10 Attributes Checklist

Early childhood programs can adopt these 10 attributes to determine strengths, find areas for improvement, and implement organizational health literacy.

A health literate early childhood program:

  1. Has leaders who make health literacy central to the program’s mission, structure, and operations
  2. Integrates health literacy into planning, evaluation measures, safety precautions, and quality improvement
  3. Prepares program staff to be health literate, and checks their progress
  4. Includes populations it serves in the design, implementation, and evaluation of health information and services
  5. Meets the needs of people who have a range of health literacy skills
  6. Uses health literacy strategies in communications and confirms understanding by seeking feedback
  7. Offers easy access to health information and services
  8. Designs and distributes print, audiovisual, and social media content that is easy to understand and act on
  9. Addresses health literacy in high-risk situations
  10. Clearly communicates the health services that the program offers and what families have to do to participate