Update on Ukraine

Early Childhood Ireland stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. We see the invasion by the Russian government and the subsequent war as a betrayal of children’s rights, of life, respect, and safety. This is happening right now in Ukraine, but children are experiencing and witnessing other wars around the world that are often more silent. We are hopeful that peace and dialogue are still possible in Ukraine and elsewhere.

You, your teams, the children, and their families may feel the need for reassurance. We will continue to share resources that might be helpful to support your setting community. We hope that small gestures of peace and shared compassion and respect will be of some comfort.

Your staff and HR advice

Providers who are employers and who have staff from the affected regions should be mindful of sensitivities around the conflict. We suggest speaking with these staff members and offering them support. Please contact our Early Years Employer Service (EYES) team if you have any specific queries around this at 01 4057103 or eyes@earlychildhoodireland.ie.

Affected staff should also be encouraged to access any Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) that may be available to them through their place of work, or through their Health Insurance. EAP schemes can provide vital counselling and mental health services for staff who are experiencing anxiety or stress.

If employers do not have an EAP in place, they can consider implementing one. EAPs are often affordable for employers and are best practice for safeguarding employee mental wellbeing, for helping to improve staff retention and contributing to a positive work environment. Employers can access free resources from the HSE or make enquiries with commercial providers.

Early Childhood Ireland group scheme policyholders with Arachas already have access to their counselling helpline provided by Arag and can contact Arag at 01 670 7470 for details including how their employees can access it.

How to answer questions from children  

You may find that children in your care will ask questions about the conflict in Ukraine. Barnardos has some helpful strategies here for talking to children about the current situation.