Early Years: Driving Quality and
Challenging Poverty,
an ABC early years practice to policy event
Dublin Castle Conference Centre
17th February 2016
Welcome and introduction
Eleanor McClorey, CEO, youngballymun
Laura Dagger, Early Years Mentor, Clondalkin Blue Skies Initiative
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Background to the ABC Programme
Irish initiative to break cycle of child poverty
• €30 million funding by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and
The Atlantic Philanthropies (2013-2017)
Improving outcomes for children and families across 13
Areas of greatest disadvantage in Ireland
• Evidence-informed interventions and approaches, embedded in
mainstream services
• Local consortia to co-ordinate planning and delivery of services
Jointly programme managed by Pobal and CES
• CES providing implementation support, evaluation, facilitation of
Learning Community
• Pobal responsible for governance and funding
3
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
ABC Programme Outcomes
Integrated
service
delivery
Services
embedded in
mainstream
delivery
Children’s
learning
Child health
and
development
Parenting
4
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
13 Areas in the ABC Programme
Area, Name of Initiative
Lead Agency
Tallaght West, CDI Tallaght
Tallaght West Childhood Development Initiative Ltd. (TWCDI)
Dublin Northside, Preparing for Life
Northside Partnership
Ballymun, youngballymun
youngballymun
Clondalkin, Blue Skies Initiative
Archways
Knocknaheeney, Young Knocknaheeney
Northside Community Health Initiative (Cork) Ltd. (NICHE)
Louth, The Genesis Programme
Louth Leader Partnership
Midlands
HSE Midlands Area
Bray, Supporting Parents and Early Childhood Services (SPECS)
Bray Area Partnership (BAP)
Finglas, Better Finglas
Barnardos
Dublin Docklands and East Inner City
Early Learning Initiative, National College of Ireland
Ballyfermot/Chapelizod, Family Matters
Ballyfermot/Chapelizod Partnership
Grangegorman, Vision Beyond Poverty
Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT)
Limerick City, Start Right
People Action Against Unemployment Ltd. (PAUL Partnership)
5
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
9:30am
10:30am
10:45am
11:05am
11:25am
11:40am
12:00pm
12:45pm
1:15pm
2:00pm
Registration, tea/coffee
Welcome and introduction
 Eleanor McClorey, CEO, youngballymun
 Laura Dagger, Early Years Mentor, Clondalkin Blue Skies Initiative
The impact of poverty on children’s outcomes in the early years
 Dr Dorothy Watson, Associate Professor, The Economic and Social Research Institute
Improving quality in early years settings in areas experiencing disadvantage
 Professor Nóirín Hayes, Visiting Professor, Trinity College Dublin
Break
Policy developments to support early years practice
 Bernie McNally, Assistant Secretary, Department of Children and Youth Affairs
The local experience of early years practice in the ABC Programme
 Sharon Byrne, Early Years Mentor, Better Finglas
 Kelda Barnes, Manager, Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service Ltd., Preparing for Life
 Karen Barrett, Key Worker, St Margaret’s Pre-School, youngballymun
Panel discussion
 Chair: Toby Wolfe, Policy and Research Officer, Start Strong
 Dr Dorothy Watson, Associate Professor, The Economic and Social Research Institute
 Professor Nóirín Hayes, Visiting Professor, Trinity College Dublin
 Bernie McNally, Assistant Secretary, Department of Children and Youth Affairs
 Sharon Byrne, Early Years Mentor, Better Finglas
Lunch
Breakout sessions
Driving quality and challenging poverty - implications for practice in the ABC Programme
Lobby
Main Hall
Main Hall
Main Hall
Lobby
Main Hall
Main Hall
Main Hall
Castle Hall
3:20pm
Close and feedback
Main Hall
4:00pm
Close
Main Hall
6
The impact of poverty on children’s
outcomes in the early years
Dr Dorothy Watson, Associate Professor, The Economic and Social Research Institute
Child Poverty in the Early Years: Impact of
the Recession
Dorothy Watson, Bertrand Maître,
Christopher T. Whelan, James Williams
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty
(Area Based Childhood Programme)
Dublin Castle
17 February 2013
Importance of Child Poverty

Child poverty is not just an immediate issue of the well-being
of children,

It has long term effects, so implications for ...




future of the economy
future demand on public services
important in breaking the cycle of disadvantage.
How has child poverty been affected by the Great Recession
and what were its consequences?
Outline
1. Data and Measures
2. Economic Vulnerability dynamics
3. Consequences for children’s socio-emotional development in the early
years
4. Conclusions and Implications
1a. Data

Growing Up in Ireland Survey (GUI) – survey of families
with children. Two waves and Two cohorts.

