Start Strong has become a member of the End Child Poverty Coalition. We have chosen to make the campaign against child poverty one of our priorities because services and supports in the early years can have such a large impact in reducing child poverty.

The starting point for Start Strong's work is the conviction that policies that impact on young children should be driven by the aim of achieving positive outcomes for children. Not only is child poverty deplorable in itself, but there is abundant evidence that it has very damaging effects on children's development and life chances. Children who grow up in poverty do not 'start strong'.

We believe that high quality, affordable and accessible care and education for young children is essential in combating child poverty. Research evidence shows that where services and supports are of sufficient quality, they can have a very beneficial effect on children's development, transforming children's chances of breaking the inter-generational cycle of poverty and social exclusion. In addition, the absence of affordable, accessible childcare services is a major barrier to employment, education and training, preventing families - especially one-parent families - from exiting poverty.

A report on child poverty published earlier this year for the European Commission concluded, in its country report on Ireland (written by Hugh Frazer), that 'policies in relation to early childhood education and care are inadequate and fragmented and are a key factor in low participation in the labour force and low income from work for many families and need to be urgently addressed. They are also a key factor in relation to educational disadvantage.'

The End Child Poverty Coalition is a partnership of national non-governmental organisations that have come together to achieve a common goal: ending child poverty in Ireland. The other Coalition partners are: Barnardos, Children's Rights Alliance, Focus Ireland, National Youth Council of Ireland, OPEN, Pavee Point and the Society of St Vincent de Paul. Read more about the End Child Poverty Coalition here.

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Children are missing out on essential learning experiences and the chance to explore because of a lack of space, according to research published in the new issue of 'Children in Europe' magazine.

Despite access to outdoor spaces being increasingly recognised as vital for nurturing and developing young children's natural inquisitiveness and long-term wellbeing, as well as their creative and cognitive development, the research reveals that outdoor space standards in services for young children vary widely across Europe, with some countries, including Ireland, France and Germany, having no national requirements specified. When compared to the 40 square metres for pre-school children in Croatia and 33 square metres per child allocated in Norway for under-threes, there is clearly work to be done here.

While parents have become increasingly concerned about their children's safety, and young people spend more time indoors, the risk of losing the benefits offered to young people's mental and physical wellbeing through outdoor activity is equally significant.

As Bronwen Cohen, Chief Executive of Children in Scotland, who published the findings, says in a press release on the magazine: 'The need for access to quality outdoor space extends beyond simply learning about nature, to learning in nature, which is good for mental and physical health, and which binds community and family in discovering and developing local resources. As outdoor play is increasingly encouraged, we must work, as a number of other European countries do, to allow children innovative and stimulating experiences, in safe but challenging outdoor settings, which can range from playgrounds and parks, to supervised visits to working farms. The important element is that children must be allowed to take the lead in their learning, discovering things for themselves, asking questions, and developing as citizens.'

In looking for workable ways forward, the magazine includes key articles from Sweden and Denmark  - where innovative use of outdoor environments is a longstanding part of the education systems - as well as Catalonia, Scotland and elsewhere. The magazine can be purchased and downloaded from the Children in Europe website here. There will also be a conference in Scotland on 16th September to explore the issues in the magazine (see Events below).


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A major new study in the US examines the impact of mothers' employment during a child's first 12 months on child development during the first seven years. Using data from the widely cited NICHD Study of Early Child Care (SECC), the researchers from Columbia University (Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Wen-Jui Han and Jane Waldfogel) find that the impact of maternal employment in the first year is neutral overall, but that this is because of a mix of offsetting factors. They find that 'significantly negative direct effects' on cognitive outcomes are offset by significantly positive indirect effects through factors linked to the higher income-level that comes from maternal empoyment.

Looking only at the direct effects, the new research finds that the negative effects arise early and persist over time. Interestingly, the negative effects are only on cognitive outcomes, and are only found where mothers begin full-time employment during the first year - there are no negative effects of part-time employment, or of employment in a child's 2nd or 3rd year. In relation to social and emotional outcomes, negative effects are only found where full-time maternal employment begins by three months. The researchers find no evidence of 'attachment' as a factor affecting behavioural outcomes, nor do they find negative effects of centre-based child care. (Unfortunately, data limitations prevented the researchers from looking at fathers, though they note the importance of future research on both the employment and caring roles of fathers.)

The researchers find that maternal sensitivity is a crucial factor in child outcomes, and interestingly they find that early maternal employment is associated with greater maternal sensitivity at a later stage. They suggest that the financial security that comes with employment translates into greater maternal sensitivity. Another mediating factor is the quality of child care, and the researchers find some positive indirect effects of early employment on mothers' ability to afford quality child care.

The overall neutral impact on child development should be reassuring to parents who have returned to work during a child's first year, but it should not be an excuse for complacency among policy-makers. On the contrary, the significant direct negative effects of employment in the first year make a strong case for strengthening maternity leave and parental leave.

The fact that employment can create offsetting indirect effects through increasing financial security and strengthening the ability to afford quality child care does not lessen the need for parental leave for the first 12 months. Instead it points to the need for parental leave to be paid and for quality child care to be made more affordable. The authors note that support for maternity and parental leave is particularly weak in the US, where leave is generally unpaid, but in Ireland too we have a long way to go before a parent can remain at home for the first 12 months without compromising their financial security or job prospects. Extracts from the report are available here, though the full text requires purchase.

