Poster Presentation Skin Cancer 2024

Context

The national SunSmart Schools and Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Programs are a common feature in Australian primary schools and early years settings. Developed and launched by Cancer Council Victoria in 1994, the SunSmart Schools Program was established in every state and territory by 2008, with the SunSmart ECEC Program similarly established nationally by 2009. The program has been complemented by respective government sectors in their support of policy for improved sun protective environments for Australian children. 

Body

The SunSmart Programs similarly encourage schools and early years education settings to reduce harmful overexposure to UV radiation by requiring minimum standards for sun protective environments and behaviours. These requirements are:

• Including sun protection content in curriculum/learning activities
• Requiring children and staff to wear sun protective clothing and encourage sunscreen use
• Ensuring adults/staff role model sun protective behaviours
• Providing adequate shade for outdoor activities
• Developing and implementing a comprehensive, evidence-informed sun protection policy.

On meeting the minimum criteria of sun protective practices and implementing a policy, the school or ECEC service are awarded ‘SunSmart Member’ status, valid for three - five years. As of April 2023, over 75% of all Australian ECEC services and 65% of all Australian primary schools are classified as members.

Summary

This presentation will detail the behavioural and environmental measures that are required to be implemented by individual schools and ECEC services to gain SunSmart membership, and the influence of state and national Government policies and regulations that enable wide-spread compliance in the respective sectors.