Early childhood: children born in 2008


Child aged 9 months at first wave in 2008-9

Child aged 3 years at second wave in 2011
9,793 families responded in both waves
Middle-childhood – children born in 1998

Child aged 9 at first wave in 2007-8

Child age 13 at second wave in 2011-12;
7,423 families responded in both waves
1b. Measures

Economic Vulnerability: people living in families with a
disadvantaged risk profile in terms of





low income,
household joblessness and
economic stress
Identify the vulnerable group using latent class analysis.
Socio-emotional Problems:




Emotional and conduct problems, hyperactivity/ inattention and
problems in relationship with peers
Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, Goodman et al, 1997)
completed by the child’s mother
Identify children with the ‘worst’ 10 per cent of scores
2a. Economic Vulnerability (EV) in Irish families
• Difference between the cohorts mainly due to timing of 1st wave
(before vs. at start of recession).
2b. Economic Vulnerability Dynamics –
Did the same families remain EV in both waves?
•
There was persistence and also movement
• into EV (‘Recession EV’)
• out of EV (‘Transient EV’)
Change in the profile of the EV group – economic stress more
central in recession
2c. Risk factors for Economic Vulnerability

Family type: higher rate of economic vulnerability for






Lone parent families
Larger families
Cohabiting couples vs. married couples
Education: mother has lower education
Age of mother - younger at child’s birth
Differences by whether EV Persistent or ‘Recession’



Associations are strongest with Persistent EV
Associations somewhat weaker for ‘Recession EV’
Those becoming EV in recession were a broader group

More couple families, more adults with higher levels of education
2d. Economic Vulnerability changed in the Recession



General fall in living standards was inevitable, given the
scale of the recession
Housing and debt were a feature of the Irish recession
Some groups were particularly affected (EV increased)





Working-age who had been at work affected by job loss
House purchasers who bought at the ‘peak’ - burden
people setting up businesses – the ‘middle income group’
households at the family formation stage (older adults
relatively protected)
Vulnerability changed in composition

economic stress and household joblessness became more
important while low income per se became less important.
3a. Consequences for Children

How did economic vulnerability affect children’s socioemotional development in the second wave?

Use a statistical model to examine the adjusted risk of
socio-emotional problems by economic vulnerability


‘adjusted risk’ = the level of socio-emotional problems we would
expect to see for different groups if they were the same in all
other respects
‘Other respects’ = child gender, whether early or mid-childhood,
family type, mother education, mother age at child’s birth,
change in family composition (e.g. separation, additional
children)
3b. EV & Socio-emotional Difficulties
•EV has similar association with socio-emotional problems for
•the two cohorts and
•for boys and girls.
3c. Protective Factors
There are ‘protective’ factors for both EV and non-EV children
 Children less likely to have socio-emotional problems where ...
 Mother in 30s at child’s birth
 Mother not emotionally distressed
 Good relationship between parents in couple families


Some protective factors differ by presence/absence of EV:
 Mother education - even more important in EV families
(Lower education has more negative impact in EV families.)
 Lone parent families: risk of socio-emotional problems
whether or not family is EV
4a. Summary




Economic Vulnerability (EV) increased for families during
recession (reaching 25%)
Risk factors for EV include: lone parenthood, low levels of
education
 Risk factors more strongly related to persistent EV
 Those becoming EV in recession had less disadvantaged
profile
EV associated with higher risk of child socio-emotional problems
 Except in lone parent families where risk was high
with/without EV
Protective factors: parental emotional wellbeing, parental
higher level of education, mother in 30s at birth of child, good
relationship between parents in couple family
4b. Implications

Attention to economic vulnerability of children needed



Core policy issue is to find the optimal mix of income
support, education/training & support for employment



