A free National resource
The Best Practice Guide for Early Childhood Education and Care Food Environment
Practical, evidence-informed guidance for centre based and family day care services supporting children from birth to five years. Explore the guide, or just the pages your team needs this week.
Module One
Mealtime Environment and Practices
Appetite regulation and responsive feeding; Supporting Food preferences, acceptance and diversity; Development of feeding, eating and drinking practices; Language, body image and responding to eating concerns; Designing Mealtime Approaches
7 sections to download
Module Two
Menu and Meal Quality
Optimal nutrition and child health, development and wellbeing; Australian Dietary Guidelines and Australian Infant Feeding Guidelines; Introduction of solid/first foods; Effective menu and meal planning. Practice and feedback; Food allergy and food safety
7 sections to download
Module Three
Food Education
Embedding food-based learning in everyday practice; Cooking and food preparation experiences; Food themes and learning experiences; Extending learning opportunities; Partnerships and collaboration for food education opportunities
6 sections to download
Module Four
Staff and Family Engagement
Communication with families around mealtimes, meals and menus; Services and educators’ knowledge, experience and insights; Referral pathways – support, information, advice; Supporting families at lunchbox services; Supporting families with children who experience disability; Supporting families of children with food allergies
7 sections to download
Module Five
Sustainable Food Practices
Defining sustainability; Plant-based and minimally processed foods; Greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity and food packaging; Food waste; Local and seasonal food; Gardens in ECEC services and settings
7 sections to download
Module Six
Quality, Leadership and Governance
Education and Care Services National Law Regulations for Food Environments; Food safety; Quality improvement in food Environments and the best practice guide
3 sections one download
Start from where you sit
Find the sections most relevant to your role all in one place
Educators and room leaders →
Service leaders/directors and educational leaders →
Cooks, chefs, food coordinators and kitchen assistants →
Family day care educators →
Approved providers and management teams →
Allied health partners (e.g. dietitians, nutritionists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists) →
Quality and regulatory staff, inclusion support staff and local health promotion officers →
VET and university educators, RTOs and placement supervisors →
Case Studies
Twenty detailed Case Studies from across urban, regional and remote Australian services and organisations outlining their objectives, process, learnings and outcomes
Posters
These resources take detail from the modules and provide them as practical tools that can go up on a wall or you can take into a meeting or use for planning
Factsheets for Families
Services may wish to share these resources with families asking for further information about a variety of topics. Or Families may wish to download any fact sheets on the topics they would like more information on.
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