Sid Penders - a learning network of childcare organisations
Sid Penders is helping childcare organisations across Zuid-Limburg to implement healthy practices. As a Health Sciences/Global Health alumnus and PhD candidate, Sid monitors and evaluates a learning network of childcare organisations. The member organisations join forces and learn from each other regarding healthy practices and policies. These best practices are implemented in childcare organisations to benefit the quality of care for children in their earliest development years.
Adapting to healthy behaviours can prevent diseases. The specialisation track “Prevention and Health” in the bachelor’s programme Health Sciences works on behavorial change and on stimulating people to look at their health. Sid: “I believe preventing a disease is better than curing it. The public often overlooks health in the long term, which makes it interesting to formulate health interventions that can help people make small changes impacting their health and future life.” Sid’s current research project is a clear extension of his bachelor’s programme and looks at health interventions towards our youngest audience.
The learning network of childcare organisations has Sid working on behavorial changes in pedagogic staff and parents. As a plus, his work allows him to leave his desk from time to time and collaborate with stakeholders from a variety of disciplines.
Breaking the trend
The rise in health inequalities—obesity, poverty, and educational challenges—has been a persistent issue in Zuid-Limburg. These inequalities are problems passed on through generations. To break the trend, GGD-Zuid Limburg formed a regional partnership with, among others, Maastricht University as a knowledge centre. Sid: “Breaking the trend means focusing on prevention at different stages in life. I focus on our youngest generation and evaluate the outcomes of the learning network and the effectiveness of health interventions at childcare centres. Childcare is the ideal place to focus on the health of kids aged 0-4, and by helping kids form healthy habits, we’re also reaching a lot of parents. It was great to see that childcare providers wanted support, which shows they're willing to work on health and prevention.”
A playground of best practices
Those interventions vary from drinking water instead of soft drinks, stimulating physical activity, promoting sun protection and creating environments where everyone feels safe. Sid: “If we create policies for these topics that all childcare organisations can use, their employees can rely on evidence-based information to improve their work and further normalise healthy behaviour and habits among children. That doesn’t require much effort all the time. Small changes can also have a large impact; one example is a childcare centre that mounted a sunscreen pump to a wall close to the door as a reminder to check if children need sunscreen on a sunny day. They shared their tip with the network, and others quickly adopted the idea.”
Sid monitors and evaluates the work of the learning network. “I do questionnaire studies, interviews and observations in short cycles. Initially, we do not do a thorough analysis but look at the rough results. This does not take much time, and we can give feedback to the organisations involved relatively quickly - i.e. within a month or two.” The overall success is measured by a questionnaire addressing a range of health-related topics, including nutrition and physical activity.
The ‘Spring Mee!’ magazine
The network’s ideas inspired the creation of a magazine, “Hop on Board” (Dutch: Spring Mee!). It’s filled with practical tips that childcare staff can implement right away. The first issue, focused on healthy food, was a big hit. “Next up, we’ll dive into fun ways to encourage physical activity,” Sid says. To learn more and get inspired, check out the magazine.
As simple as child’s play
In the upcoming years, Sid will further monitor and evaluate the collaboration between childcare organisations and other organisations in the learning network. He will keep helping childcare organisations with sharing best practices and providing possible interventions they can use. “These interventions should feel like standard work, not as something extra to do. We must implement change as practical and simple as possible. Childcare centre staff are people filled with creativity and ideas. Our work is to support them in raising happy, healthy children.”
Text and photography: Ruben Beeckman
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