Food policy and practice in early childhood education and care

by Francesca Vaghi

ISBN: 9781032286105

Published: 2023-12

"This book is about food (and feeding) in early childhood education and care, offering an exploration of the intersection of children's food, education, family intervention, and public health policies. The notion of good food for children is often communicated as a matter of common sense by policymakers and public health authorities, yet the social, material, and practical aspects of feeding children are far from straightforward. Drawing on a detailed ethnographic study conducted in a London nursery and children's centre, this book provides a close examination of the practices of childcare practitioners, children, and parents, asking how the universalism of policy and bureaucracy fits with the particularism of feeding and eating in the early years. Looking at the unintended consequences that emerged in the field, such as contradictory public health messaging and arbitrary policy interventions, the book reveals the harmful assumptions about disadvantaged groups that are perpetuated...