Healthy Foundations in Early Childhood Settings

Development and learning are fostered and supported when children are healthy and able to participate fully in a child-centred, play-based curriculum. Health is integrated with children's growth, development, and cultural realities, and Healthy Foundations reflects this belief. In collaboration with families, educators have an integral role in maintaining or improving children's overall health status through a health promotion philosophy. Healthy Foundations focuses on the overall health needs of all children through discussions and examples of contemporary issues that affect all children, such as how too much screen use decreases physical activity and contributes to obesity. By presenting the latest guidelines set out by federal and provincial governments, and the Canadian Pediatric Society, Healthy Foundations reinforces the concept that educators have an integral role in maintaining or improving children's overall health status through a health promotion philosophy.