--- title: What You Need to Know About the NAA HEPA Standards for OST Programs description: High-quality after-school programs have evolved to support whole-child development, teaching students healthy behaviors that will carry on into adulthood. image: https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/veggies_800x400__800x400.jpeg --- # What You Need to Know About the NAA HEPA Standards for OST Programs September 28 - [Home](https://www.extendednotes.com/) - [Articles](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog) - What You Need to Know About the NAA HEPA Standards for OST Programs Share this Post [mailto:?subject=Sharing%20a%20blog%20post;body=Check%20out%20this%20ExtendED%20Notes%20blog%20post:%20https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/after-school-articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-naa-hepa-standards-for-ost-programs](mailto:?subject=Sharing%20a%20blog%20post;body=Check%20out%20this%20ExtendED%20Notes%20blog%20post:%20https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/after-school-articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-naa-hepa-standards-for-ost-programs) [Program Development ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/program-development) [Physical Activity ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/physical-activity) ![Veggies 800x400](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/veggies_800x400__800x400.jpeg) ## Healthy Eating Guidelines in OST Programs   High-quality after school programs do more than provide supervised care for students after the school day ends. They’ve evolved to also support whole-child development, including teaching students healthy behaviors that will carry on into adulthood. That’s why the National After-School Association (NAA) adopted the [standards for healthy eating and physical activity (HEPA)](https://indd.adobe.com/view/681ce31e-c7b2-4ab2-983d-d644ffb6b71d) for out-of-school time (OST) providers. Updated this year to HEPA 2.0, the standards provide practical, comprehensive guidelines for quality programs to promote healthy behaviors.   ## Why Providers Should Promote Healthy Behaviors in After School   As noted in the HEPA 2.0 report, healthy, active children learn better, perform better academically and experience fewer behavioral problems. But unfortunately, many children do not get the healthy food and physical activity they need each day.   According to the [CDC's physical activity facts](https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-education/data-research/facts-stats/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/facts.htm), children and youth ages 6-17 should have 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day, yet only 21% of them meet that requirement at least five days a week. And in terms of healthy eating, 6.5 million children lived in [food-insecure households](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/after-school-articles/how-to-use-urban-farming-to-improve-food-security) in 2017, meaning they lacked access to safe, nutritional food due to limited money and other resources.   Quality after school programs have a unique opportunity to bridge the gap and engage all students in physical activity and healthy eating. Many children spend up to 15 hours per week in after school programs, allowing providers ample time to create activities that teach healthy behaviors. In fact, parents expect it. According to the [“Kids on the Move”](http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM/Kids_on_the_Move.pdf) report, 71% of parents surveyed agreed that after school programs should provide healthy beverages, snacks and/or meals, while 8 in 10 agreed that programs should help children be physically active.   By adopting the NAA HEPA Standards, program providers can meet parents’ expectations and, more importantly, play a major role in helping students grow up healthy.   ## How to Use the HEPA Standards in After School Programs   The HEPA Standards is a research-based framework that provides the steps you need to take to create a healthy after school program. And while the standards won’t apply to all programs, program leaders and providers can use them as a guide to help students to make healthy choices.   - **Set clear, individualized, achievable goals.** For example, you may want to provide at least 15 minutes of physical activity each day. That may include schedule changes, new equipment and/or staff training. No matter the goals, create a plan of action and identify the resources you need to meet program needs. - **Connect to community resources**. Use federal nutrition programs, like the [Child and Adult Care Food Program](https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp) to increase access to nutritious meals and snacks. You can also use existing school and community facilities and equipment to save money on physical activity. - **Support program staff.** Ensure your staff is comfortable, as well as properly trained to engage in nutrition education and developmentally appropriate physical activity with students. - **Involve families.** Parents can serve as both allies and advocates. They can help reinforce healthy habits by providing nutritious meals and opportunities for physical activity at home. And as advocates, they can use their voice and efforts to ensure all students have access to healthy food and physical activity in after school. - **Integrate physical activity and nutrition into program activities and approaches.