Nursery World - Why early years practitioners have a key role to play when it comes to children's health

The contribution that nurseries can make to children’s health needs to be shouted about – and there is a toolkit available to help them, writes Jackie Musgrave

The current Government has pledged to create 'the healthiest generation of children ever'.

Babies and children need, and deserve, good levels of health, as is clearly stated in Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). Despite the global view that children have a right to receive the highest attainable level of health, for many years there have been concerns about the poor state of our children’s health.

Back in 2003, a report warned us about the ‘epidemic of obesity’ that was emerging. In 2017, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health highlighted the increasing levels of mental health and tooth decay affecting very young children. Post-Covid, the state of children’s health has deteriorated further. For children living in poverty, the impact on their health is even more profound.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included