"Healthy Kids"-a capacity building approach for the early childhood education and care sector

• Published in: Health promotion journal of Australia 2023-10, Vol.34 (4), p.765-774
• Main Authors: Brown, Alice, Philipson, Alanna, Dunstan, Kym, Frazer-Ryan, Skye
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Attitudes; Capacity building approach; Capacity development; Child care services; Child development; Childhood; Children; Childrens health; Clinical outcomes; Community; Costs; Development strategies; Early childhood education; Early childhood educators; Economic development; Education; Evaluation; Health and hygiene; Health education; Health promotion; Health status; Knowledge sharing; Ownership; Partnerships; Planning; Professional development; Quality control; Quality management; Regions; Socioeconomic factors; Sustainability; Transferability; Workforce
• ISSN: 1036-1073; 2201-1617
• DOI: 10.1002/hpja.694

Issue Addressed: Queensland children have a higher level of developmental vulnerability compared to the Australian average. This paper reports on Healthy Kids-a capacity building strategy for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector targeting communities experiencing socioeconomic and child development vulnerabilities. These communities May face additional barriers when engaging and participating in health promotion models. This paper reports on the development, key components and principles of a capacity building model referred to as Healthy Kids, that strategically responds to these barriers and supports these communities. Methods: The development of the Healthy Kids model emerged through a quality improvement process that included an environmental scan, and review of existing capacity building, health promotion, and workforce development approaches. It also involved consultation and engagement with the ECEC sector. Results: Evidence indicates Healthy Kids to be an innovative health promotion model focussed on building capacity through a workforce development strategy for the ECEC sector in a way that is accessible, low cost, and sustainable. So What?: This paper shares a model for building capacity through the establishment of localised cross-sector communities of practice across a large geographic region with a centralised coordinating hub. The hub and spoke model has facilitated community ownership to grow and be sustained over time. This model offers opportunities for partnerships, transferability, and contextualisation for those interested in contemporary health promotion, capacity building, and workforce development. The model offers an approach for those willing to step outside traditional boundaries to work across sectors and settings to achieve sustainable knowledge and skills, processes and resources that enables a collective commitment to improving health outcomes.