Food and Health Guidelines - Torfaen Family Information Service

1. Introduction and background
How the guidelines
are intended to be
used
These guidelines are designed primarily to be
supportive to all those involved with children
in the early years setting.
It will help you to work towards both the
Desirable Learning Outcomes and the
Foundation Phase Framework for Children’s
Learning. Personal and social development
and well being are at the heart of the
Foundation Phase.
Children should be given opportunities to
develop an understanding that exercise
and hygiene and the right types of food
and drink are important for a healthy body.
The childcare environment is an ideal
platform from which children in their early
years will be able to experience activities that
allow them to make healthy choices and to
develop their own bodies and how to keep
them safe and healthy.
Who are the
guidelines for?
The guidance is for providers of childcare for
children up to 5 years of age who provide
food (including snacks) and/or drinks. It will
apply to a wide range of providers, including
local authority nurseries, private nurseries,
playgroups, childminders, toddler groups,
crèches and family centres/ Integrated
Children’s Centres, regardless of the length
of time that children spend in childcare
settings.
Parents and other carers need to know about
this guidance and what they can expect
their child to receive in terms of food and
drink. At present there is a vast amount of
conflicting information on children’s nutrition
to digest from a wide range of sources.
Also for Early Years settings responsible
for providing healthy and enjoyable daily
meals for children, there is little in the way
of guidance tailored specifically for children
under five in Wales.
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