In policy debates on children's early care and education, it is sometimes forgotten how much informal care is provided by grandparents, and there is little consideration of how this should affect policy. An important exception is a new report published by Grandparents Plus, a charity in the UK. They commissioned researchers from King's College London to carry out a review of research on the role of grandparents within family life across Europe, and to examine how family policies in 10 European countries take account of grandparents.

While grandparents have always played significant roles within families, the report (titled 'Grandparenting in Europe') argues that their roles have been changing, for a variety of reasons: grandparents now live longer, but are more likely to live apart from their children; mothers are more likely to work; the proportion of one-parent families has risen, as have rates of divorce and separation (among both parents and grandparents).

The research review indicates that grandparents are more likely to provide regular care for their grandchildren if mothers work, or if the parents have divorced or separated (which is also a theme of a recent Irish study by researchers at Trinity College, supported by the Family Support Agency, on 'The Role of Grandparents in Divorced and Separated Families').Grandparents are also more likely to provide regular care if their grandchild has a disability, as many parents of children with a disability feel that other childcare options do not meet their needs. Grandparents are most likely to provide care for grandchildren under the age of five.

There is also considerable variation between countries in the extent of grandparental care, which may partly reflect the extent of public provision of early care and education services. In Italy, Spain and Greece, approximately 40 per cent of grandparents provide regular care for their grandchildren, compared with 20 per cent of grandparents in Sweden, France and Denmark.

Unfortunately we don't have comparable figures for Ireland. Recent data from the Central Statistics Office suggests that 13 per cent of pre-school children are cared for (during the working day) by a relative other than a parent or guardian. However, this figure groups grandparents together with other relatives, and it is possible that this CSO data does not fully capture the extent to which grandparents (or other relatives) provide supplementary childcare, e.g. collecting children from centre-based services (such as creches or play-schools) and caring for them until the parents return home from work. The need for complex arrangements of this type is amplified by the fact that sessional services (and infant classes at schools) are only open for short hours in Ireland, e.g. from 9 to 12.30, which is typically not compatible with parents' working hours, even for those who work part-time.

The effects of grandparental care - on both the children and the grandparents themselves - are complex. Many parents value a caring role for grandparents, whether because grandparents often have a strong commitment to their grandchildren, because of their experience, or because in many cases they are more flexible than paid childminders in the hours and responsibilities they take on. However, grandparents - just as much as parents - may benefit from further information and support in learning how best to interact with young children to support their well-being, learning and development. Apart from anything else, some older grandparents may simply not have the levels of energy and fitness that are needed for interactive play with energetic toddlers!

What is certain is that the role of grandparents is rarely addressed in Government policy - except in cases where they become the primary carers of a child. The care they provide is generally informal, unpaid and unregulated. The Grandparents Plus report notes a small number of exceptions. In Germany, for example, parental leave may be transferred to a grandparent in cases where a parent is seriously ill, disabled, or in full-time education.

The report is just the first report of a longer-term project. It will be interesting to follow the progress of the next phase of the research, and to consider possible implications for family policy in Ireland. Read the 'Grandparenting in Europe' report here.

Recent UK research that attempted to assess value for money within early years services - by comparing measures of quality, outcomes for children, and costs of provision - exposed a range of methodological difficulties. The research was particularly concerned to look at the significance of official UK measures of quality (such as the Ofsted regulatory inspections) and outcomes (such as the Foundation Stage Profile assessment).

The study looked at children within the Millennium Cohort Study, and focused particularly on a sample of those children whose early years settings had been examined closely using a range of quality measures. The detailed analysis examined more than 500 children in 300 services, with outcomes measured at age 5.

From a policy perspective, one of the most striking results is a clear finding that children who start pre-school at an earlier age score more highly on child outcome measures, even after accounting for their socio-economic background. Children who start 'early years education' at the age of 2 or younger have significantly more positive outcome measures (particularly in terms of social and behavioural outcomes) than those who start when older. Those who start at the age of 4 or older have significantly worse outcomes. This finding is surely significant in an Irish context - where many children begin the Free Pre-School Year at the age of 4 - and suggests that a second, earlier year of free pre-school could have strong positive benefits for children.

The project's findings in relation to quality and costs are less clear-cut. The report finds that Ofsted regulatory inspections are only weakly correlated with other measures of quality. In terms of outcomes, the Foundation Stage Profile assessment is not found to be linked to measures of quality, though other outcome measures are. Attempts to link service performance with costs are riddled with difficulties. The report finds that most service providers are unable to report their costs accurately, whether because they receive services-in-kind (especially in the voluntary sector) or costs are cross-subsidised (e.g. where premises are shared with schools or other activities). Overall, the report highlights the difficulty of assessing value for money of early years services - and that's even before one starts looking at the long-term impact into adulthood or the wider social benefits! Read the full report here.

On 16th September, Children in Europe will be holding a special conference titled 'Playing Outside: Play, Nature and Services for Young Children'. The conference, which will be held in Markinch, Fife, in Scotland, will explore some of the issues raised by Children in Europe's newly published magazine issue on playing outside, including the importance of play, models of best practice, and policy implications.

'Children in Europe' is a Europe-wide magazine, published simultaneously in 15 languages, for everyone working with and for children aged 0-10 and those interested in children's issues. Further details on the conference are available here.