High quality settings are characterised by warm, respectful relationships and clear, open communication between staff, parents and children. We all share the responsibility to ensure that children enjoy a happy and life enhancing childhood wherever they are.
Our initial reaction to the new Free Childcare for Homeless Children scheme announced by the Minister for Children & Youth Affairs on Thursday 15th December.
Early Childhood Ireland launched a new report today entitled ‘Doing the Sums: The Real Cost of Providing Childcare’ with Meehan Tully & Associates Ltd.
Quality and availability of childcare will drop if Government doesn’t act fast to address the crisis of sustainability due to continued State underfunding, low pay rates and problems with recruitment and retention of childcare professionals.
This is according to Alison Gopnik, a cognitive scientist and professor of psychology and philosophy at the University of California and author of “Against Parenting” who was keynote speaker at the EECERA (European Early Childhood Research Association) conference today (Saturday 3rd September 2016), hosted by Early Childhood Ireland in DCU, which was attended by almost 1,000 early childhood educators and researchers from around the world.
PRESS RELEASE: Early Childhood Ireland welcomes the publication of the first batch of reports on Education-focused Inspection in Early Years Settings, but urges the Government to increase funding for the ECCE free preschool scheme to ensure it can function better.
€5.4 million awarded for national higher education programme for inclusion coordinators in early years settings who will champion and co-ordinate better access to early education for children with additional needs