Healthy hearts starting young in Wairarapa

Published: 9 March 2026

Parents have noticed their children willing to try new veggies at home thanks to the new menu at Ko te Aroha Children’s Centre, Masterton, since signing up to the Tohu Manawa Ora I Healthy Heart Award, a programme run by the Heart Foundation.

“A healthy heart starts in childhood,” says Mariana Alletson-Collins, Nutrition Advisor at the Heart Foundation. “Our programme supports children and their families to make positive choices every day, whether that’s learning about nutritious food or discovering how fun physical activity can be.” 

Ko te Aroha Children’s Centre is a recent addition to the programme but have “flown through” the three levels of Tohu Manawa Ora I Healthy Heart Award reaching the highest award - Pā-Harakeke - in just two years.   

“It is impressive that they have reached the milestone so quickly, as many early learning services take much longer to achieve this,” Mariana says. 

While the centre is part of the KidsCan meal programme, which are provided daily to the 28 children attending the centre, they also provide healthy snacks such as carrot sticks and hummus. 

“Tamariki are more willing to try a wider range of foods, showing increased confidence and curiosity around healthy kai”, says Ko te Aroha teacher Jazz Robens. “The changes made to our menu have supported better energy levels, focus, and overall wellbeing throughout the day. We have observed tamariki enjoying their kai more, remaining settled during mealtimes". 

Also, in the Wairarapa region, Carterton Kindergarten is signed up to the Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award. As one of the earliest services in New Zealand to have signed up to the programme in 2010, they began working towards the first level of the award, Rito, achieving the highest level Pā-Harakeke in 2016 and have continued to hold it since then.   

A teacher at the kindergarten, Nelly Kendall-Carpenter says, “our kindergarten is proud to be part of the Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award journey as it is actively promoting healthy choices. Our outdoor environment provides rich opportunities for everyone to practise physical skills and build confidence through active play”.  

Today, in the Wairarapa alone, there are ten early learning services taking part in the programme, reaching 472 children out of a total of 1805 attending services in the region. 

“Sharing the message to families about the importance and value of nutritious food and regular physical activity is important. For a lot of families, it is tough, but hopefully with small changes we can make heart healthy habits part of everyday life.” 

Since the programme’s launch, hundreds of early learning services across Aotearoa have taken part. Today, more than 1500 early learning services are engaged in the programme across New Zealand. 

The programme achieved a significant social return on investment (SROI) in a 2024 independent report, which showed that for every dollar invested in the programme there is a social return of $4.50.  Improved oral health, physical activity levels and reduced diabetes directly contributed to the social value

For more information about what the Heart Foundation offers early learning services, click on the button below
Healthy Heart Award