NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

Education and Care Services National Regulations

Purpose

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are required by legislation to ensure the provision of healthy foods and drinks that meet the requirements for children according to the Australian Dietary Guidelines (National Regulation 78-79). It is essential that ECEC services partner with families to provide education about nutrition, and promote healthy eating habits for young children to positively influence their health and wellbeing.  Dietary and healthy eating habits formed in the early years are shown to continue into adulthood and can reduce the risk factors associated with adult chronic conditions such as obesity, Type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Service Commitment

Baulkham Hills Early Learning Centre recognises the importance of healthy eating for the growth, development and well-being of young children and is committed to promoting and supporting healthy food and drink choices for children in our care.  This policy affirms our position on the provision of healthy food and drink while children are in our care and the promotion and education of healthy choices for optimum nutrition.

Our service is committed to implementing and embedding the healthy eating key messages into our curriculum and to support the National Healthy Eating Guidelines for Early Childhood.

Further, Baulkham Hills Early Learning Centre recognises the importance of supporting families in providing healthy food and drink to their children.  It is acknowledged that the ECEC service has an important role in encouraging, supporting, and educating families in healthy eating. We are passionate about the quality of food served to our children and only use fresh produce. 

For the purpose of this policy, food handlers include kitchen staff, educators and any staff involved in the preparation, serving or handling of food.

Strategies

Encourage and support breastfeeding and appropriate introduction of solid foods

• Abide by the current national Infant Feeding Guidelines.

• Offer a variety of nutritious foods to infants from all of the food groups in line with the Australian Dietary Guidelines.

• Always supervise infants closely while drinking and eating. 

• Ensure appropriate foods (type and texture) are introduced around six months of age including iron rich nutritious foods as infant’s first foods.

• Adjust the texture of foods offered between six and 12 months of age to match the infant’s developmental stage.

• Remain in-line with our service Bottle Preparation and Breastfeeding Policy (procedure):

• Provide a suitable place that is quiet, clean & private within the service where mothers can breastfeed their infants or express breastmilk. A power outlet, nappy change station, handwashing facility and a comfortable chair will be accessible.

• Support mothers to continue breastfeeding until infants are at least 12 months of age while offering appropriate complementary foods from around six months of age.

• Refer mothers with concerns regarding breastfeeding to appropriate contacts and resources such as Australian Breastfeeding Association. 

• Ensure the safe handling of breastmilk and infant formula including transporting, storing, thawing, warming, preparing and bottle feeding. 

• There is a designated space allocated in the fridge for expressed breast milk. 

• In consultation with families, offering cooled pre-boiled water as an additional drink from around six months of age.

• Where breastfeeding is discontinued before 12 months of age, supporting the transition to infant formula.

• Always bottle-feed infants by holding the infant in a semi-upright position.

Breastfeeding

• During service tours and orientation families are informed that the service provider and educators support breastfeeding, and that there are environments for breastfeeding Mothers to feel supported and comfortable while nursing. 

• Families are asked about breastfeeding at the time of enrolment and the safe handling of breast milk is explained to families. This includes it to be brought into the service labelled with the child’s name, date and time expressed. If thawed, milk will also be labelled with date and time thawed.

• Services develop a documented feeding plan for breastfed infants, as part of their routine sheet given during orientation. 

• Ensure to work with the family of the infant taking breast milk to drink from a bottle prior to starting care.

• Provide an open-door policy for mothers to drop in and breastfeed their infant whenever they need to.

• expecting and new mothers are aware of the services policies regarding breastfeeding. Our service is supportive and a breastfeeding-friendly environment.

• signage is visible for a breastfeeding friendly environment.

Promote healthy food and drinks based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating

Where food is provided:

• Provide children with a wide variety of healthy and nutritious foods for meals and snacks including fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereal products, dairy products, lean meats and alternatives.

• Plan and display the service menu that is based on sound menu planning principles and meets the daily nutritional needs of children whilst in care. Our service provides the menu to families in advance and asks for family input. 

