Start Strong
Start Strong e-newsletter - September 2011
Girl and practitioner
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In this issue
Child poverty - call for a target
Family literacy - a complementary approach
Eurochild update
New Zealand - strategic plan succeeding
Graduate leaders make a difference

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Dear colleague, 

  

As the Government continues its preparations for the next Budget, we are heartened by statements from Frances Fitzgerald, our Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, that continuation of the Free Pre-School Year is a priority for the Government.

  

Especially at a time of economic crisis, it makes sense for the Government to invest in young children. Quality early care and education boosts children's development and life-chances and, through its effectiveness in prevention and early intervention, reduces future social expenditure by the State.

As well as maintaining the Free Pre-School Year, there are other steps the Government will need to take in the coming years if it is to ensure that quality services and supports are available for all young children in Ireland, especially for under 3s.

That's why we are calling for a strong focus on early childhood services and supports in the forthcoming National Children's Strategy. Later in the autumn we will be holding a conference to discuss the strategy and we hope you will be able to join us - we will send you details shortly.


This e-newsletter includes a summary of an important study from New Zealand that highlights the value of having a strategic plan for early childhood. We also have articles about family literacy, professional development of the early years workforce, child poverty and an update on Eurochild.
Child poverty - call for a target
ECPC pamphlet cover
The Government has begun a review of Ireland's national poverty target. The End Child Poverty Coalition - of which Start Strong is a member - believes we now need a target that specifically relates to child poverty. More than 96,000 children live in consistent poverty in Ireland. Read more
Family literacy - a complementary approach
Mum and kids reading
Family literacy projects seek to improve parents' ability to support their children's literacy. A report just published examines the international evidence on their effectiveness. It shows that the family literacy approach works. It's an approach that should be promoted - especially when it involves cooperation with other approaches to supporting children's literacy. Read more
Eurochild update
Eurochild logo
Start Strong is a member of the European NGO network Eurochild, and earlier this month Start Strong's Policy and Research Officer, Toby Wolfe, was appointed Co-Chair of Eurochild's working group on Early Years Education and Care, along with Dr Mathias Urban of the University of East London. Read more  
New Zealand - strategic plan succeeding
New Zealand strategic plan coverNearly a decade after New Zealand's strategic plan was launched, a major evaluation has just been published. The conclusion is clear: the strategic plan's impact has been "very positive". Here in Ireland, with a new National Children's Strategy to be developed in the coming months, the time is right for the Government to set down a coherent plan for Ireland's early years policies. Read more
Graduate leaders make a difference
Graduate
In 2006 the British Government introduced a new professional status in the early years workforce and a funding scheme to help practitioners achieve this status. The evaluation of the scheme has found that settings which gained a graduate leader with professional status made significant improvements in quality. Read more