Minister says the need for quality services for children must not be forgotten in the ongoing debate over additional childcare provisionFrances 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.
The Group is being chaired Dr. Eilis Hennessy of the School of Psychology in UCD and brings together experts, both practice-based and academic, in the areas of early years education, children’s development, psychology and health as well as social inclusion and service provision (full membership listed below).
Minister Fitzgerald stated: “This Expert Group brings together a wealth of knowledge and expertise to guide the preparation of Irelands first-ever Early Years Strategy.”
“I see this Strategy as an innovative and dynamic strategy for the future development of Ireland’s Early Years sector, providing a timely opportunity to bring about a more coherent approach to improving the lives of children from birth to age six while harnessing the often understated potential which investment and intervention in early years offers to the future economic and social development of the state.”
Some of the issues envisaged for inclusion in the new Strategy:
o Enhancing the quality of early childhood care and education and of childminding;
o Improving educational outcomes including progressing the objectives of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy;
o Improving health and physical fitness outcomes including in response to findings from the ‘Growing up in Ireland’ Study showing the worrying problems of overweight and obesity among Ireland’s 3-years olds;
o Examining approaches to providing targeted early childhood programmes for disadvantaged children;
o Increasing positive parental engagement in early childhood care and education.
Addressing the meeting Minister Fitzgerald commented on the ongoing discussions between her Department and the Department of Social Protection on the provision of school-aged childcare to support proposed welfare reforms. The Minister stated: “As the government continues to prioritise labour market activation, it is clear that there will be an increasing need for childcare, including in particular for school-aged children. However it is vital that the need for quality services for children is not forgotten in this debate over additional childcare provision. My objective is to ensure that additional childcare places are provided and that all additional services reach a level of quality which ultimately benefits the well-being and improves outcomes for all children.”
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NOTE:
Membership of Early Years Expert Advisory Group.
Dr. Eilis Hennessy, School of Psychology, UCD
Prof. Alf Nicholson, Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street
Prof. Noirín Hayes, DIT
Roisin McGlone, Sligo IT
Breda McKenna, Monaghan County Childcare Committee
Patricia O’Dwyer, Public Health Nursing Consultant
Siobhan Feehan, Deansrath Family Resource Centre, Clondalkim
Fr. Gerard O’Connor, St. Ultan’s Project, Cherry Orchard
Catherine Byrne, Atlantic Philanthropies
Irene Gunning, Early Childhood Ireland
Patricia Murray, Childminding Ireland
Fergus Finlay, Barnardos
Katryn O’Riordan, Cork City Childcare Committee
Ciarin de Buis, Start Strong