Over the past few months, the team at Kids on Gallaghers Child Care Centre have been working on meeting benchmarks in the Victorian Healthy Early Childhood Services Achievement Program.

Supported by the Victorian Government and delivered by Cancer Council Victoria, the Achievement Program provides a framework that's designed to help early childhood services bring together and enhance current health and wellbeing initiatives to support a whole-of-service approach to health and wellbeing.

Aligned to key policies and guidelines including the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework, the National Quality Standard and Quality Improvement Plans, the program creates a healthy learning environment and supports the health and wellbeing of everyone at an early childhood service.

 

It is centred around six key health areas, which include:

- Healthy Eating and Oral Health

- Physical Activity and Movement

- Mental Health and Wellbeing

- Sun Protection

- Safe Environments

- Tobacco, Alcohol and Other Drugs.

 

Each health area has a set of targets to achieve, resulting in healthy changes to a service's physical environment, policies and practices, and health promoting activities.

 

Once a service meets all targets in a health area, they receive recognition with certificates and a sticker to attach to a special sign.

 

Kids on Gallaghers has just received recognition in Sun Protection and Mental Health and Wellbeing and were very excited to show their special new stickers off! The sign will be installed on their front fence shortly to proudly display their achievements.