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Dear colleague,
The main topic in this issue is the Government's preparation of forthcoming strategies on children. In particular, we welcome the fact that Start Strong has now been invited to be a member of the Expert Advisory Group on the National Early Years Strategy.
The Government has opened a public consultation process to inform the development of its strategies. We encourage you to make a submission, and we here highlight some of the issues we will prioritise in our submission.
The Government has also issued new contracts to services that deliver Government-funded schemes such as the Free Pre-School Year, and we examine some of the changes in these contracts.
In addition, we profile two important new Irish books - one on diversity and equality in children's early years, the other a textbook prepared by the network of third-level colleges - as well as research on the Incredible Years programme and a European study on quality.
We also highlight a global campaign on children's rights in early childhood, a critical issue in the context of the Government's preparation of strategies on children.
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Consultation on Government strategies
 The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has launched a public consultation on the strategies that her Department will be developing during the year ahead. In addition, the Minister has appointed an Expert Advisory Group on the National Early Years Strategy, which will be developed later in the year. We are pleased to let you know that Ciairín de Buis of Start Strong has now been included as a member of the Expert Advisory Group. Read more |
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New contracts for Government schemes
 New contracts have gone out from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to all services delivering Government-funded schemes, including the Free Pre-School Year. The new contracts, which will apply from this September for the next two years, differ from the previous contracts in only a few ways, but some of the implications are significant.
We are pleased to see the Aistear curriculum framework named for the first time, but more supports are needed for the roll-out of both Síolta and Aistear, and we are concerned about the change to the adult:child ratio. Read more
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Rights from the Start
 The Global Campaign for Education, which is a worldwide coalition of civil society organisations calling for universal education, has launched a campaign on children's right to early care and education.
Called "Rights from the Start", the campaign argues that "every child has the right to education, and these rights start from birth". Read more
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Towards a quality framework for Europe
 Following publication last year of the European Commission's excellent Communication on Early Childhood Education and Care, the Commission has established an expert group to guide its implementation.
A parallel Stakeholder Group has also been established, involving European networks and organisations, including Eurochild. The first meeting has just taken place in Brussels, and Toby Wolfe from Start Strong was one of Eurochild's representatives at the meeting. Read more |
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Incredible Years in Galway
 The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs recently launched an evaluation report (called "Making a Difference") on the delivery of the Incredible Years programme in pre-school settings in Galway.
The evaluation showed statistically significant benefits for children's behaviour and emotional development, benefits which persisted until the end of the children's first year of school. Read more |
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Diversity and equality in Ireland
 An important new book has just been published on how practitioners of early care and education can - and should - enhance the quality of their practice through critical reflection on diversity, bias and discrimination. Diversity and Equality in Early Childhood: an Irish Perspective is written by Colette Murray and Mathias Urban, with contributions from members of the EDENN network.
The forthcoming National Early Years Strategy will be a key opportunity for the Government to take concrete steps to ensure that diversity and equality training is rolled out in all early years settings over the next 5 years. Read more |
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New Irish textbook for students
 Early Childhood Education and Care: an Introduction for Students in Ireland is a new Irish textbook, written by the PLÉ network of lecturers on third-level early care and education courses in Ireland.
Publication of the book is itself a milestone in the professionalisation of the early years workforce in Ireland, bringing together the work of different degree programmes while supporting the professional development of the growing number of early years educators in Ireland who are working towards third-level degrees. Read more
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Start StrongAdvancing children's early care and education in Ireland
  www.startstrong.ie+353-1-662-4018
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| | We've moved!
We've moved, and we have a new phone number too (01-6624018). If you're trying to find us, there's a map on our website.
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 | Supporters
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 | The Economics of Children's Early Years
Start Strong's latest report presents the compelling economic case for Government investment in early care and education. Read it now
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 | If I Had a Magic Wand
Our recent publication presents children's own views on early care and education services. Read it online |
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