
Young kids failing to get adequate nutrition in early childcare centres, research suggests In short: Research suggests young children are going hungry in early childhood centres, being given food that doesn't meet dietary standards, and childcare workers are giving kids their own food. In turn, these food issues are linked to conflict and emotional issues across the day. What's next: Experts are calling for targeted food subsidies in disadvantaged areas and an overhaul of the quality standards for early childhood centres. The first 2,000 days of life — from conception to age five — is when we go through the most rapid and extensive brain development that sets the foundation for ongoing life. During this critical time, some children spend up to 10,000 hours in long day care, Karen Thorpe, who heads up the Child Development, Education and Care Group at the Queensland Brain Institute, said. "A large part of their nutrition relies on what they r...