Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life Movement Receives $50,000 from PNC Foundation for Early Childhood Wellness


ATLANTA (June 7, 2017) – Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has received a $50,000 grant from the PNC Foundation to fund the printing and distribution of more than 50,000 children’s books to pediatricians across Atlanta. Children’s began supplying the books to parents and healthcare centers throughout metro Atlanta in May 2017.

The bilingual “Baby Love” board book is an extension of the Children’s Strong4Life early feeding program. Designed to help providers share evidence-based early feeding and parenting practices for the development of healthy eating habits from birth to age 3, the program is part of the larger Strong4Life movement.

“PNC’s support of Strong4Life and Children’s reflects our shared focus on providing access to quality educational resources to help improve the lives of Georgia’s children,” said Eddie Meyers, Regional President for PNC–Georgia and a Children’s Board of Trustees Member. “This funding has the potential to positively impact all the influencers in a child’s life, from doctors and parents to siblings and educators, which makes Children’s an invaluable partner.”

The “Baby Love” board books were created to support the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations on early feeding practices and the importance of establishing healthy eating habits early in life. Strong4Life-trained providers give the books to parents free of charge during well-child visits at the 4-month-old checkup.

“We greatly appreciate PNC’s generous grant to help educate new moms on the importance of establishing healthy eating habits from birth,” said Stephanie Walsh, MD, Medical Director of Child Wellness at Children’s. “In fact, a recent AAP study revealed toddlers are not eating enough veggies and the ‘Baby Love’ books seek to encourage healthy eating habits. They are an important part of our efforts to offer busy parents information about food parenting with age-specific tips, facts and advice from the experts (and parents) at Children’s." 

The donation is part of a continuing relationship between Children’s and the PNC Foundation. Since 2012, PNC has provided funding to the Children’s early childhood wellness initiative to help distribute 90,000 books to healthcare centers.

For more information:

General Contact

Children's PR Team

404-570-9717

About Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

As the only freestanding pediatric healthcare system in Georgia, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is the trusted leader in caring for kids. The not-for-profit organization’s mission is to make kids better today and healthier tomorrow through more than 60 pediatric specialties and programs, top healthcare professionals, and leading research and technology. Children’s is one of the largest pediatric clinical care providers in the country, managing more than one million patient visits annually at three hospitals, Marcus Autism Center, the Center for Advanced Pediatrics, urgent care centers and neighborhood locations. Consistently ranked among the top children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has impacted the lives of kids in Georgia, across the United States and around the world for more than 100 years thanks to generous support from the community.

About Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Strong4Life

From birth through school-age, Strong4Life helps parents with everything from bedtime battles and mealtime tantrums, to food parenting, picky eating, and everything in between. How? With easy-to-try tips, facts and advice from our doctors, registered dietitians and wellness experts-- who are parents, too. The Strong4Life movement focuses on equipping parents with the resources they need at home, training healthcare providers and working with schools and community to impact kids where they learn and play. Visit strong4life.com for more information.


About the PNC Foundation

The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education, and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $350 million, multiyear initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.

* Required fields