Revolutionizing Child Care: Canada's Best Practice Guidelines for Healthy Movement

In a groundbreaking move, Canada has unveiled its Best Practice Guidelines for Healthy Movement Behaviour in Childcare, geared towards fostering physical, mental, and social development among young children. Developed in collaboration with national child-care organizations and public health agencies, the guidelines seek to revolutionize child-care settings across the country.

Only 13 percent of Canadian children are meeting existing national 24-hour movement guidelines. The new guidelines emphasize reducing screen time, encouraging physical activity, and ensuring sufficient sleep to instill lifelong healthy habits. To support the implementation, the TEACH e-Learning course has been introduced to boost educators' confidence and expertise.

The guidelines and the TEACH course will be piloted in Ontario child-care centres to assess their effectiveness and feasibility. This initiative, aligned with the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan, aspires to enhance the quality, accessibility, and inclusivity of child care, paving the way for a healthier future generation in Canada.

(With inputs from agencies.)