Articles of Interest September 2012

There have been numerous articles in the press recently on topics relating to children and the early childcare and education sector:

Minister Frances Fitzgerald T.D. Publishes Wording for Children’s Referendum

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Ms. Frances Fitzgerald T.D., is today publishing the 31st Amendment to the Constitution Bill which sets out the wording for the proposed Children’s Referendum which has been announced for Saturday 10th of November.

Early Childhood Ireland also produced a booklet on Children’s Rights in Early Childhood Care and Education, which provides an introduction to the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child (UNCRC)

For more information visit the Children’s Referendum Website  www.childrensreferendum.ie

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Proposal to give a child the right to be cared for

 Ireland’s most vulnerable children would be given “a second chance” if the Government’s constitutional amendment was passed, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.

Mr Kenny was speaking at a news conference to announce the wording of the proposed 31st amendment to the Constitution and other details of the forthcoming referendum.

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Why kids need fathers with bounce

A new scheme aims to use fathers’ influence to reverse the trend of childhood obesity, writes Michelle McDonagh
Studies NOW show that fathers’ attitudes about the food they eat and activity levels are central to the eating and exercise habits of the entire family.

Having an overweight or obese father significantly increases a child’s risk of being an unhealthy weight in childhood, continuing into adulthood, unless lifestyle habits within the family change.

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Schools face surge in student population

The Government will need to recruit 3,000 extra teachers to deal with the surge in the school-going population, Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has acknowledged.

The recruitment of so many teachers would be good news for the huge numbers of unemployed teaching graduates. However, in the coming weeks the Department of Education is expected to come under renewed pressure from the Department of Finance to increase class size.

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Home to lay the foundations of a healthy life

Although seen as an illness of adulthood, the foundations for heart disease are often laid in the family home as children grow up, writes Sheila Wayman.

A heightened sense of mortality is an intrinsic part of becoming a parent. Being responsible for a new little being opens up a whole world of health concerns – not just for your baby but also for you.At least one in five Irish children is now overweight or obese. There is evidence of children aged four to eight already having high blood pressure, high cholesterol and impaired glucose tolerance.

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Highlighting the importance of physical activity in early years

Working together to increase physical activity in early years is vital to improving children’s overall health and wellbeing’ – that’s what delegates heard at a seminar about the importance of ensuring children get off to the best start in life.

The seminar was jointly hosted by the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the British Heart Foundation’s National Centre for Physical Activity and Health (BHFNC).

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