Government endorses set of childhood care standards

A COMMON set of standards aimed at improving the quality of early childhood care and education has been endorsed by the Government.

But while the framework will help raise standards, it will not be mandatory.

The framework document addresses a broad range of issues including the needs of the child, parental involvement, curriculum, professional practice and the importance of play.

It will be now be tested and evaluated in a range of practice settings to ensure that the materials can support the delivery of quality services for children under six years.

Children’s Minister Brian Lenihan said the document, developed by the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE) set out for the first time the dimensions of quality and the processes to achieve them.

“The Government is deeply committed to supporting the delivery of quality in practice. The publication of the draft quality framework allows us to take one step closer to this common goal,” he said.

The CECDE established by the Department of Education and Science in 2002, spent three years developing the framework called Siolta, the Irish word for seeds.

And the consultation process was not just limited to those involved in early childhood care and education sector in Ireland — many parents, child care professionals, policy makers and researchers were also involved.

CECDE director Heino Scholfeld said Siolta provided a common set of quality standards across a diverse range of settings for children such as full day care services, childminding and the infant classes of primary schools.

Similar frameworks have been developed in many countries throughout the world and some, have made theirs mandatory.

Mr Scholfeld said parents of young children would do well to study the framework because it would help them in dealing with service providers and making judgments about the quality of care offered.