About
Facilitating a holistic approach to promoting children’s health
Healthy Steps in ECEC was developed by a team of health and education professionals
Healthy Steps in ECEC has been developed by a team of professionals including:
- dietitians
- health promotion experts
- education experts
- Aboriginal health practitioners, and
- researchers.
The team has experience working in ECEC settings, and collaborated with centre-based ECEC service staff, Family Day Care Educators and Providers, and families. The healthy eating, infant feeding and physical activity practices included within Healthy Steps are based on guidelines for the ECEC setting (such as Munch & Move) are supported by research that demonstrates strategies that can improve child nutrition and physical activity.
Healthy Steps in ECEC is based on Go NAPSACC, an evidence-based online program used by over 9000 ECEC services to improve the health of infants and young children.
Facilitating a holistic approach to promoting children’s health
Healthy Steps in ECEC facilitates a holistic approach to promoting children’s health and well-being by supporting educators, service staff and families to create healthy environments. Healthy Steps in ECEC is committed to building partnerships with ECEC services, families and health services.
Healthy Steps in ECEC encourages healthy eating for children through ensuring that food provided by the service or packed within lunchboxes aligns with nutrition guidelines for the ECEC setting. Healthy mealtimes and role modelling of healthy eating is promoted, and activities to promote children’s learning about healthy eating are encouraged. Additional focus areas include policy, staff training and family engagement.
Healthy Steps in ECEC promotes children’s physical activity through participation in a range of physical activity experiences. These experiences include educator-led activities, child-initiated free play, active play in the outdoor environment, and opportunities to develop fundamental movement skills. Services are recommended to provide environments that promote physical activity, ensure that educators role model and engage children in physical activity, and limit sitting time. In addition, other focus areas such as policy, staff training and family engagement are also encouraged.
Healthy Steps in ECEC also supports services in implementing infant feeding practices such as supporting breastfeeding, introduction of solids and responsive feeding practices, as well as policy, staff training and communication with families.
Healthy eating, infant feeding and physical activity in ECEC outcomes
By supporting centre-based and Family Day Care ECEC services to meet healthy eating, infant feeding and physical activity practices, Healthy Steps in ECEC also helps services to align with the requirements of the National Quality Standards (NQS) and Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF).
Healthy Steps in ECEC offers a range of healthy eating and physical activity experiences which help children develop their knowledge and skills to improve their health and wellbeing.
Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity
Healthy Steps in ECEC provides examples of activities for programming to promote children’s investigation of and learning about healthy eating and physical activity.
Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world
Healthy Steps in ECEC provides a range of resources and activities that can help children develop a genuine respect for diversity and their environment when involved in real-life experiences.
Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
Healthy Steps in ECEC provides a range of opportunities for children to take responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing.
Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners
Healthy Steps in ECEC supports children to develop confidence in a variety of skills by being involved in a range of experiences at the service, which can be further developed by families in the home environment.
Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators
Healthy Steps in ECEC supports children to develop a range of communication skills. It also enhances children's exposure to a variety of media, helping them gain meaning and an understanding of patterns and symbols.
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