Educators and child health nurses: Working together to support responsive infant and young child feeding practices in early childhood education and care

Abstract

The NOURISH:ECE project explored the role of maternal and child health nurses (MCHNs) in early childhood education and care (ECEC) through the design and pilot of professional learning (PL) regarding responsive feeding practices. Eight focus groups were conducted in Queensland (MCHNs, n = 20; educators, n = 29) to explore attitudes regarding partnerships, PL, and feeding practices. Subsequently, a PL module was developed - incorporating videos, group discussion and reflection - and delivered to 64 educators by a MCHN. Educator practices were compared pre- and post-PL. The proportion of meals at which an educator was observed to use responsive feeding practices increased (praise for eating healthy foods, 11.3%–29.2%), but educators were observed pressuring children to eat more often (19.9%–40.1%). NOURISH:ECE provided promising preliminary results regarding PL. However, adequate resourcing and workforce issues in both sectors are barriers to developing effective partnerships across education and health.