Licensed early learning and childcare centres (ELCCs) can provide children with rich opportunities for outdoor play that they may not otherwise experience in their home or community. However, many ELCCs struggle to provide high quality and stimulating outdoor play time. The primary aim of our study is to develop, implement and test a comprehensive multi-component intervention, the PROmoting Early Childhood Outside (PRO-ECO), to build capacity for, and address the complexities of building support for outdoor play in early childcare centre settings. This is to ultimately increase children's access to engaging outdoor spaces for play. Our overarching goal is to develop and evaluate a comprehensive multi-component intervention, called the PROmoting Early Childhood Outside (PRO-ECO). This intervention is to increase children's outdoor play and the diversity of outdoor play behaviour in Canadian ELCC settings providing full-day licensed care for preschoolers. The PRO-ECO integrates development of policies and procedure, early childhood educator (ECE) training and mentorship, outdoor space modifications and, parent/caregiver engagement. The PRO-ECO intervention will be co-developed, implemented and evaluated in partnership with the YMCA of Greater Vancouver (YMCAGV). A wait-list control cluster randomised trial design (RCT) will evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention and how it can be modified to tackle barriers in diverse settings.
Age range
30 Months – 99 Years
Sex
ALL
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A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Assessing child participation in outdoor free play by identifying prevalence of play
Timeframe: Intervention Group - Change of prevalence of play at 5-months/10-months post-intervention (Spring 2022/Fall 2022); Wait List Control Group - Change of prevalence of play at 5-months post-intervention (Fall 2022)