What is the All Ireland Centre of Excellence Award?

The All Ireland Centre of Excellence award (AICEA) is a programme that encourages and supports childcare providers to ensure that the quality of provision in their Nursery is of an excellent standard.

This process can be engaged in at a rate at which the provider chooses and may result in the achievement of an award that declares the service to be a Centre of Excellence.

Why is this award important?

Quality childcare positively influences children’s earliest experiences in daycare and therefore plays a vital role in their future development.

The All Ireland Centre of Excellence Award programme acknowledges and celebrates childcare providers who are providing excellent standards of care for children in Ireland.

Who can apply for the AICEA?

The programme provides support and mentoring for all childcare services that wish to improve the quality of their service. 

Therefore the AICEA is open to every type of service.  

What is the future of the AICEA?

Following the merger of IPPA and NCNA – this award programme is in the process of being revised.  Early Childhood Ireland recognizes the need for the programme to fit with the strategy of the new organization.

This evaluation is currently being conducted in consultation with Sranmillas College, Queens University, Belfast and both the AICEA manual and the award are being reviewed in the context of Aistear and Siolta and in their reviewed form they will place new emphasis on reflective practice, observation, documentation and planning.

We hope to begin the revised programme in September 2012.  Early Childhood Ireland will continue to update all our members of these developments via our website, emails etc.