Early childhood health promotion

This presentation shared the findings from research based on the Child Health Promotion: A Toolkit for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Practitioners. The Toolkit includes a 5 Step Programme as a model to guide practitioners in identifying and implementing a health promotion activity.  

The research foregrounds the valuable role that ECEC can contribute to promoting the health of babies and young children. Health can be improved and promoted through implementation of many of the aims of the Early Years Foundation Stage (DfE, 2024), such as the requirement to provide healthy eating options and access to outdoor play. Key to successful health promotion work is the need for respectful and positive relationships with parents and carers.   

The findings helped to set the onward agenda for a larger scale study which will foreground the voices of practitioners and highlight the role that ECEC practitioners can play in promoting the health of children. 

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