Dietitians Australia calls on the South Australian Government, the Opposition and all parties, to commit to early years nutrition and ensure safer food environments in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings, as part of their SA election platforms.
By investing in this priority, the elected Government and supporting political parties will:
- guarantee safety and quality in early learning by building scaffolding across the system
- strengthen the stability and capability of the ECEC workforce
- boost children’s developmental readiness to learn at school
- contribute to this Government’s goal to deliver high quality early years and preschool services and better support a child’s first 1000 days
- support parental workforce participation, especially women’s employment, through reliable provision of safe, nutritious food.
The return on this investment is clear: fewer children in South Australia will be developmentally vulnerable and food insecure, delivering long term benefits for families, communities, and the state’s future prosperity.
The goal is to embed nutrition as a core pillar of South Australia’s universal preschool ambition, making healthy eating, safe food environments and food literacy routine in ECEC settings, with equity for disadvantaged communities and accountability through data.
More detailed information is included in the briefing paper.