Especially persistent vulnerability
But even non-persistent EV linked to negative outcomes
Child care likely to be particularly important for lone parents
Interventions to enhance the protective factors – mother
mental well-being, family relationships
A broader group became vulnerable in recession


Need for policies to address wider issues
Not just income support but childcare, housing
Thank You.
GUI – Timing of Fieldwork & Recession
Improving quality in early years settings
in areas experiencing disadvantage
Professor Nóirín Hayes, Visiting Professor, Trinity College Dublin
Improving quality in early years settings in areas
experiencing disadvantage
ABC Learning Community Event
Dublin Castle
Nóirín Hayes
School of Education
February 17th 2016
Presentation Outline
Definition and language
The mercurial concept of quality
What the research says
What policy says
How the current policy structure impacts on quality
Improving and supporting quality early years services to enhance child
development
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Definition and Language:
Improving quality in early years setting in areas experiencing disadvantage
Early Years Settings:
The home
Relatives/grandparents
Childminders
Nurseries/creches
Free Preschool Year
Infant classes
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Understanding the narrative
All early years setting are sites of early learning for children.
Period referred to as Early Childhood Education and Care [ECEC]
Internationally ECEC recognised as the first stage of education [ISCED, 2011]:
ISCED level 0 programmes target children below the age of entry into ISCED level 1 [primary].
There are two categories of ISCED level 0 programmes: early childhood educational development
and pre- primary education.
The former has educational content designed for younger children (in the age range of 0 to 2
years), whilst the latter is designed for children from age 3 years to the start of primary
education.
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Terminology Matters
An Irish difficulty with language and auspices
– Childcare
• Early childcare [0-3]
• Out of school care [4-12]
– Early Education
• Inside school system - junior/senior infants [4-6]
• Outside school system - creches, nurseries, preschools [limited recognition of childminding]
[birth – 6]
Conceptual and structural distinction between education and care – in flux.
Privileging education over care
Emerging use of Early Years serves to confuse
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Defining Quality
‘Literature indicates that to monitor quality, a country or programme needs to define quality…
Policymakers and programme administrators need to be clear about the … purposes for which
they are developing monitoring systems … Different views on what should be monitored and
what constitutes quality may arise at different levels.’(OECD, 2014)
Core Report (2011) identified four levels of competence necessary to facilitate quality ECEC: (i)
individual level; (ii) institutional level; (iii) inter-institutional level and (iv) level of governance
OECD (2014) has identified four levels of quality: i) service quality; ii) staff quality; iii) child
development and outcomes iv) curriculum implementation
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
European Quality Framework (2014)
Accessibility - Available, Accessible, Affordable, Useable, Desirable
Workforce - Qualifications; specialist pre-service training and CPD
Curriculum - Integrating care and education
Monitoring - Process rather than outcomes focus; positive and supportive
Governance - Coherent and enabling
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
From the IDG report
Identifies two policy drivers:
• Recognition of the value of early years provision in ensuring that children get the best start,
• Recognition that the availability of affordable childcare is either a barrier to or incentive for labour
market participation.
Explicit aims of the Government’s current investment in early years:
• To promote optimal development for all children and to narrow the gap in attainment between
more and less advantaged children, through the provision of quality early childhood care and
education services – through FPSY
• To enable parents to prepare for a return to paid employment by participating in training, education
and other activation measures - through TEC
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
From the IDG report
• To support families, particularly those in low paid employment, in making
work pay through the CCS.
• Implicit in these objectives is a further objective of poverty reduction.
‘The IDG is of the view that these four objectives are all valid and are interrelated
…. and that these objectives can and should work in a complementary way …
However …there is an inherent tension between the objectives relating solely to
child development, as compared with those that relate solely to the issue of
affordability and activation’.
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
[Unrealistic?] expectations of early education
Economic
– End poverty
Social
– Improve labour market participation
Educational
– Combat educational disadvantage
– Improve literacy and numeracy
Not a magic bullet and cannot function in isolation
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
The Child at the Centre – our duty of care
The child develops in midst of society
The child affects and is affected by it
