Smiles 4 Miles
Sunraysia Community Health provides support for Long Daycare, Family Daycare and Kinders to achieve and maintain their Smiles 4 Miles award.
Smiles 4 Miles
The Smiles 4 Miles Program is an oral health program aimed at improving the oral health of preschool aged children attending early childhood education and care services in Sunraysia.
The 2-year award-based program improves the oral health of children and their families in high-risk areas by encouraging early childhood settings to embed oral health promotion strategies within their services with 3 key messages: Drink well, Eat well, Clean well.
This program offers:
- Opportunity to participate in dental education session for children.
- Professional development training session for staff in healthy eating and oral health, offered in-person and online.
- Free dental products for all children attending a Smiles 4 Miles registered service.
- Resources and incentives to support the delivery of healthy eating and oral health learning experiences and engaging families.
- Partnerships with the Healthy Eating Advisory Service and the Achievement Program. Services that achieve their Smiles 4 Miles award will be eligible for advanced standing for the Healthy Eating and Oral Health benchmark of the Achievement Program.
Why is Smiles 4 Miles important?
Every child is at risk of tooth decay. 1 in 5 Victorian preschool aged children who attended public dental clinics in 2022-2023 had experiences tooth decay. Dental admission is the second highest cause of preventable hospital admissions in children under 5 years old.
Establishing sound oral health and healthy eating habits from an early age gives children the best chance of maintaining good oral health in adulthood.
Who can access this program?
Smiles 4 Miles is a settings-based program that can be accessed by early childhood services such as kindergartens, long day care and family day care providers.
What does it cost?
This program is free for eligible participants.
When can I join?
2025 registrations open on the 1st of December 2024.
For more information visit the Smiles 4 Miles website or contact the SCHS Health Promotion Team via the form below.
