LEITCHVILLE Preschool has celebrated a huge milestone: becoming fully awarded under the Healthy Early Childhood Service Achievement Program.
Gannawarra Shire Council, which manages the facility, recently received notification that its application for the program’s Mental Health and Wellbeing component was successful, meaning the preschool had received recognition for all six health priority areas – the first early education facility in the Gannawarra to do so.
Council CEO Geoff Rollinson congratulated all the people who have been working towards this goal over the past six years.
“Staff have worked closely with current and former families to achieve these priority areas,” Mr Rollinson said.
To earn the Healthy Early Childhood Services achievement, six key health areas must be covered: healthy eating and oral health, physical activity and movement, mental health and wellbeing, sun protection, safe environments, and tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.
Some of the changes that have been made within the service to achieve recognition for the Mental Health and Wellbeing priority area include actively engaging children, their families and the community in the planning, development and delivery of mental health and wellbeing initiatives, holding Bush Kinder sessions, adding yoga and mindfulness programs, and providing quiet and reflective places for children, educators and families, just to name a few.
“These additions are benefitting the preschool’s current group of children and future families as they grow and learn locally,” Mr Rollinson said.
The achievement program’s head of healthy places Dimity Gannon praised Leitchville Preschool for gaining statewide recognition for making health and wellbeing a community priority.
“Leitchville Preschool should be very proud of their efforts in meeting all six best-practice health benchmarks, knowing it is providing a healthier environment for children, their families and staff,” Ms Gannon said.
“Their exemplary efforts, backed by Gannawarra Shire Council and with local support from Northern District Community Health, sees Leitchville Preschool join close to 190 early-childhood settings across the state that have now completed the program.
“From initiatives like Bush Kinder sessions and establishing a ‘Drop, Park, Walk’ active travel zone, Leitchville Preschool’s dedication to health and wellbeing sees local children enjoy learning, playing and being active in an environment that engages and inspires them, setting the foundations for lifelong health.”
The achievement program is supported by the Victorian Government and delivered by Cancer Council Victoria.
The free statewide program provides a framework to support Victorian workplaces, schools and early-childhood services to create healthy places for working, learning and living.
