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Chapter 23 - Building the Capacity of Early Childhood Educators to Promote Children's Mental Health: Learnings from Three New Programs
- from Part 4 - Leadership and Innovations
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- By Sarah Cavanagh, Clinical Psychologist and Manager at the Australian Psychological Society (APS)., Jo Cole, Clinical Psychologist with 20 years experience in perinatal, infant, child and adolescent mental health, and mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention., Judy Kynaston, General Manager of KidsMatter Early Childhood at Early Childhood Australia (ECA)., Kim-Michelle Gilson, Research Fellow within the Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program at the University of Melbourne, Australia., Elise Davis, Associate Director, Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program at the University of Melbourne, Australia., Gavin Hazel, Program Leader at the Hunter Institute of Mental Health, Newcastle, Australia where he focuses on the development, implementation and evaluation of evidence-informed resources, practices, and professional education.
- Edited by Susanne Garvis, Göteborgs Universitet, Sweden, Donna Pendergast, Griffith University, Queensland
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- Book:
- Health and Wellbeing in Childhood
- Published online:
- 21 June 2018
- Print publication:
- 01 September 2017, pp 362-379
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Summary
Acknowledgement
The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of Jo Cole, who contributed to the ideas and writing that appeared in a similar chapter in the first edition of this book. While the chapter in this second edition has been updated and revised from the first edition, we acknowledge Jo's earlier contributions that appear here.
Introduction
Early childhood is a critical time for children's brain development. The experiences children are exposed to shape brain development and the skills and capacities developed during this time provide the foundation for lifelong learning and mental health and wellbeing. While children's primary caregivers and the family environment have the most significant impact on children's early development, children learn within the context of all their relationships and, increasingly, children experience significant relationships with early childhood educators. The number of children attending an early childhood education and care (ECEC) service is growing in Australia, as is the amount of time each child spends in the service. This provides an opportunity to influence ECEC services and educator knowledge and skills to support positive social and emotional development and good mental health. Educators can build the ‘social and emotional capacities of infants and children by supporting predictably available, adequately sensitive and responsive care giving’ (Australian Association for Infant Mental Health and Australian Research Alliance for Children & Youth, 2013, p. 3). Educators who are consistently engaged with children and families, can also assist in preventing or mitigating the consequences of mental health problems by buffering young children from serious threats to their wellbeing (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2007).
ECEC sector reform in Australia has led to a National Quality Framework (NQF), which is the result of an agreement between state and Commonwealth governments, to improve the quality of early childhood education and care. This Framework comprises the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) (Council of Australian Government (COAG), 2009) and National Quality Standard (NQS) (Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), 2013), and applies to most long day care, family day care, and preschools/ kindergartens in Australia. Quality in early childhood education has been shown to lead to better outcomes in learning, health and wellbeing for children.
Veggie Rx: an outcome evaluation of a healthy food incentive programme
- Michelle Cavanagh, Janine Jurkowski, Christine Bozlak, Julia Hastings, Amy Klein
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- Journal:
- Public Health Nutrition / Volume 20 / Issue 14 / October 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 19 August 2016, pp. 2636-2641
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- Article
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Objective
One challenge to healthy nutrition, especially among low-income individuals, is access to and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. To address this problem, Veggie Rx, a healthy food incentive programme, was established within a community clinic to increase access to fresh produce for low-income patients diagnosed with obesity, hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes. The current research aimed to evaluate Veggie Rx programme effectiveness.
DesignA retrospective pre/post design using medical records and programme data was used to evaluate the programme. The study was approved by the University of Albany Institutional Review Board and the Patient Interest Committee of a community clinic.
SettingThe study was conducted in a low-income, urban neighbourhood in upstate New York.
SubjectsMedical record data and Veggie Rx programme data were analysed for fifty-four eligible participants. An equal-sized control group of patients who were not programme participants were matched on age, ethnicity and co-morbidity status.
ResultsA statistically significant difference in mean BMI change (P=0·02) between the intervention and the control group was calculated. The intervention group had a mean decrease in BMI of 0·74 kg/m2.
ConclusionsGreater improvement in BMI was found among Veggie Rx programme participants. This information will guide programme changes and inform the field on the effectiveness of healthy food incentive programmes for improving health outcomes for low-income populations.