An evaluation of the extent to which early childhood centres in Hawkes Bay engage with Hawkes Bay Heart Foundation Healthy Heart Award and SPARC Active Movement Programmes in 2010

Mara, D., Ashcroft, J., Stockdale-Frost, A. & Karekare, M.

Sport Hawkes Bay, Eastern Institute of Technology

2010

Sport Hawkes Bay

active@sporthb.net.nz

Since 2005, Sport Hawke’s Bay has implemented in tandem SPARC’s Active Movement programme and the National Heart Foundation’s Healthy Heart Award in Hawke’s Bay early childhood centres. An evaluation conducted in 2008 concluded that at that point, in the 34 early childhood centres surveyed, the programmes were linked, were well suited to their needs and were running successfully.

In 2009, Sport Hawke’s Bay were concerned that a number of early childhood providers, including ngā kōhanga reo, were not taking up the programmes as offered. This evaluation therefore examines the factors that enable or inhibit early childhood centres involvement in the programmes. The research question is: What factors assist with the engagement of early childhood centres with the Sport Hawke’s Bay Programmes and what factors are barriers to this engagement?

The evaluation used a mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology. The statistical data included the number and type of early childhood centres participating in the programmes in 2010. The qualitative data included face to face interviews with centre teachers/supervisors and kaiako and whānau from early childhood centres and ngā kōhanga reo.

Findings included that 65 (28%) of early childhood centres implemented the SHB programmes in 2010. That barriers to centres taking up the programmes or completing them are associated with centres believing that they are already including key components of healthy eating and active movement within their curriculum and saw no need for taking up the SHB programmes; that the amount of documentation required by SHB is viewed as onerous and acts as a deterrent to completing the programmes; that some ngā kōhanga reo would like to be able to report within their own kaupapa frameworks, including in te reo Māori and, the need to have recognition and support for this point of difference for ngā kōhanga reo by SHB, SPARC and the New Zealand Heart Foundation. That factors enabling centres to take up the programmes were overwhelmingly connected to the professionalism, knowledge, expertise and dedication of the two SHB co-ordinators; that one of the co-ordinators was familiar with te kōhanga reo philosophies and practices and fluent in te reo Māori was particularly welcomed by ngā kōhanga reo and also having a dedicated centre staff member allocated to the programme who was also committed to the programme and to collecting the data required for reporting. That SHB appears to be getting good value from the investment made in delivering the programmes.

Keywords:

Exercise, Fitness, Health, Active Movement, Healthy Heart, Weight Management, Childhood obesity

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Exploratory

Hawke's Bay

Facilities, Outdoor Recreation, Recreation, Sport

Parents, Young People

Community, Other setting, Schools

Organised, Playgrounds, Sportsvilles/Multisport centres

Barriers, Benefits, Impacts- social, Participation

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November 10, 2011

June 28, 2012