ECU given grant to address nutrition gaps in early childhood education 

Edith Cowan University (ECU) has been awarded a $977,278 grant from Western Australian state government agency Healthway to develop a best practice guide to address a critical gap in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) food environment.

In WA, centre-based and family day care services serve approximately 85,680 children aged from birth to five years, an optimal time for intellectual and physical development. The nutrition children receive in this window can impact their brain development, learning ability and physical health in the short and long term.

With nearly 50 per cent of children birth to five years of age attending centre-based care for between 27 to 38 hours weekly, ECEC services are primary food providers during the first 2,000 days of life that are critical not only for brain development but also for establishing lifelong eating patterns.

“Currently, there are no prescribed guidelines to ensure consistent food quality across all ECEC services,” ECU senior lecturer Dr Ros Sambell said.

“However, limited data collected indicates 90 per cent of metropolitan services are failing to meet 50 per cent of the Australian Dietary Guidelines for all food groups when providing meals to children.” 

The National Nutrition Network for ECEC, of which Dr Sambell is Chair, was formed in 2018 to identify and address critical gaps in the food environments in ECEC settings. The Network emerged in response to research highlighting significant opportunities to enhance nutritional environments during children’s crucial developmental years.

“Despite being a highly regulated sector, the lack of a best practice guide, education and training support, makes it challenging for ECEC services and Assessment and Rating Officers to accurately assess the quality of food provided nationwide,” she said.

The Guide being developed by Dr Sambell and her team will be designed for integration into existing regulatory frameworks and, with the support of Assessment and Rating Officers, will be used across ECEC settings, facilitating consistent assessment and improvements, based on the current evidence for best practice to achieve nourishing food environments in ECEC.

“The Guide will also serve as a practical, accessible resource for ECEC services and policymakers and will provide straightforward principles, helping ECEC providers implement best practices,” Dr Sambell added.

“(It) will (also) assist in integrating policies and serve as a framework for ECEC nutrition policies. It can be adapted by other organisations to ensure consistent, high-quality food practices across the state and can be scaled for national use.”

The Guide will be the first of its kind in Australia and its development will be informed through a significant consultation process, inviting critical stakeholders to inform development. This will include ECEC services, allied health groups, registered nutritionist and dietitians, food allergy experts, cultural representatives and other government agents.

It will be made available in an electronic format, and will include food environment considerations across metro, regional and remote communities.

ECU successfully received the grant through Healthway’s Healthy Communities Program, which provides funding for projects that focus on the health and wellbeing of children and young people.