Our Family Day Care Service receives Healthy Together accreditation

Published on 11 October 2017

Sunraysia families can be even more confident their children are receiving the best care at Council’s Family Day Care homes following recent recognition as a Healthy Early Childhood Service.

An initiative of Healthy Together Victoria, the Healthy Together Achievement Program requires organisations or services achieve benchmarks in six key areas: sun protection, healthy eating and oral health, physical activity, tobacco health, safe environment, and mental health and wellbeing.

As part of the process, Council’s Family Day Care Service Health and Wellbeing team set out an action plan to achieve the six benchmarks, and as each action was completed, evidence needed to be submitted to Healthy Together Victoria, showing how each benchmark was reached.

These actions included reviewing existing policies, writing a new Mental Health policy, providing up-to-date training for educators and publishing the latest material in newsletters to families.

Council reached all six benchmarks and has now been officially accredited as a Healthy Early Childhood Service.

Councillor for Community Wellbeing and Services Ali Cupper said the Family Day Care Service’s accreditation illustrates both the passion and ongoing drive to continually improve services for Sunraysia residents.

“Our Family Day Care Service was already required to meet strict standards of care and compliance, however striving for and achieving this latest accreditation under the Healthy Together Achievement Program illustrates the constant push by our staff to improve services wherever possible,” Cr Cupper said.

“By being recognised as a Healthy Early Childhood Service, our Family Day Care Service is showing its commitment to helping provide children in our community with the best possible start to their future.”

To mark Council’s completion of the Healthy Together Achievement Program a celebration for our Family Day Care children and educators will be held at the Aero Oval Pavilion this Thursday, 12 October from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

It will be a fun morning where children and educators can engage in physical activities and then refuel with healthy food options for morning tea and lunch. Sunraysia Arts and Learning will also be there to get everyone moving with a session of music and movement, as well as face-painting.

Media enquiries 

Ben Piscioneri
p) (03) 5018 8689 
e) ben.piscioneri@mildura.vic.gov.au