CYP Now - Health News: Healthy eating - Lack of policy for under-fivesattacked

New nutritional guidelines for early years settings are set to spearhead a Government drive towards improving healthy eating for under-fives. But early years leaders have accused the Government of lacking a coherent policy on the issue, which they say has been overlooked because of the Government's "exclusive" focus on healthy eating in schools.

Good pre-school nutrition plays a decisive role in children's behaviourand long-term development but, despite the introduction of nutritionalguidelines for schools last September, the Government has yet toannounce similar action for under-fives.

However, Rachel Atkinson, the Department of Health's nutrition policymanager, told delegates at a Pre-School Learning Alliance conferencelast week that the Caroline Walker Trust is being paid to produceguidelines for the early years sector. These will build on the trust'sEating Well For Under-5s in Child Care guidance. The work would form thebasis for a healthy eating drive within the early years sector, sheadded.

Guidelines for nurseries, playgroups and childminders were recentlypublished in Scotland, which has more state-maintained nurseries thanEngland.

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