Children are individuals – in context
They grow, develop and learn within their societies and cultures
Government policies impact on children more strongly than on any other group in
society
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Early Childhood Education and Care
ECEC one of a number of impacting factors on early child development and
learning
Quality ECEC provides rich, responsive learning environments which enhance
child development and provide stability and intergenerational benefit
Quality ECEC can only exist within a supportive, integrated and ‘competent’
system from individual level through to the level of governance
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Early Childhood Education and Care – what do we
mean?
Early Childhood Education has a history that – in modern terms - goes back to
the mid nineteenth century but, in fact has it’s roots in ancient philosophy…. And
the message from the earliest scholarship is that:
‘early childhood education is different from the concept of traditional education’
and has ‘transforming potential … in relation to sociocultural reform and the
rights and wellbeing of children’ (Giardiello, 2014:2)
.
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
The Policy Space
– Childcare for working parents
– Capital investment in childcare places – exponential increase in private
services
– Structural supports – local childcare committees
– Focus on cash payments to parents
• Fee Subsidy [CCSS]
• Child Benefit
• Early Childcare Supplement
– Prevention and Early Intervention Programme and ABC
– [Expansion] Free Preschool Year [ECCE scheme]
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
How does Irish policy fare internationally?
Comparatively Ireland ranks poorly
Investment is complex – child spend often subsumed into family spend
Most countries spend more on cash transfers and tax breaks than services. Ireland
ranks among the highest with almost 75% of child/family spend cash transfer and
tax breaks.
Investment in ECEC is between 0.2%/0.4% - OECD average is 0.8%;
Scandinavian spend is 1.0%+.
Research tells us that direct cash payments and tax breaks do nothing to support
affordable, quality ECEC services.
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
The Outcomes Discourse
Agenda for Children’s Services (2007)
7 National Outcomes for children
Better Outcomes Brighter Futures (2014)
5 National Outcomes for Children
IDG report on Future Investment in Childcare (2015)
Supporting National Outcomes
Outcomes - a useful framing concept for policy… but distract from the
importance of considering opportunities in the child’s day-to-day early learning
experiences and central role of quality staff [Hayes, 2015]
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
What does the research tell us?
From the moment of conception … early childhood development takes place at a
rate that exceeds any other stage of life. ………. The capacity to learn and absorb
is simply astonishing in these first years of life (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000)
If we don’t invest in young children, we’re going to have a less productive work
force, we’re going to have a less healthy population, and whatever we’re not
willing to spend today we’re going to spend a lot more of later on. (Shonkoff, 2008)
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Research on ECE and child development
What seems to be most important for quality, effective early years for children
[and society] is the quality of:
– Relationships between child, children, adults and the learning environments
– Interactions - critical spaces for learning in the individual but also in groups…. The crucial
‘in-between’ particularly in interpersonal interactions
– Everyday intentional interactions matter
– The process of Play
The Primacy of the Ordinary
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Why relationships and interactions matter?
The brain is partially mature at birth and continues to develop over the first years
of life.
Early brain research confirms the interconnected nature of social, emotional and
cognitive capacities
Babies and young children require stable, caring interactive relationships for
healthy brain development
Social brain development depends on and enables complex social interactions.
The quality of early experiences can determine how sturdy or fragile the
foundations are for learning and behaviour over time.
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Quality of relationships
To be effective interactions must be positive and occur on a fairly regular basis
over extended periods of time.
Young children benefit most from these relationships when they occur within
stable, caring and interactive learning environments.
Research has found that the quality of interactions is closely related to the
development and sustaining of dispositions, which can be either positive
[generative] or negative [disruptive].
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Learning to learn
The quality of early experiences can determine how sturdy or fragile the
foundations are for learning and behaviour over time….. particularly the
integrating function of the pre-frontal cortex
The skills necessary to control and coordinate information are developed in the
early years and provide the foundation for all later learning and development.
These skills are known as Executive Functions
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Executive Functions
