Health promotion in childcare centres: a survey of sun protection policy and practice

Objectives: To describe sun protection policy and practice in child care centres in the Hunter region of New South Wales (NSW) and examine differences in sun protection policy and practice between those who attended a NSW Cancer Council SunSmart workshop and those who did not. Method. One hundred and seventy-seven Hunter child care centres completed a CATI interview (95% consent rate). Results: Ninety seven per cent of centres reported having a written sun protection policy (only 5% deemed comprehensive by review). Sun protection policy components were reported more often than sun protection practices. There were no significant differences in policy or practice according to workshop attendance. Conclusions: Having a sun protection policy in place does not necessarily translate to sun protection practice at child care centres.