• Vary the meals on the menu to keep children interested and to introduce children to a range of healthy food options. Chef also involves children and invites them to select meals in which they wish to embed in the upcoming menu. 

• develop the menu in consultation with children, educators and families.

• Children will be provided with appropriate cutlery and crockery to eat their meals.

• respect and accommodate children’s cultural or religious dietary practices as requested by families.

For lunchbox week:

• Provide information to families on the types of foods and drinks recommended for children and suitable for children’s lunchboxes (i.e. caring for Children ‘Lunchbox Checklist for Food Brought from Home for 2 to 5 year olds’). 

• Encourage children to eat the more nutritious foods provided in their lunchbox, such as sandwiches, vegetables, fruit, cheese and yoghurt, before eating any less nutritious food provided.

• Discourage the provision of highly processed snack foods high in sugar and low in essential nutrients in children’s lunchboxes. Examples of these foods include lollies, chocolates, sweet biscuits, muesli bars, breakfast bars, and fruit filled bars.

• We are an ALLERGY AWARE service and therefore advise families to avoid providing eggs or nuts within their child lunchbox. 

All services:

• Ensure water is readily available (both indoors and outdoors) for children to consume throughout the day.

• Be aware of children with food allergies, food intolerances and special dietary requirements and consult with families to develop individual management plans.

• Ensure young children do not have access to foods that may cause choking. Ensure that food is appropriately sized according to development and age. 

• Ensure all children remain seated while eating and drinking.

• Always supervise children while eating and drinking. 

• Promote good oral health through learning experiences and taking big sips of water.

• Ensure any fundraising promotes healthy and active lifestyles and advocates for children’s wellbeing.

• During meal times we encourage staff to eat a piece of fruit or a small serving of lunch prepared. This is to encourage strategies such as modelling and encourages conversations about health eating. 

Provide age-appropriate food and drinks to children that have been stored, prepared and served in a safe and hygienic manner to promote hygienic food practices

• Ensure tongs are used by all staff handling ‘ready to eat’ foods.

• Children and staff wash and dry their hands (using soap, warm running water and single use or disposable towels) before handling food or eating meals and snacks.

• Food is stored and served at safe temperatures i.e. below 5C or above 60C.

• Use separate cutting boards for fish, chicken, raw meat and dairy; utensils and hands are washed before touching other foods.

• Children are discouraged from handling other children’s food and utensils.

• Always check labels for the ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates, understanding that ‘use by’ dates apply to perishable foods that could potentially cause food poisoning if out of date, whilst ‘best before’ dates refer to food items with long shelf life but quality could be compromised. 

• Ensure fresh meat, chicken, or fish products cannot leak onto other food items and are stored appropriately to prevent this (bottom shelf).

• Ensure fridge and freezer temperatures are checked daily. Our service checks these both in the morning and in the evening and these are documented in our kitchen. 

• Store raw foods below cooked foods in the refrigerator to avoid cross-contamination by foods dripping onto other foods.

• Ensure that all foods not stored in their original packaging are labelled with:

  • The name of the food,

  • The ‘use by’ date,

  • The date the food was opened,

  • Details of any allergens present in the food.

• Ensure staff handling food attend relevant training courses and share knowledge with all educators.

Provide a positive eating environment that is relaxed, social and reflects cultural and family values

• Ensure that educators sit with the children at meal and snack times to role model healthy food and drink choices and actively engage children in conversations about the food and drink provided. Staff to role-model through eating same. 

• Recognise, nurture and celebrate the dietary differences of children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds through strong partnerships with families and community. Provide utensils to meet cultural needs such as chopsticks and the use of hands. 

• Create a relaxed atmosphere at mealtimes where children have enough time to eat and enjoy their food as well as enjoy the social interactions with educators and other children.

• Encourage older toddlers and preschool-aged children to help set and clear the table and serve their own food and drink – providing opportunities for them to develop independence, confidence and self-esteem. 

