Northern Sydney Local Health District

Finalist: Keeping People Healthy Award

Small Bites for Big Steps is a video resource developed to empower educators and families with children's healthy development during their first 2000 days. The on-demand videos and Professional Development (PD) courses, aim to bridge the knowledge gap between child development milestones and health outcomes for Educators working with children.

The project team developed 49 bite-sized videos featuring expert advice from Children's Allied Health, Child and Family Health Nurses, and Health Promotion Officers. The videos are used in eight online PD courses for Early Childhood Educators, to assist Educators to gain accredited PD hours. This includes three NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)-accredited courses.

The demand and interest from Educators and local health districts (LHDs) for these resources demonstrates their effectiveness and relevance in supporting children in their first 2000 days. From its launch on 1 May 2023 to 20 June 2024, outcomes include:

• 13,000+ video views.
• 1,200 completions of PD courses by over 800 Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Educators.
• Videos integrated into a subject at Charles Sturt University in the Bachelor of Teaching (0-5).
• Videos feature on NSW Government's 'Parents and Carers' Hub.
• Videos and PD courses shared across NSW LHDs, facilitating widespread distribution of evidence-based practices.​
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