Growing Healthy Children in the City of Melton The Healthy Children Growing Together Project Sarah Grace Project Officer: Healthy Children Growing Together What I’m going to talk about...
• Project background • Some context on The City of Melton • Social determinants and impact on health • How we will grow healthy children in the City of Melton
Project Funding
• $300,000 • 12 month funding period June 2015 • 18 month implementation period August 2014 January 2016
A little about the project
Purpose: Promote and protect the health and wellbeing of children and their families through healthy eating and physical activity initiatives.
Target: Children 0-8 years and their families
Why? Parents and families have the greatest influence on • Children’s immediate wellbeing • Instilling lifelong habits
Project Objectives
• Raise awareness • Increase physical activity levels • Provide opportunities • Encourage intake of fruit and vegetables • Policy development physical and social environments • Build capacity of early years service providers • Improve health literacy • Build an evidence base Insert...me! So where the heck are we?
Macedon Ranges Shire Moorabool Shire Hume City We are 39km west of Melbourne . Caroline Springs 19km . Melton South 35km City of Brimbank
City, rural and small townships City of Wyndham
Increasing diversity
We’re growing really fast!
Per Annum Per Week Daily Our5,028 populationpeople is currently 130,000 Equates to: 97 people 14 people One Government Primary School
1,734 families 33 families Equates to: Equates to: 5 families 1.5 Community Centres 1 New Street 42 babies 2,172 babies Equates to: 6 babies 2 Kindergarten Classes 2012-2013 data We’re also a young population
• 70% are less than 45 years old. • The largest age group is 0-4 years old. • The second largest is 30-34 years. Our Growth Boundary in 2002 Current Expected Growth in 2014 Changes over a decade – Caroline Springs: Then (2004) & Now (2013)
Changes over a decade – Brookfield: Then (2004) & Now (2013)
What’s influencing our health? The Picture in the City of Melton
Long commutes (2+ hours) to work 14% exclusively breastfed City of Melton 22% at 6 months
Victoria 12% Fuel price vulnerability Lowest in Victoria
Mortgage stress High unemployment experienced by 26%
Low education levels This is leading to poor behaviours...
City of Melton 44.9% 66.6% Daily soft drink Victoria 41.9% 54.8% consumption
Not eating enough fruit and vegies City of Melton 21%
Victoria 12%
The highest in the state! Not doing enough physical activity
City of Melton 28.2% 30.6%
Victoria 27.2% 27.5%
...and poor health outcomes
Too many are overweight or obese
City of Melton 49.3% 66.4%
Victoria 40.3% 57.2%
City of Melton 9.3% Victoria 4.8% More than double diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes HCGT Project Model What are my challenges?
• Planning, engagement and partnerships take time (a lot!!) • Minimal longevity to what is delivered • Difficult to influence the long term • Lack of Health Promotion history in Melton City Council
Want to get in touch?
Sarah Grace Project Officer: Healthy Children Growing Together 9747 5261 [email protected]