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Start Strong E-Newsletter March 2015
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Can you believe we're already more than half way through March! This means the general election is at most just 12 months away.
From now on, here at Start Strong we'll be focussing more and more on our general election campaign, encouraging politicians and voters to take on board our key messages. We hope you will support the campaign by helping us spread the word about the need for greater investment in early care and education. Be sure to have a look at our clear policy recommendations on how to achieve high quality affordable 'childcare' too. The more people that get involved, the more likely political action will follow.
Over the next while, this newsletter will keep you up to date with our campaign activities and the key political developments. But don't forget you can also keep in touch by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter. We update our social media daily and love to get your feedback and comments.
So here's to working together to bring about the political change we need to ensure high quality, affordable early care and education for all children. With best wishes The team at Start Strong - Ciairín, Toby, Lorraine and Tressan
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General Election Campaign - let's make this an election for children!  At most, the general election is just 12 months away. It may be even sooner. Over the next 12 months, Start Strong will be increasingly focusing its attention on the election campaign. 'Childcare' is already turning into a major election issue. We now need to ensure that the right messages are heard - and are heard consistently.
Over the 6 years of our existence as Start Strong, we have developed a series of policy recommendations on early care and education. These were developed following consultation and discussion, backed by research evidence, and informed always by a strong focus on the rights of the child. Any support you can give us in sharing those messages will be welcome.
In this and future issues of the Start Strong e-newsletter, we will include early years updates on the general election campaign as it evolves.
Read more
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Public investment, a political priority - we need to invest more in our children
 One of our central calls in the upcoming general election campaign will be for an increase in the level of public investment in young children. That means both investing in supports for families with young children - through, for example, paid paternity and parental leave - and investing in early years services.
The investment in early care and education must take the form of direct investment in those supports and services, not tax breaks.
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Policy brief: 'Childcare' - Business or Profession?
Start Strong has just published a short policy brief highlighting the key messages from our recent report, 'Childcare' - Business or Profession? We will also be publishing a shorter 'easy read' version very soon.
The central message is that we need a new Irish model of early years provision. We need to stop viewing early care and education as a business suited to a 'market', and recognise that it is a profession delivering a public service. And to do that, we need a huge rise in the public funding of early years services.
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EC Country Report: quality concerns raised
The European Commission has just published its 2015 'Country Report' on Ireland. It is great to see that the European Commission has taken on board many of the concerns we raised in our submission earlier this year, especially on quality. Let's hope that the Government takes note.
The Country Report is part of an on-going cycle of EU scrutiny of the Government's budget. The next key question is what recommendations the EC will make to Ireland in May. We are urging the EC to call for measures to improve the quality of early years services through public investment.
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Quality matters - new evidence from Norway
A major national study in Norway, somewhat similar to our Growing Up in Ireland study, has just published a major report on the impact of centre-based childcare on outcomes for children.
The report provides further evidence of the critical importance of quality. Higher quality services led to statistically significant benefits for children. Lower quality led to a worsening of children's outcomes.
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Children's Rights Alliance - Report Card 2015  The Children's Rights Alliance recently published its Report Card 2015. This year's Report Card gives the Government an overall grade of C. Grades for specific policy areas vary widely. On early childhood care and education, the Report Card gives the Government a D+, significantly down on last year's C+ grade, and much lower than the B grade awarded in 2012. Read more
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Oireachtas Update - debates & PQs
Our Oireachtas Update provides links to debates and questions raised in the Oireachtas since the previous newlsetter on issues relating to children's early care and education.
This issue includes debates in both the Dáil and the Seanad, as well as questions on a Second Free Pre-School Year, the introduction of national pay-scales for early years educators, supports for children with disabilities, and Government plans to increase public investment.
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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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Quick Poll
Will a candidate's and/or a party's position on 'childcare' affect how you will vote in the next general election?
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