Nourishing young lives: Health and wellbeing in early childhood

Understanding health and wellbeing for educators

Health and wellbeing in early childhood should be understood broadly, not only as the absence of illness, but also as children’s physical health, emotional security, developmental support, preventive healthcare, and access to services when they need them. In Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC), this includes children’s immunisation, management of infectious diseases, access to Medicare and developmental checks, oral health, and social-emotional wellbeing (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2025a, 2025b; NHMRC, 2024). This context is very important in early childhood education because children’s health can directly affect their attendance, participation, behaviour, concentration, relationships, and their ability to engage in play-based learning (AIHW, 2024).

From a sociological point of view, ecological theory helps to understand that children’s wellbeing is shaped by different systems around them, such as family, ECEC settings, health services, communities, and wider policy environments (Nolan & Raban, 2015). Similarly, the social determinants of health framework shows that children’s health is influenced not only by family choices, but also by wider factors such as income, housing, transport, access to services, and cultural safety (Department of Health, 2021; AIHW, 2025). This issue is also diverse and evolving in Australia, because First Nations, migrant, refugee, rural, remote, and low-income families may experience health and access to services in quite different ways, especially with rising living costs, unequal access to healthcare, and growing recognition of children’s mental health needs (Department of Health, 2019; AIHW, 2024a).

Social Policy and Australian responses

Australia’s policy response to children’s health and wellbeing is increasingly focused on prevention and early intervention. Nationally, the National Action Plan for the Health of Children and Young People 2020–2030 aims to support children to be healthy, safe, and thriving, while the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021–2030 highlights equity, early action, and systems-based prevention (Department of Health, 2019, 2021). Medicare also remains a key mechanism for access to healthcare, and newer reforms such as MyMedicare and bulk-billing incentives are intended to improve continuity and affordability of care for families (Services Australia, 2025a, 2026a). Preventive support for children is further strengthened through the National Immunisation Program and the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2025b).

Recent data shows both progress and continuing need. National childhood immunisation coverage was 91.54% at age 1, 89.57% at age 2, and 93.17% at age 5, which shows relatively strong uptake but still some gaps in coverage (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2026). In NSW, policies and initiatives such as Brighter Beginnings, the First 2000 Days Framework, and the Health and Development Checks in Early Childhood Education Program aim to strengthen early identification and referral pathways (NSW Government, n.d.; NSW Health, 2021; NSW Department of Education, 2026). These policies directly influence ECEC practice through enrolment requirements, health documentation, infection control, communication with families, and referral processes, although barriers such as cost, transport, language, and distrust of systems may still limit equitable access (NCIRS, 2024; NSW Health, 2025).