Category 1: Staffing to support the health and development checks program

ECEC services may use funding in this category to provide relief for educators/teachers taking time off the floor to participate in activities related to the HDC program only. Eligible activities under this category include:

• undertaking administrative duties, such as collating consent forms and liaising with parents and NSW Health nurses
• completing pre-assessment questionnaires
• supporting children during the check
• engaging in professional learning to build capacity to support children’s learning and development needs.

Funding cannot be used for non-HDC program related activities. This includes increasing ratios to provide 1:1 support or relief time to complete other administrative duties, such as developing or reviewing Individual Learning Plans or collaborating with specialist providers working with an individual child.

Category 2: Suitable space for health and development checks

Under this category, funding may be used to repurpose or refurbish an existing space to establish a suitable space for conducting Health and Development Checks.

Any refurbishment or repurposing must enable participation in the HDC program and services should consider how this space may be used following the visit to support children’s health and development.

Services may also use funding to purchase functional or educational resources to support children’s learning and development needs following the Health and Development Checks. Purchasing of resources must directly relate to the outcome of the checks.

Before undertaking refurbishment or purchasing resources, it is recommended to contact your local health district to discuss the requirements. Services may also request a Service Summary form to understand how best to support the group of children in their care. This summary is completed by the local health district staff following your Health and Development Check visit and outlines the areas where children at your service may require additional support at a cohort-level.

Category 3: Supporting children's health and development

This category focuses on upskilling educators and teachers in relation to the HDC program, such as preparing to take part in the program or building capacity to support children’s health and development following a HDC visit.

To determine what may be included under ‘health and development’, consider the components of the Health and Development Checks in ECEC program which includes:

• listening and talking skills
• social skills and behaviour
• gross and fine motor skills
• learning, thinking and problem-solving skills
• how children’s bodies are growing, such as their height, weight and teeth.

In this instance, ‘health’ does not relate to child safety, such as safe food handling, management of allergies or medical conditions, or maintenance of furniture and building fixtures. For further information on what is included in the check, please see the NSW Blue Book (PDF 4,185 KB).

Examples of capability uplift to assist with childhood health and development include:

• engaging a relevant external provider, such as an allied health professional, to facilitate role modelling and training support to educators and teachers and embed strategies into everyday practice
• engaging in online or in-person training and workshops related to supporting children’s talking and listening, problem-solving skills, social skills and behaviour
• Engaging in training related to healthy eating and/or physical activity, such as the Northern Sydney Local Health District Small Bites, Big Steps NESA accredited training or Munch and Move training.

Examples of resources to assist with childhood health and development include:

• social-emotional books, self-regulation teaching resources, role play resources and books, visuals and games to support communication development
• books to engage in shared reading to foster language development or books on topics such as emotions to support children to develop their social skills
• equipment to support children's social skills and behaviour, such as setting up quiet spaces for children to visit when needing time away from the group
• creating visuals to support transitions between routines
• healthy eating or oral health books and resources, such as a tooth brushing model, posters for learning about healthy eating and teeth brushing, and role play resources, such as food models
• gross motor equipment, such as climbing frames
• an edible garden to allow children to learn about different foods, assist in food preparation and develop a positive attitude towards food
• creating classroom visuals that encourage an inclusive environment for children with hearing impairments
• rearranging learning environments to reduce hazards and enhance accessibility for those hearing or vision impaired.