On your behalf … (June 2012)

‘Report of the Independent Child Death Review Group 2000-2012’
 

Early Childhood Ireland is appalled and saddened by the findings of the ‘Report of the Independent Child Death Review Group 2000-2012’.   The report highlighted the endemic failure of child welfare and protection systems which have resulted in the loss of 186 lives since 2000.

Early Childhood Ireland’s vision is that every child gets a loving, secure and stimulating start in life and working to ensure children’s well-being is core to our Mission.   The focus of our work and that of our members is primarily on young children but we believe that quality early childhood care and education provides lasting positive outcomes and helps build strong, resilient adults.   
Representing our members, Early Childhood Ireland is working to improve the policies and practices that keep children safe.  We want to ensure that our systems are fit-for-purpose; that they support children, families and communities and that they anticipate and respond to emerging needs.

Early Childhood Ireland is actively pursuing this agenda on behalf of our members through a strategy of informing and influencing:

• Influencing the new National Children’s Strategy through participation on the Expert Advisory Group

• Conducting Consultation Sessions with members on the new strategy to hear opinions and ensure strong  views from the sector are fed into the new strategy

• Actively informing our members on the issue of Children’s rights and in in particular on the forthcoming  Children’s Constitutional Referendum

• Making submissions  on Child Protection (Draft Heads of Children First Bill 2012)

• Seeking to improve Garda Vetting processes and timeframes and making submissions on the proposed new Bill
  

• Developing strong links with the new Children and Family Services headed up by the National Director, Gordon Jeyes

• Be part of and contribute to the Children First Committee for the Early Years Sector

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Sick Pay Proposal back in the News This Week

The sick pay issue is now back in the news as a recent IMF staff report, part of the troika’s latest quarterly review of Ireland’s bailout programme, suggested that Ireland was out of line with other countries in relation to sick pay. The report seemed to express  support for the Minister’s proposal as it urged for reform of sick leave practices “by requiring employers to pay for the first two to four weeks of illness”. (Irish Times 17/06/12).

Early Childhood Ireland recognises that the introduction of such a proposal would be disastrous for the early childhood care and education sector.  We pressed our case with the Minister in November/December and are awaiting a date to meet with her.  Our position and that of our members is that our sector is unique in that ratios must apply and under the proposed scheme employers  will be required to pay twice for the same work. Introduction of this scheme will close services as sustainability is a very real and on-going challenge for the sector.

Accordingly we are yet again seeking a meeting with Minister Burton in order to directly communicate the views and concerns of our members.  We will continue to keep you updated on this issue.

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Children’s Rights Referendum scheduled for Autumn

Early Childhood Ireland welcomes the announcement that the Children’s Rights Referendum will take place in the autumn.

Teresa Heeney, Chief Operations Officer, Early Childhood Ireland says:  “As the representative group for over 80% of preschools and day care centres supporting over 80,000 children nationwide, Early Childhood Ireland welcomes the announcement today that the Children’s Rights Referendum will take place in the autumn.  This referendum is already high on the agenda of our regional meetings taking place throughout June where we invite childcare professionals as well as parents and all those interested in shaping the lives of young children in Ireland to voice their concerns and suggestions and help us to shape Ireland’s first National Early Years strategy.”

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You Can Help the Lives of Children and Young People

Early Childhood Ireland invites childcare providers and parents to local consultation meeting to discuss the lives of young children in Ireland and to shape National Early Years Strategy

Early Childhood Ireland is inviting you to have your say and influence the development of the new National Children’s Strategy.  
The Government started a consultation on the development of the new strategy on the 11th June and wants to hear from Early Childhood Ireland Members and others who have opinions on how we can improve children’s lives, making Ireland a better place to be.

As a direct response to Minister Frances Fitzgerald’s consultation process on improving the lives of children and young people, Early Childhood Ireland is running 14 regional consultation meetings throughout the rest of June and is inviting local childcare professionals, parents and all those working in the early years sector to a local meeting.

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HSE Inspection Survey Summary

Early Childhood Ireland recently conducted an online survey for members around their experience of their latest HSE Inspection.

The purpose of this survey was to gain an understanding of our member’s experiences, in order to best represent their views and engage with the HSE about the whole inspection process and how it can be improved to the benefit of all.
Thank you to all those who completed the survey and we have posted the summary from the HSE Survey findings for your information.

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Response to Study on Obesity in Pre-School Children

Statement from Teresa Heeney, Chief Operations Officer, Early Childhood Ireland in response to new study from UCC and UCD (as part of the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance) warning that nearly a quarter of pre-school children are overweight or obese.

“As the representative group for over 80% of preschools and day care centres supporting over 80,000 children nationwide, we are very concerned but in no way surprised by the findings of this most recent study which warns that 23% of children between one and four years old are above the recommended weight for their age. It is high on the agenda of our 14 regional meetings on the National Early Years strategy starting this evening in Dublin, Cavan and Athlone.  Full schedule below in editor’s note.

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Minister Fitzgerald hosts first meeting of Expert Advisory Group on Ireland’s first-ever Early Years Strategy

Minister says the need for quality services for children must not be forgotten in the ongoing debate over additional childcare provision

Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children & Youth Affairs has today hosted the first meeting of the new Expert Advisory Group which has been established to advise on the preparation of Ireland’s first-ever Early Years Strategy.  Preparation of this Strategy was recently agreed by Government. Early Childod Ireland is on the advisory group and attended this meeting.

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Childcare workers not getting training

Childcare workers are unable to access essential HSE child protection training, an Oireachtas committee was told yesterday.

Irene Gunning, chief executive of Early Childhood Ireland, told the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children 52 per cent of its members said staff had not had access to Children First training.

She said the HSE provided all child protection training for childcare workers in Montessori schools, play groups and other childcare facilities free of charge, but because of cutbacks and a moratorium on recruitment, it was difficult to access.

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Laws on smacking children questioned

A senior member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has questioned whether Irish laws on smacking mean parents can be good role models for their children.

Speaking at a conference in Dublin yesterday organised by the Campaign for Children, Dr Maria Herczog, said: “If you are hitting your child, why are we expecting your child to be non-violent and non-aggressive?”

Irene Gunning of Early Childhood Ireland said, for example, that emotional abuse had not been included in the heads of the bill, that school age and out of school services were omitted and that proposals relating to pre-school services would put “unmanageable pressure” on them to comply.