The Best Practice Guide for Early Childhood Education and Care Food Environment
Visit: ecec-best-practice-guide.com.au
Email: r.sambell@ecu.edu.au
A free, nationally available, evidence-informed resource supporting food environments in centre-based and family day care services for children from birth to five years. Developed through national collaboration, the Guide provides practical recommendations, strategies and tools across six modules covering mealtime environments and responsive feeding, menu and meal quality, food education, staff and family engagement, sustainable food practices, and quality, leadership and governance. The Guide supports positive relationships with food and eating, body appreciation, inclusive practices and workforce capacity building, aligning with the prevention priorities of the National Eating Disorders Strategy.
The resource was developed by Edith Cowan University and funded by Healthway. It was nationally co-designed with the early childhood education and care sector.
National Strategy Standards and Actions
Prevention
3.1 Eating disorder service development and lived experience organisations to partner with other sectors, industries, professional bodies and consumer groups to develop and disseminate training and supporting resources in eating disorder-safe principles for community, health and education professionals working with a diverse range of people and communities, and support their implementation.
4.1 Parents and caregivers to be supported through a range of health, social and community services and programs to build their own confidence and skills in fostering their child(ren)’s positive body esteem, media literacy and positive relationships with food and eating.
4.2 Early childhood education and care settings to implement whole-of-service policies and procedures to drive a culture of body appreciation and positive relationships with food and eating.
Workforce
2.2 Eating disorder service development organisations and training providers to collaborate with psychosocial and recovery support services to promote and disseminate online training in eating-disorder safe principles and practice via tertiary and vocational education settings and psychosocial and recovery support service settings.