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National Pyjama Day 2026

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Month: February 2026

Budget 2027
News

Pyjama Party: Over 55,000 Children Celebrate National Pyjama Day in Support of LauraLynn and Eco-Emotions

Pyjama Party: Over 55,000 Children Celebrate National Pyjama Day in Support of LauraLynn and Eco-Emotions Friday, 27 February: Over 55,000 children are wearing their pyjamas with pride today as National Pyjama Day 2026 is celebrated in over 1,000 Early Years and School Age Care settings across the country. Organised by Early Childhood Ireland, this cherished

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David Monaghan 27/02/2026
Inclusive and SEND reforms in England
News

Introduction to ECOS Institute

The ECOS Institute, a new platform designed to provide equitable, relevant, and accessible professional learning for those involved in the ecosystem of early childhood, was recently launched. It is described as “a global learning movement built with and for the people shaping young children’s lives”. ECOS (Early Childhood One System) exists to make learning more

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Martin Nagle 24/02/2026
Garda Vetting

A Must Listen Podcast Episode: Key Insights from the National Vetting Bureau

Early Childhood Ireland is pleased to share a dedicated and highly informative podcast episode featuring senior representatives from the An Garda Síochána National Vetting Bureau (NVB). In this special episode, our host Máire is joined by Superintendent Niall Featherstone and Inspector Marisa Costello, who offer members a rare opportunity to hear directly from the leaders

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Martin Nagle 24/02/2026
News

Minister Addresses Joint Oireachtas Committee

Minister Addresses Joint Oireachtas Committee Last week, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley T.D., attended a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Equality to discuss revised expenditure estimates for her Department for 2026. The overall gross figure for the Department in 2026 is €7.058 billion for current expenditure and

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Martin Nagle 24/02/2026
Garda Vetting

How to Manage and Track Garda Vetting Applications

Managing and Tracking Your Garda Vetting Applications Managing Garda Vetting applications can, at times, feel demanding. To support you, Early Childhood Ireland provides a Garda Vetting Tracking Dashboard designed to streamline the process and give you immediate oversight of all vetting applications connected to your setting. The Garda Vetting dashboard gives you a clear, centralised

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Martin Nagle 17/02/2026
News

Government Announcement Rundown

Government Announcement Rundown There have been several announcements from the Department of Children, including about admissions policies, a survey of Early Years and School Age Care providers and a new grant for childminders. Admissions Policy As part of the Phase One actions within the recently launched Shaping the Future Action Plan Phase One (December 2025),

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Martin Nagle 17/02/2026
Inclusive and SEND reforms in England
News

The role of Early Years in addressing poverty in the EU

“The children who would benefit most from ECEC are often the ones with the least access to it.” Last month a report entitled Addressing poverty in the EU was published to support the definition of the first EU anti-poverty strategy, announced in the European Commission’s 2024–2029 political guidelines. The report combines findings from multiple fields

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Martin Nagle 17/02/2026
Inclusive and SEND reforms in England
News

Ofsted Early Years inspection report

Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills in the United Kingdom (UK), recently published their 2024/2025 Annual Report. The report is based on information and findings found during inspections carried out by Ofsted in England. We provide an overview of the findings related to Early Years. The role of Early Years

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Martin Nagle 10/02/2026
News

From the Local to the International: Policy Update

Dublin City Council Last week, Dublin City Councillors hosted an inaugural meeting of the Childcare Provision and Infrastructure Working Group, which aims to establish Dublin City Council’s approach to planning for the Early Years needs in the area. Given the recent announcement of the new ‘State-led services’ initiative, Early Childhood Ireland welcomes the establishment of

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Martin Nagle 10/02/2026
Making the News: National Pyjama Day 2026
Making the News

Making the News: Get ready for a pyjama party!

In January, we had an exciting start to the year as we announced LauraLynn, Ireland’s children hospice, as the official charity partner for National Pyjama Day 2026. Key Results Early Childhood Ireland secured 33 pieces of coverage across national and local media, including 13 print, 14 online and 6 broadcast. Highlights from this month were

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Martin Nagle 10/02/2026

Exciting changes are coming!

We are launching a new website and improved ECI Professional Learning Hub.

From Friday, 7 August, some learning resources may be temporarily unavailable while we complete essential upgrades and migration work.

Important: Please download any certificates and complete courses from the Professional Practice Learning Space by 5pm on Friday, 7 August, as these certificates will not automatically transfer to the new platform.

Thank you for your patience as we build a better learning experience for members.

Find out more
Read our submission here
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