Making early childhood centres safer and healthier
Community and Public Health supports health, wellbeing and safety in early childhood. Early learning services such as childcare centres play an essential role in the education, health and life of pre-school children.
Community and Public Health staff provide the following services for early childhood centres:
- Support and advice to help make centres healthy environments where children, whānau and staff can flourish. This includes having a strong cultural identity, and encouraging positive mental wellbeing, being active, healthy eating and good oral health.
- Health and safety assessments on new or existing centres as requested under the Ministry of Education’s Early Childhood Centres Regulations. This assessment is from a public health perspective – looking at compliance with legislative requirements and assessment of health risk. Please note: there is a charge for this assessment.
- General health and safety advice to Early Childhood Centres, including for new proposed centres or renovations to existing centres.
- Assistance with Resource Management Applications for Early Childhood Centres.
- Supporting promotion of good oral health in South Canterbury.
- Providing specialist advice on public health issues such as water, disease outbreaks, and chemical hazards.
Supporting healthy environments in early childhood settings
Development during early childhood lays the foundation for health, education, social, employment and economic outcomes throughout the life course. Many young New Zealand children spend time in early childhood education (ECE) settings, making them an ideal location for health promotion.
Community and Public Health recently did a rapid evidence review presenting evidence from recently-published reviews on the effectiveness of health promotion interventions in several areas delivered in ECE settings.
- View a one-page summary of “Health promotion in early childhood education settings: rapid evidence review” [40KB].
- Download “Health promotion in early childhood education settings: rapid evidence review” [1.62MB].
Early childhood teachers in Canterbury showing the way in sun protection
Sun safety in early childhood education settings was a recent focus of Community and Public Health and the Canterbury West Coast division of the Cancer Society.
Health promoters teamed up to talk with 26 Early Childhood Education teachers about their sun protection practices in May and July 2018. This included what was working well and what support they would value. ‘Equity-funded’ preschools were prioritised, with a selection of others.
All settings spoken to had sun protection policies, and provided spare hats to children. 96 percent provided a broad spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen and ECE managers self-reported that 96 percent of staff model sun protective behaviour very well. Few early childhood settings knew about the new Cancer Society PD module for early childhood educators. Affordability of resources was important to educators who believed that the expense was a barrier to many families.
- Download the report “Sun protection practices in equity-funded early childhood education settings in Christchurch” [3.5MB].
- View a summary infographic on this survey on sun protection in early childhood education settings [582KB].
- View the SunSmart Module for early childhood educators from the NZ Cancer Society.
Protecting under fives from infectious diseases
Early childhood centres present health risks to children, staff and other people who spend time at the centre. There is potential for disease transmission because:
- Children under five years (because of their developmental stage) are likely to have poorly developed personal hygiene habits;
- There is a high level of physical contact between children;
- Nappy changing is considered to be a high risk activity;
- Food may be shared; and
- Children tend to place items in their mouths and may contaminate those items – spreading the risk of disease.
Disease transmission within early childhood centres may have implications for the wider community, particularly parents, caregivers and friends of children attending. Health and safety risks in early childhood centre environments will be reduced by maintaining effective public health oversight through assessment, enforcement and health promotion.
- Community and Public Health’s Early Childhood Centre Information Pack (revised December 2017) is specifically developed for those planning to establish a new centre.
It covers health requirements relating to design, physical environments and health policies that will be necessary to consider at the planning stages for a new centre. The pack provides the necessary information to ensure that a centre will meet the health component of the licensing requirement. - Download an example of a Cleaning Schedule for Early Childhood Centres, which is included in the Information Pack.
Documents
- The First 1000 Days: A South Island report for the Hauora Alliance (Community and Public Health 2018).
- Sit Less, Move More, Sleep Well: Active play guidelines for under-fives resources (Ministry of Health 2018).
- Active movement activity guides for children 0-5 years (Sport New Zealand 2017) – available in Te Reo Māori.
- Strong Foundations: Getting it Right in the First 1000 Days (Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne 2017).
- Growing up in NZ Study – Now we are four: Describing the preschool years (Growing Up in New Zealand 2017).
- The Best Start in Life: Achieving effective action on child health and wellbeing (National Health Committee 2011).
- Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers – A Background Paper (Ministry of Health 2008 and 2012).
- Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children and Young People (Aged 2–18 years): A background paper (Ministry of Health 2012 and 2015).
Downloads
Download or order resources from the Community Health Information Centre.
- Eating for Healthy Babies and Toddlers: From birth to 2 years old
- Ka Pai Kai: Easy steps to great lunches!
- Keeping Healthy in Early Childhood Centres
- Cleaning and Disinfection Guidelines for Gastroenteritis Outbreaks
- Headlice
Links
- All Right? Parenting Hub
- Kids Matter (Australian Childhood Mental Health Initiative) – online learning modules on mental health for professional development
- Well Child/Tamariki Ora (Ministry of Health)
- Kids Health
- My Family Food
- Early Learning (0 to 6 years) (Ministry of Education)
- Poisonous Plants in New Zealand (Landcare Research)
For infectious disease or environmental health enquiries, contact:
CANTERBURY
Ph: +64 3 364 1777
Fax: +64 3 379 6484
SOUTH CANTERBURY
Ph: +64 3 687 2600
Fax: +64 3 688 6091
WEST COAST
Ph: +64 3 768 1160
Fax: +64 3 768 1169
For more information on other issues, contact:
CANTERBURY
Jenni Marceau
Ph: +64 3 378 6737
Fax: +64 3 379 6125
SOUTH CANTERBURY (WAVE)
Debbie Johnstone
Ph: +64 3 687 2600
Fax: +64 3 688 6091
WEST COAST
Ph: +64 3 768 1160
Fax: +64 3 768 1169
Nourishing Futures with Better Kai
Community and Public Health West Coast developed this resource for parents of toddlers and young children.
This booklet is designed to help parents with all things nutrition for their little one, to set them up for healthy habits throughout their life.