by Barbara Pimento; Deborah Lee Kernested (Author)

Healthy Foundations introduces students to the integral role educators play in creating and maintaining a healthy environment, which helps foster growth and development in children. The text promotes and encourages a healthy living philosophy and reinforces the concept that educators play an integral role in maintaining and improving children’s overall health. As the title implies, health is a cornerstone of ensuring high-quality early childhood learning and care (ECLC). Development and learning are fostered and supported when children are healthy and able to participate fully in a child-centred, play-based curriculum. In collaboration with families, educators have an integral role in maintaining or improving children’s overall health status through a health promotion philosophy. This role requires an anti-bias attitude, respect and sensitivity to diverse ethnocultural and family health beliefs and practices. Each of us has a responsibility for our own health, yet we can’t dismiss the responsibility of our communities and society.