By Bonny Burrows
Healthy habits are a way of life at Casey Childcare and Kindergarten.
As part of the Victorian Prevention and Health Promotion Achievement Program, the Pakenham centre is working its way through a set of guidelines aimed at preventing chronic disease through the promotion of healthy lifestyles.
There are six health priority areas that a service can focus on – sun protection, tobacco control, healthy eating and oral health, physical activity, safe environments and mental health and well-being.
The centre received ticked off its first areas of success on 15 January after achieving the program’s guidelines for healthy eating and oral health and sun protection.
To the excitement of the children, Monash Health health promotion practitioners came out to the facility to present a sign signalling the centre’s participation and its first stars.
The children were all two happy to show off their knowledge of healthy habits, telling the practitioners all about the healthy foods they loved to eat.
Carrots, apples and pasta were among the foods favoured by the children.
Centre manager Debbie Porter said she was delighted to see staff and students embrace the programs’ curriculum.
“Healthy habits are now well and truly embedded into our everyday program,” Ms Porter said.
“But not only here at the centre, children have been asking for healthy food and water of juice at home.
“The parents keep asking us what we have one to their children.
“It’s been great fun working through the program and I can’t wait to see what’s next.”
More information on the program can be found at: http://www.achievementprogram.health.vic.gov.au/.
