About Us
A Brief History of the NNN
Since 2017, the National Nutrition Network has evolved into a national community of researchers, practitioners and policy partners working together to strengthen food and nutrition policy and practice in early childhood education and care. The Network connects expertise across jurisdictions, supports knowledge exchange and helps translate evidence into policy and practice.
The Network begins
17 members, initially predominantly researchers, with practitioner and government representation.
Building a national network
Membership intentionally broadened across research, policy and practice, establishing representation across Australian jurisdictions.
National knowledge exchange
Three national Knowledge Exchange Sessions brought together 58 interest holder organisations to identify needs, gaps and opportunities across ECEC food environments.
From knowledge exchange to system contribution
Collaborative research, national policy and evidence briefs, submissions, conference activity and cross-jurisdictional partnerships strengthened the Network's contribution to policy and practice.
Translating evidence into practice
The Network's accumulated research, sector expertise and national partnerships contributed to the development of the Best Practice Guide for Food Environments in Early Childhood Education and Care.
Our Members
The NNN-ECEC is driven by our members. The NNN ECEC’s greatest asset is our members and the wealth of knowledge, skills and expertise they bring, this is what makes the NNN ECEC unique.
- The National Nutrition Network (NNN-ECEC) includes members from all Australian states and territories, ensuring diverse perspectives and comprehensive coverage of regional nutrition challenges.
- Members have collectively contributed to 181 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and conference presentations, focusing on various aspects of nutrition within early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings.
- Members possess a broad range of skills in nutrition and dietetics, including clinical nutrition, community nutrition, and dietetic practice, enhancing the network's capacity to tackle various nutrition-related issues in ECEC environments for children, staff, parents and assessment and rating officers.
- Many members are practitioners working directly with ECEC services, providing hands-on nutrition education and support, and implementing best practices for ECEC food environments. Additionally, government representatives support the translation of research into policies and programs aimed at optimising food environments in ECEC settings.
