A local daycare centre has received an award in recognition of its commitment to making sure the grins on the faces of its young charges are not only happy, but healthy too.
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YMCA Lightning Reef Early Learning Centre was presented with an award for its participation in the Smiles 4 Miles oral health promotion program yesterday.
The program aims to improve the oral health of young children with its key messages of drink well, eat well and clean well.
Centre director Cathy Field said the organisation had implemented numerous policies and procedures over the past 18 months with the aim of promoting good oral health.
Mrs Field said these included a Nutrition Australia assessment of the centre’s menu to ensure it was healthy, a tooth brushing program and the provision of information on healthy life choices to families.
She said the centre also made sure staff were aware of healthy living practices.
“We look after the youngest community members – it’s really important to build a healthy foundation,” Mrs Field said.
Organisations involved in the program must meet several criteria to be eligible for an award.
These include the training of staff in the program, the development or review of a healthy eating and oral health policy, and learning experiences conducted around the key messages.
Bendigo YMCA chief executive officer Jane Robson said the successful implementation of the program was thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of its staff.
Bendigo Health healthy communities and continuing care executive director Liz Hamilton said the program was important.
“Tooth decay is largely preventable and can impact on a child’s ability to socialise, eat and speak,” she said.
“It is also the highest cause of preventable hospital admissions in children, with 26,000 admitted in Australia every year for fillings or teeth removal.”
While most oral disease is preventable, almost half of all Australian children experience dental decay by the age of six.
Thirty organisations in City of Greater Bendigo area are involved in the Dental Health Services Victoria initiative, which has been running locally for about four years.
To ensure children maintain healthy teeth and gums, they should drink well by sticking to plain milk or water and avoiding sugary drinks, eat well by consuming nutritious food and limiting sugary foods, and clean well by brushing teeth twice daily, with adult help until at least the age of seven.