Elements of executive functions include:
working memory and recall [plan-do-review]
activation, arousal and effort [willing and able]
mental flexibility [see possibilities]
self-control [manage impulsivity, stay focused]
Research finds that children with developed executive functioning and selfregulation do better in both the academic areas such as literacy and numeracy and
in general social adjustment.
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Impact of ECEC on child development
The Effective Provision of Preschool Education [EPPE] project reports that:
From age 2 all children benefit from ECEC.
The quality of Early Years settings matters.
The duration of ECEC matters
Part-time has equal benefit to full-time.
High quality of ECEC effects persist until at least the
primary school.
end of
High quality ECEC can protect a child from consequences of attending
low effective school
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Effective ECEC – five key factors [EPPE]
Quality of the adult-child [verbal] interaction.
Knowledge and understanding of the curriculum.
Knowledge of how young children learn.
Adults skill in supporting children in resolving conflicts.
Helping parents to support children’s learning at home.
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
What EPPE study found
Integrated services development difficult, importance of joining up
Tensions in policy: optimal child development vs. flexibility for parents
Pilot interventions much easier to implement than systems reform but are sometimes hard to scale
up;
Community programmes shift the curve but may miss most disadvantaged
Common feature of all successful programs is the quality of staff: well trained, motivated, and
clear in their purpose.
Staff investment is least appealing, delivering more is always more attractive
than delivering better.
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Supporting Quality in Irish Early Years Settings
We have no systematic data on the quality of ECEC services
in Ireland
We have no evidence, for instance, on the quality of
provision across the 4,000+ Free Preschool Year services
It is virtually impossible to give a strategic and realistic
overview of how to support quality in the absence of
evidence from a nationally representative study into ECEC
quality
Coming - as we do - so late to this issue we can draw on a
number of instruments which could be used to assess the
quality of young children’s early education experience
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Supporting Quality in Irish Early Years settings?
Síolta- Quality Framework (DES, 2006)
Aistear – Curriculum Framework (NCCA, 2009)
Aistear Toolkit and AisterSíolta Practice Guide
County/City Childcare Committees
National Voluntary Bodies
Better Start
Many isolated examples of good practice
Established political commitment
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
However - - No implementation strategy for frameworks
No strategic investment in training for staff
No career or professional structure
Insufficient funding to facilitate on-site quality supports
Poor conditions of service/high expectations
Increased inspection – TUSLA and DES
Increased administration – POBAL
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Barriers to supporting quality in EY settings
ECEC poorly defined and understood
Emerging split between early education and childcare
Insufficient [and inappropriate] investment
Precarious position of early years settings
Fragmented departmental responsibility
Outside mainstream education
Outside family support
Outside community development
Outside mainstream health
Outside mainstream social protection
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Power of Learning Community in areas of disadvantaged
Harness collective energy to build a sustainable Learning Community and
strengthen sectoral learning
Network across projects/CCCs e.g. SLT and Mentoring
Share and synthesise the data – qualitative and quantitative
Link Better Start [evaluations] with the NEYAI and ABC project learning
Build pedagogical leadership as the basis for professionally led, locally
sustainable quality ECEC provision
Review role of POBAL and CES in facilitating the harnessing of existing learning
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
To conclude
More children are spending more time in early childhood settings from a younger
age.
ECEC has a profound impact on children’s development
Quality ECEC has a positive effect on all children with a differentially positive
effect on disadvantaged children
Quality ECEC requires investment and support in services
Quality staff the key feature in providing and sustaining quality and effective
ECEC provision
Pedagogical leadership necessary to maintain quality ECEC
Currently ECEC in Ireland is varied in quality and unlikely to meeting the
expectations of policy makers and parents
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Thank You
[email protected]
Early Years: Driving Quality and
Challenging Poverty,
an ABC early years practice to policy event
Dublin Castle Conference Centre
17th February 2016
Policy developments to support early
years practice
Bernie McNally, Assistant Secretary, Department of Children and Youth Affairs
Policy Developments to
Support Early Years Practice
Bernie Mc Nally,
Assistant Secretary General
Policy Developments
• Better Outcomes Brighter Futures
