A Parents’ Guide to Síolta the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education in Ireland.

Síolta (meaning seeds) is a quality framework for early childhood care and education services.

Síolta’s quality framework can be used in different Early Childhood Care and Education services (ECCE) such as crèches, nurseries, preschools, play groups, child-minders and infant classes.  All ECCE services can use this framework regardless of the curriculum approach they use e.g. whether they are play-based, Steiner, Froebel, Montessori or Primary school.

Principles of Síolta

The framework is based on 12 Principles which guide the way we work in ECCE services. They guide how we organise our services, how we relate to children, families and to each other. 

Standards of Síolta

Síolta also establishes 16 Quality Standards which will guide the way in which all early childhood care and education services work and develop in Ireland. The Standards cover all aspects of early childhood care and education delivery and practice.

Síolta Quality Assurance Programme

Síolta also serves as a Quality Assurance Programme.  ECCE services participating in this programme work through all 16 standards of Síolta using them to reflect on and improve the quality of their services.  They are then validated by the Department of Education and Skills (DES).

For further information please visit the practitioners’ Síolta page.

You can also download a Síolta Information leaflet, specifically for parents, which was designed by the former Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE).