Study Info

About CELEBRATE Feeding

CELEBRATE Feeding is a joint research project at the Early Childhood Collaborative Research Centre (ECCRC) at Mount Saint Vincent University and the University of Prince Edward Island.

The purpose of the study is to use a theory-based approach to support responsive feeding environments in child care centres across Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, using an intervention informed by the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework (read more about the BCW here).

The CELEBRATE Feeding project has two research aims:

  1. To develop, implement and evaluate a BCW-informed coaching intervention for supporting responsive feeding environments in the early years using a pre-post- intervention design.

  2. To identify the feasibility of the intervention to inform integration and potential scaling up within the broader early childhood system.

Nutrition coaches will work with child care directors and educators to build responsive feeding environments that recognize and support a child’s sense of autonomy, confidence, and self-regulation. With responsive feeding, children communicate feelings of hunger and fullness, followed by an appropriate response from the caregiver. A responsive feeding environment includes exposure to a variety of foods without pressure to eat, while including opportunities for food exploration and play.

Through the CELEBRATE Feeding project we aim to foster the joy of eating through an enriched feeding environment that celebrates diversity and inclusion.

Our Approach

Note - The CELEBRATE Feeding Approach to responsive feeding is a theory-driven and evidence-based collection of target educator behaviours that support responsive feeding practices in the classroom. Behaviours are grouped into three categories to highlight commonality and provide situational context but overlap to demonstrate broad applicability beyond a single category. The consistent practice of the target behaviours can positively contribute to children’s health outcomes, outlined in the three squares at the bottom of the figure. 

Study Updates

We are excited to announce that we have eight child care centres participating in the CELEBRATE Feeding project, three in Prince Edward Island and five in Nova Scotia. We have now completed data collection at the centres (through surveys, observations, focus groups and interviews), and coaching at the centres is now being carried out.

This research has been made possible with funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and is undertaken, in part, thanks to funding from the Canada Research Chairs program and the Fondation J-Louis Lévesque.