• Respect each child’s appetite.  If a child is not hungry or is satisfied, do not insist he/she eats.

• Be patient with messy or slow eaters.

• Encourage children to try different foods but do not force them to eat.

• Never use food as a reward or withhold food from children for behaviour management purposes.

Promote lifelong learning for children, early childhood education and care staff and families about healthy food and drink choices, including trying new healthy foods

• Foster awareness and understanding of healthy food and drink choices through daily discussions, displays, and intentionally planned or spontaneous related learning experiences throughout our service curriculum. 

• Encourage and provide opportunities for all educators and staff members responsible for providing food and drinks to the children to participate in regular professional development opportunities to broaden their knowledge and understanding of children’s nutritional requirements.

• Provide opportunities for families to attend information sessions related to children’s nutrition and wellbeing.

Encourage communication with families about the provision of appropriate healthy food and drinks for children while they are attending the service

• Provide a copy of the Nutrition Policy to all families upon orientation at the service. 

• Involve families in the review of this policy annually.

• Have regular communication with families about their child’s eating habits and any concerns that the service might have.

• Request that details of any food allergies or intolerances or specific dietary requirements be provided to the service, and work in partnership with families to develop an appropriate resolution so that children’s individual dietary needs are met.

• Communicate regularly with families about food and nutrition-related experiences within the service, including related professional development, and provide up to date information to assist families to provide healthy food choices at home.

• Communicate regularly with families and provide information and advice on appropriate food and drinks to be included in children’s lunchboxes.  This information may be provided to families in a variety of ways including factsheets, newsletters, during orientation, information sessions and informal discussion. 

Cooking with Children 

We sometimes include cooking experiences in our service’s programming for the children. When these experiences are carried out, educators that are supervising will be vigilant to ensure food preparation remains a hygienic and safe experience. The relevant points from the above food preparation procedure will be followed during the children’s cooking experiences. 

Examples of the type of activities children will participate in during cooking experiences include:

• Helping choose what to cook.

• Measuring and weighing ingredients. 

• Stirring or mixing ingredients. 

• Washing salad, vegetables or fruit.

• Peeling vegetables for cooking

• Setting the tables

• Using plastic cutlery to cut vegetables

• Pick herbs and vegetables from the garden to use in cooking.

• Peeling potatoes & carrots for the chef

Responsibilities of the Approved Provider

• Ensure the service operates in line with the Children Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. 

• require staff responsible for preparing, serving and supervising food for children with food allergies undertake Food Safety training and provide certificate of completion. 

• Appoint and ensure the Food Safety Supervisor holds a valid Food Safety Supervisor certificate and training

• Ensure that the service implements adequate health and hygiene practices and safe practices for handling, preparing and storing food to minimise risks to children being educated and cared for by the service.

• Ensure that service menu is displayed and embraces various cultures, particularly those that are relevant to our service. 

• Must ensure that the Nominated Supervisor of the service and any staff members and volunteers of the service implement adequate health and hygiene practices as well as safe food handling, preparing and storing of food to minimise risks to children being educated and cared for.

• Must ensure that the food and beverages provided to children being educated and cared for at the service, are nutritious and adequate in quantity. Approved Provider must also ensure that the food and beverages chosen meet the individual needs and dietary requirements including development and cultural, religious or health requirements of each child. 

• Must ensure that the weekly menu is displayed in an area that is accessible to families and that is accurate describing the food and beverages offered to the children each day.

Responsibilities of the Nominated Supervisor

• Ensure adequate health and hygiene practices and safe practices for handling, preparing and storing food are implemented at the service to minimise risks to children.

• Ensure children being cared for by the service have access to safe drinking water at all times and are offered food and beverages on a regular basis throughout the day.  

• Ensure that all meals provided by the service are nutritious and adequate in quantity chosen with regard to the dietary requirements of individual children. 

• Ensure that the service provides a weekly menu that accurately describes the food and beverages to be provided is displayed at the premises in a location accessible to parents.