** Connect nutrition education and physical activity to other programming, like STEM, homework and creative arts. - **Plan your celebration.** As you execute your action plan throughout the year, keep staff and parents updated on the progress, and celebrate the milestones. ## Creating a Healthy After School Program is an Ongoing Process   Continuous evaluation and improvement is needed to effectively meet the HEPA Standards and create a healthy program, and this self-assessment tool can help. The [HEPA Standards 2.0 Assessment Tool](https://naaweb.org/news/news.asp?id=662716) is designed for providers to assess their areas of strengths and improvement and create a plan for making necessary adjustments. Review the [standards](https://indd.adobe.com/view/681ce31e-c7b2-4ab2-983d-d644ffb6b71d), create an action plan and use the assessment tool to help improve the health and wellness of the students in your program. #### Article Categories ![afterschool advocacy icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/afterschool%20advocacy%20icon.svg) After School Advocacy ![bullying safety icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/bullying%20safety%20icon.svg) Bullying and Safety ![leadership icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/leadership%20icon.svg) Leadership & Professional Development ![parental engagement icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/parental%20engagement%20icon.svg) Parental Engagement ![physical activity icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/physical%20activity%20icon.svg) Physical Activity ![program development icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/program%20development%20icon.svg) Program Development ![social emotional learning icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/social%20emotional%20learning%20icon.svg) Social-Emotional Learning ![stem icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/stem%20icon.svg) STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) ![teaching strategies icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/teaching%20strategies%20icon.svg) Teaching Strategies ![extended notes fb page banner](https://www.extendednotes.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/extended%20notes%20fb%20page%20banner.png?width=342&height=130&name=extended%20notes%20fb%20page%20banner.png) [Follow Page ](https://www.facebook.com/385747254841303?ref=embed_page) ![ExtendedNotes_Logo_Knowledge Base-01](https://www.extendednotes.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ExtendedNotes_Logo_Knowledge%20Base-01.jpg?width=300&height=300&name=ExtendedNotes_Logo_Knowledge%20Base-01.jpg) ExtendED Notes 974 followers Connect with us to get the latest Articles & Insights. ## Related Articles ![related post image](https://www.extendednotes.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/4_things_you_should_know_about_program_quality_improvement__800x400.jpg?width=352&name=4_things_you_should_know_about_program_quality_improvement__800x400.jpg) #### 4 Things You Should Know About Program Quality Improvement Continuous quality improvement is essential to running a high-quality afterschool program. [Program Development ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/program-development) [Leadership & Professional Development ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/leadership-professional-development) ![related post image](https://www.extendednotes.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/after_schools_program_help_to_prevent_childhood_obesity-2__800x400.jpg?width=352&name=after_schools_program_help_to_prevent_childhood_obesity-2__800x400.jpg) #### After School Programs Help Prevent Childhood Obesity Afterschool programs to help prevent childhood obesity. [After School Advocacy ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/after-school-advocacy) [Physical Activity ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/physical-activity) ![keep students busy in october post image](https://www.extendednotes.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_100044389__800x400-1.jpg?width=352&name=shutterstock_100044389__800x400-1.jpg) #### 10 Activity Ideas to Keep Students Busy in October Read to learn about keeping students active and busy when the holiday season starts in October. [Seasonal Activities ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/seasonal-activities) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "ExtendEDNotes", "url" : "https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/author/extendednotes" }, "dateModified" : "2025-04-17T15:34:51.780Z", "datePublished" : "2018-09-28T04:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "What You Need to Know About the NAA HEPA Standards for OST Programs", "image" : [ "https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/veggies_800x400__800x400.jpeg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/after-school-articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-naa-hepa-standards-for-ost-programs", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/KELC/Branding/KELC%20Logos/extended%20notes%20logo%20vector.svg" }, "name" : "Kaplan Early Learning Company" } } ```