LITTLE Beacons Learning Centre in Pakenham is one of only two Cardinia Shire early childhood services to be officially recognised as a ‘healthy early childhood service’.
The centre has received an award under the State Government’s Healthy Together Achievement Program for its work on sun protection.
And it is already well on the way to meeting the program’s five remaining key benchmarks. Little Beacons has submitted and is now implementing action plans for ‘healthy eating and oral health’, ‘physical activity and active play’ and ‘tobacco control’.
The program is part of a state-wide prevention initiative aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and improving the places where people live, learn, work and play. It is delivered locally in partnership with Monash Health as part of Healthy Together Cardinia Shire.
Little Beacons educator Jennifer Blanch, who is co-ordinating the program with colleague Nalissa Spector, said the award was fantastic news for parents.
“It will give families further confidence in the fact that each child’s health is being taken into account every single day at Little Beacons,” she said.
“This is very reassuring for busy parents – they know that we are working to deliver the highest standard of care at all times.”
Mayor Cr Jodie Owen presented the centre with the Achievement Program sign, which shows the community the centre’s commitment to health and well-being.
“Little Beacons has made a very clear commitment to the future health of our community in Cardinia Shire, and as part of the Achievement Program, it is able to make an incredible difference in the health of children,” Mayor Cr Owen said.
Just some of Little Beacons’ notable health and well-being achievements include:
* Extra plants for natural shading as well as shade sails;
* Children collecting herbs and vegetables from the garden to use in the centre’s menu;
* A new water tank to support visible learning for children;
* Dining in the centre’s in-house ‘cafe’ called ‘the nest’ to promote healthy practices;
* Gardening boxes with equipment for children and educators to promote environmental care;
* Development of a leadership program for the five-year-olds where they work across the whole centre; and
* Employment of speech therapist, occupational therapist and psychologist for in-house service delivery.
The centre hopes to provide dental services for families among other health focused steps to be rolled out in the future.
Last year, Little Beacons Learning Centre received the coveted ‘Excellent’ rating by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, making it the first early learning centre in Cardinia Shire to achieve this rating.
