Standard 2.1 (Health): Each child’s health and physical activity is supported and promoted. It has 3 elements:
For each element below: what it means in practice, what an assessor looks for, the common gaps, and a model short answer for “briefly explain” questions in certificate III and diploma assessments.
“Each child’s wellbeing and comfort is provided for, including appropriate opportunities to meet each child’s need for sleep, rest and relaxation.”
What it means: Children’s physical and emotional needs are met in a way that suits each child: comfort when upset, rest when tired, quiet spaces, and sleep practices that follow the child’s needs and current safe sleep guidance rather than a single group nap time.
What an assessor looks for:
Common gaps: All children put to bed at the same time regardless of need; sleeping children not checked as the policy requires; no quiet options for non-sleepers.
Element 2.1.1 requires the service to provide for each child’s wellbeing and comfort, including giving each child appropriate opportunities to sleep, rest and relax according to their individual needs.
“Effective illness and injury management and hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.”
What it means: The service prevents the spread of illness, manages injuries and illness properly and keeps a hygienic environment: handwashing, nappy change and toileting hygiene, cleaning, exclusion of infectious children, first aid, and managing medical conditions and medication.
What an assessor looks for:
Common gaps: Handwashing skipped at transitions; medication records incomplete; children with medical conditions without current plans.
Element 2.1.2 requires effective practices for managing illness and injury and for hygiene to be promoted and actually carried out, such as handwashing, cleaning, first aid, excluding infectious children and managing medical conditions.
“Healthy eating and physical activity are promoted and appropriate for each child.”
What it means: Food and drink are nutritious, adequate and suit each child’s needs, including cultural, religious and dietary requirements, and children are physically active every day in ways that suit their age and abilities.
What an assessor looks for:
Common gaps: Menus that don’t match what is served; dietary needs not visible to staff serving food; long sedentary periods.
Element 2.1.3 requires the service to promote healthy eating and physical activity in ways that suit each child, by providing nutritious food and drinks and plenty of opportunities for active play.
See the whole quality area in Quality Area 2: Children’s health and safety, or all 40 elements on one page.
Standard 2.1 (Health): each child's health and physical activity is supported and promoted. Its elements are 2.1.1 Wellbeing and comfort, 2.1.2 Health practices and procedures, and 2.1.3 Healthy lifestyle.
Each child's wellbeing and comfort is provided for, including appropriate opportunities to meet each child's need for sleep, rest and relaxation.
Effective illness and injury management and hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.
Regulations 84A to 84D (sleep and rest, sleep and rest policies and procedures, risk assessment, and prohibition of bassinets). Regulation 81 has been repealed.
WIDEN Law answers National Quality Framework questions with inline citations to the National Law, the Regulations and the NQS, so you can check the source provision yourself.
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