Early childhood centres have an important role to play in promoting healthy eating and cultural inclusivity by, integrating culturally relevant food practices and knowledge into their programs.
The Goodstart Early Learning Centre in Hampton Park has led the development of a First Nations Food Garden (FNFG) and successfully integrated this, into the curriculum, to embed Aboriginal culture and perspectives.
In 2024, the Early Childhood team at the Goodstart Early Learning Centre recognised the need to further embed Aboriginal culture and perspectives into its learning programs. Motivated by a desire to do more and to create a deeper sense of belonging for Aboriginal families attending the service, the team took meaningful steps to enhance cultural inclusion. In partnership with Monash Health Health Promotion team, the service secured a 2024 community grant from the City of Casey to develop a First Nations Food Garden (FNFG). This initiative supports the integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures into the curriculum and provides children with hands-on opportunities to connect with Country.
To launch the garden, the service collaborated with Karen Sutherland from Edible Eden Design, to host a one-hour Q&A session and share her expertise on native plants and their benefits. During the launch the children enthusiastically participated in the planting activities, showing great interest in the garden and its features.
The project outcomes include, the introduction of new recipes using herbs from the FNFG, such as incorporating lemon myrtle leaves into main meals; educators have been provided with more opportunities to teach the children about the native plants in the garden; and the children are engaging with and showing curiosity about the educational signs around the garden.
To find out more on how your service can embed health and wellbeing activities to further promote cultural inclusion please reach out to the health promotion team at Monash Health at HealthPromotion@monashhealth.org
For further information, email prevention@health.vic.gov.au