Learning healthy habits

Supporting families to be active and choose healthy foods  

For many parents around Australia, encouraging their children to embrace healthy foods and active play can be challenging. Accessing nutritious foods can be challenging due to where families live or due to cost. And navigating supermarkets and the wide range of foods on offer can be confusing for families arriving from other countries. This is seen even more so for families experiencing disadvantage. 

Save the Children are already engaging with disadvantaged families through our supported playgroup scheme, Play2Learn. The Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities program uses the playgroups to show families how to choose the right foods for their children and to keep them active. To do this, Save the Children has partnered with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, the leading child health research institute in Australia, incorporating their program called Confident and Understanding Parents (CUPs). 

Together we’re using this package to train playgroup staff to discuss nutrition and active play with the families they engage with. 

To date, the program has helped staff in 31 playgroups across NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia educate families on providing the best start for their children. By training over 40 educators, we’ve helped over 1700 children, and 1300 parents learn the foundations to have a healthy and bright future.