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The high cost of childcare to parents has been a theme in the media in recent weeks, and it also forms part of a Government review currently under way. The cost is a huge burden for many families.
In developing policy to address the cost issue, children's interests must come first. That's why we argue that the affordability and the quality of childcare must go hand-in-hand. This newsletter includes a submission we made to an Oireachtas Committee on this issue.
We also summarise newly published Irish research that makes clear why quality must be a cause for concern, with evidence suggesting that the quality of many early years services in Ireland is poor by international standards.
And a new book, comparing experiences from eight countries that have market-led childcare systems, argues that the best way to ensure quality and affordability go together is through subsidising quality services, not through tax credits.
This newsletter also includes summaries of the 2014 Report Card from the Children's Rights Alliance, and a report on the Aistear in Action initiative.
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Affordability, access and quality
 In February, Start Strong made a presentation to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children on affordability, access and quality in early care and education services. The meeting was called following publication of "Supporting Working Families", a report published by Donegal County Childcare Committee and Indecon Economic Consultants. Start Strong argued that policies to reduce costs to parents must have quality-raising measures built in, if we are to avoid a repeat of what we saw in the Prime Time investigation last year. Read more |
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Research on curriculum quality in Ireland
 Research has just been published in the journal Irish Educational Studies on the quality of a random selection of Irish pre-schools. The research involved detailed observation of practice in 26 varied, pre-school services, from right across the country. It makes for depressing reading. Read more |
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Aistear in Action - report
 Since 2011, Early Childhood Ireland and the NCCA have been collaborating on a joint initiative to promote implementation of the Aistear curriculum framework.
A report on the initiative was recently published online. The initiative showed the value of a mentoring approach, but the report also points to the need for paid non-contact time for staff, and for reform of the inspection system. Read more |
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An equal start?
 An important new book - An Equal Start? - brings together learning from researchers across eight countries on how to achieve what the editors describe as the "double dividend": ensuring high-quality provision to benefit children, while at the same time making services affordable and making access equitable, so that parents - especially in disadvantaged families - can afford to work .
The eight countries examined were chosen because they each involve a "mixed economy" of early care and education services, including private provision. They therefore offer important lessons for Ireland . Read more |
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Children's Rights Alliance - Report Card 2014
 The Children's Rights Alliance recently published its Report Card 2014. This year's Report Card gives the Government an overall grade of C. Grades for specific policy areas vary widely - with a grade of A- on child literacy, but grades of E and F on child poverty, Traveller children, and migrant children.
On early care and education, the Report Card gives the Government a C+, slightly lower than last year's B- grade, and down further on the B grade in 2012 . Read more |
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Political update
 "Political update" is a new section of our e-newsletter. It gives an update on political developments in relation to early care and education policy. In this issue, we include links to Oireachtas debates on the National Early Years Strategy, on follow-up to the Prime Time investigation, and on the affordability of childcare, as well as a range of parliamentary questions. Read more |
Start StrongAdvancing children's early care and education in Ireland
  www.startstrong.ie+353-1-662-4018
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