Canada Unveils New Guidelines to Improve Child Health in Daycares

With only 13% of young Canadian children meeting national 24-hour movement guidelines, researchers at Western University’s Child Health and Physical Activity Lab are spearheading efforts to transform child-care settings into hubs for healthy movement. These guidelines, encompassing physical activity, limited sedentary screen time, and sufficient sleep, are critical for supporting the physical, mental, and social development of children aged birth to five years, shaping lifelong healthy habits.

As over one million Canadian children spend most of their weekday waking hours in child-care settings—a number set to grow with the rollout of the national Early Learning and Child-Care Plan—child-care centres are pivotal in fostering healthy movement behaviours. However, inconsistencies in care quality persist, with only the Northwest Territories and British Columbia mandating specific durations of physical activity in their regulations.

To address this gap, researchers, in collaboration with national child-care organizations, public health agencies, and experts, have developed Canada’s first Best Practice Guidelines for Healthy Movement Behaviour in Childcare. These guidelines, crafted through a rigorous process involving a national consensus meeting, expert surveys, and alignment with global standards like those from the World Health Organization, provide a framework for educators and child-care centres to promote physical activity, reduce screen time, and ensure adequate sleep.

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The development process included input from partners such as the Canadian Child Care Federation, ParticipACTION, and the Métis Nation of Ontario Early Learning and Child Care, ensuring inclusivity and relevance. The guidelines draw on evidence from British Columbia’s and Australia’s active play standards, as well as the lab’s PLAY policy, to establish best practices tailored to the Canadian context.

However, guidelines alone may not suffice. Many child-care educators lack training in promoting movement, often reporting low confidence in leading physical activities. To bridge this, the lab developed the TEACH e-Learning course, designed to enhance educators’ skills in fostering physical activity and fundamental movement skills while minimizing screen time. Tested nationwide, the course has significantly improved educators’ knowledge, confidence, and intentions to implement movement-focused practices.

The next phase involves piloting these guidelines alongside the TEACH course in Ontario child-care centres to assess their feasibility and impact on educator practices and children’s movement behaviours. Results from this testing will refine the guidelines, which will then be freely accessible on the lab’s website, aiming to benefit child-care centres across Canada.

This initiative aligns with the 2021 Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan, which emphasizes affordability, accessibility, quality, and inclusivity in early childhood education. By integrating evidence-based movement guidelines and educator training, Canada is poised to create healthier, more active child-care environments, supporting the long-term well-being of its youngest citizens.

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