• Ensure that dietary requirements are updated as they arise and staff are made aware of any changes. 

Responsibilities of the Educators

• Adhere to the strategies and practices of the Nutrition, Food, Beverages and Dietary Policy. 

• Ensure children’s individual dietary needs are adhered to.

• Provide positive meal time experiences for children. 

• Respect the individual needs and choices of children. 

• Actively supervise children during meal times. 

• Adhere to the services Hygiene Policy.

• Water is to be served with lunch meals.

• Risk assessment to be completed prior to cooking experiences with children, if dangerous resources are present. 

Responsibilities of ALL Staff handling food will:

• Ensure gloves (or food tongs) are used by all staff handling ‘ready to eat’ foods. Staff are not required to use both as one barrier is sufficient. 

• Ensure children and staff wash and dry their hands (using soap, running water, and single use disposable towels or individual hand towels) before handling food or eating meals and snacks.

• Ensure food is stored and served at safe temperatures (below 5^oC or above 60^oC), with consideration to the safe eating temperature requirements of children.

• Ensure separate cutting boards are used for raw meat and chicken, fruit and vegetables, and utensils and hands are washed before touching other foods.

• Discourage children from handling other children’s food and utensils.

• Ensure food-handling staff members attend relevant training courses and pass relevant information on to the rest of the staff.

• ensure water is readily available for children to drink throughout the day in both indoor and outdoor environments

• be aware of children with food allergies, food intolerances, and special dietary requirements and consult with families and management to ensure individual medical management plans and risk minimisation plans are developed and implemented, in accordance with the Medical Conditions Polic

• ensure young children do not have access to foods that pose a choking risk

• ensure all children remain seated while eating and drinking

• actively supervise children during mealtimes to ensure safety and wellbeing

• participate in regular professional development to maintain and enhance knowledge about early childhood nutrition and food safety practices

• present food in an appealing and appropriate manner

• ensure infants are fed individually and in a safe and responsive manner 

• provide age and developmentally-appropriate utensils and furniture for each child

• ensure food is not used as a form of punishment, reward or bribe

• ensure children are not force fed, coerced or pressured to eat food they do not want or choose to eat, recognising that such practices may constitute inappropriate conduct and pose a risk to children’s safety, wellbeing and dignity.

• encourage toddlers to be independent and develop social skills at mealtimes

• promote healthy eating habits through intentional teaching and inclusion of nutrition in the educational program

• communicate with families about their child’s food intake and discuss any concerns respectfully

• encourage families, where appropriate, to support consistent healthy eating practices at home

Responsibilities of the Families

• Communicate regularly with educators/staff regarding children’s specific nutritional requirements. and dietary needs, including food preferences. 

• Contribute menu ideas and recipes.

• Read the menu in or out of the service to discuss the food that your child ate throughout the day.

• Share any concerns about your child’s eating habits with the educators.

• Work collaboratively with us and follow guidelines for lunchbox week, avoiding packing allergens such as egg or nut in child’s lunchbox. 

FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS FOR STATE/TERRITORIES 

Changes to the Food Standards Code have included new food safety requirements under the Food Safety Standard 3.2.2A. The new requirements comprise of 3 key elements including: (Food safety requirements for children's services in NSW)

• Food Safety Supervisor

• Food Handler Training

• Showing food is safe

Related Statutory Obligations & Considerations

Related Telephone Numbers

• Early Childhood Education and Care Directorate – 1800 619 113

• NSW Health – 02 9301 9000

Amendment History

This policy will be updated to ensure compliance with all relevant legal requirements every year. Appropriate consultation of all stakeholders (including staff and families) will be conducted on a timely basis. In accordance with Regulation 172 of the Education and Care Services National Regulation, families of children enrolled will be notified at least 14 days and their input considered prior to any amendment of policies and procedures that have any impact on their children or family.

Date:

April 2026

Version:

3

Last Amended By:

Laura Clarke

Next Review:

April 2027

Position:

Nominated Supervisor