Strand one - Well-being
Mana Atua

Goals

Children experience an environment where:

• Their health is promoted;
• Their emotional well-being is nurtured;
• They are kept safe from harm.

All children have a right to health, to protection from harm and anxiety, and to harmony, consistency, affection, firmness, warmth, and sensitivity. Young children experience transitions from home to service, from service to service, and from service to school. They need as much consistency and continuity of experience as possible in order to develop confidence and trust to explore and to establish a secure foundation of remembered and anticipated people, places, things, and experiences.

Adults working with children should have a knowledge of Māori definitions of health and wellbeing and an understanding of what these concepts mean in practice. Adults should acknowledge spiritual dimensions and have a concern for how the past, present, and future influence children’s self-esteem and are of prime importance to Māori and Tagata Pasefika families.

Relationships of the Strand of Well-being to the Curriculum Principles

This strand is based on the principle of Empowerment. Children develop an enhanced sense of self-worth, identity, confidence, and enjoyment as they reach the goals of well-being in a responsive, stable, safe environment which supports the development of self- control and self-esteem. The goals of this strand recognise the principle of Holistic Development in promoting well-being through consistent, warm relationships which connect the various aspects of the child’s world. The strand recognises that Family and Community are important in contributing significantly to children’s well-being. In the same way, the strand of well-being emphasises that through Relationships, children develop trust that their needs will be responded to, and that trust contributes to developing confidence and independence.

Adults’ Responsibilities in Management, Organisation, and Practice

Policies, procedures, and supervision should ensure that children are kept safe and feel secure within a safe environment, where symptoms of danger or abuse are promptly recognised. Any suspected abuse or harm must be dealt with in association with support agencies and families.

Daily routines should respond to individual circumstances and needs and should allow for frequent outdoor experiences, regular rest times, and a variety of group and individual interactions, with one-to-one attention from adults every day.

Frequent communication among all adults who work with children is essential to ensure consistent, reasoned responses to children’s changing needs and behaviours and to share information on health issues such as nutrition and inoculations.

Adults should anticipate a child’s needs for comfort and should communicate positive feelings in an environment which is calm and friendly and conducive to warm and intimate interactions.

Adults should build relationships of trust and respect by acknowledging children’s feelings, treating the children as individuals, explaining procedures, taking children’s fears and concerns seriously, and responding promptly to injuries or falls.

Adults should recognise the important place of spirituality in the development of the whole child, particularly for Māori and Tagata Pasefika families.

Adults, as well as children, need emotional support, some flexibility in their routines, and the opportunity to share and discuss their experiences in a comfortable setting.

Continuity Between Early Childhood Education and School

Children moving from early childhood settings to the early years of school are likely to:

• effectively communicate their immediate needs for rest, drinks, food, and attention and continue to become independent;
• have established many self-care skills;
• be able to take meals and snacks with minimal supervision and with some understanding of healthy foods and healthy surroundings;
• be increasingly in control of their emotional responses;
• have some understanding of keeping themselves safe and be able to articulate some questions and concerns;
• have a range of strategies for getting help for themselves and others.