look to a healthier future and better world for kids, we are setting out a new and ambitious agenda to finally bring our unjust child health and education systems to an improved, more equitable state. Our key objectives include:
- Deepen impact and partnerships with 50 of the nation’s most under-resourced districts and schools to improve nutrition, physical activity, and/or social-emotional health policies which integrate family engagement best practices.
- Leverage parents and families through enhanced family-school partnership programming in 500 underserved schools to combat the effects of health and educational inequities through comprehensive programming and healthy practices.
- Facilitate positive child dietary behaviors, strengthen physical activity, and enhance social-emotional learning to decrease disparities in health outcomes for at least 8 million students in underserved communities.
Using several research-proven strategies to support these objectives, our ultimate goal is to ensure all kids are safe, healthy, engaged, supported, and challenged.
Our Internal Commitment to Equity
Not only do we believe in equity and justice for kids and communities, but we also turn that lens inward at Action for Healthy Kids to make sure our staff and Board are committed to inclusivity and anti-bias work. Learn more about our core values and our internal diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.