• Inter-Departmental Group Report on Future Investment…
• Inter-Departmental Group report on Supporting Access to ECCE for
Children with a Disability
• Early Years Strategy under development
Childcare Package
European Commission Quality Framework for Early Years Care and Education:- The 5
essential components
The European Quality Framework
Access (available, accessible, affordable,
useable, desirable)
• ECCE 96%, CCS 48,000 places, 5000 others
• 2017:- 0.5% GDP (goal 1%)
Workforce (Quals and CPD)
•
•
•
•
Curriculum
• Aistear and Siolta
• EYSS (30 wte up to 80 with EYISS)
• 500K for Síolta / Aistear initiative
Monitoring
• Tusla and Educ Focussed Insp.s
• Alignment Group
Governance
• DCYA, Pobal, Better Start, DES,
All at level 5 by end of 2016
12% graduates
Learner Fund, new Level 6 Inclusion
CCC and NVCO training
Imminent shapers
1. Policy Development from the ABCs
1) Mainstreaming the Learning Task Group
2) EU Peer Review
3) Development of the Quality and Capacity Building Initiative (QCBI).
2. Review of DEIS
The local experience of early years
practice in the ABC Programme
Sharon Byrne, Early Years Mentor, Better Finglas
Kelda Barnes, Manager, Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service Ltd., Preparing for Life
Karen Barrett, Key Worker, St Margaret’s Pre-School, youngballymun
A Focus on Early Years
Early years initiatives operating through the area based childhood programme
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Introduction
• Sharon Byrne, Early Years Mentor, Better Finglas
• Kelda Barnes, Manager, Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service,
(Preparing for Life)
• Karen Barrett, Early Years Practitioner, St Margaret’s Preschool,
(youngballymun)
67
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Quality Early Years Practice
• Research tells us that the quality of early childhood education and care
has a direct impact on the developmental outcomes of children, this is
particularly true for disadvantaged children.
• The provision of mentoring and training supports targeted at early years
professionals enhances the quality of early years experiences for
children in these settings.
• Aistear and Síolta, our National Early Childhood Frameworks, support
and guide the work of Early Years Mentors in ABC areas.
• All ABC programmes deliver evidence based and evidence informed
interventions.
68
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Early Years Mentoring
• Mentoring is not a new concept, but the introduction of formal
mentoring programmes within the early years sector is a recent
development.
• EU report on Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education
and Care identified ‘continuous pedagogical support’ as a means of
improving the competence of teams working with young children
(2011).
• ‘Ten Years Of Learning’ CES report on prevention and early intervention
initiatives found that it is vital formal training be combined with
workplace coaching and mentoring to support professionals working
with children and their families (2014).
69
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Profile of Early Years Provision in ABC Areas
ABC Areas
13
Settings 144
Practitioners
1235
Children
6528
70
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Interagency
Initiatives
Parenting
Supports
Transitions
Programmes
Parenting
programmes
Referral
Pathways
Parent Care
Facilitators
Implementation
Informal
Supports
Teams
Incredible Years
Onsite
Mentoring
Aistear
Síolta
High Scope
Training &
Development
Speech &
Language
Incredible Years
Oral Language
Supports
High Scope
Speech &
Language
Therapy
FETAC
Chatter
Matters, Hanen,
Elklan
Infant Mental
health
71
• A Focus on Early Years
• Early years initiatives operating through the area based childhood programme
‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men’
Frederick Douglass
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service
• Largest community childcare setting in
Ireland
– 260 children (Birth-12 years )
– Full and part time day-care
• Facilities
– Indoors: 13 children’s rooms, 2 indoor play
areas, a sensory room
– Outdoors: 3 garden spaces
• Employ 95 staff (46 core, 49 CE/ Tús)
• High Scope Curriculum linked to Aistear
and Síolta
73
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Support provided by PFL
• Prior to ABC – Síolta Quality
Assurance Process
• Training and mentoring
–
–
–
–
Aistear induction (17)
Language for Life (10)
Aistear Environments (8)
Aistear Planning and Assessing (5 and
18 currently in training)
– Leadership (2)
• Provision of resources
• Featured on aistearsiolta.ie
74
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Impact of ABC
• PFL supports us to
– Meet the requirements of the
National Frameworks
– Train all staff members (directly or
indirectly) to use Aistear
– Provide financial support for 3 staff
completing Early Years degrees
– Adapt and improve the learning
environment
– Create a curriculum statement
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Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Impact of ABC
• PFL supports us to
– Foster links and build relationships with local
EY centres, staff and managers
– Develop children’s oral language by providing
Hanen training for staff and a personal link
with a speech & language therapist
– Build a legacy through leadership training
– Build our confidence
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Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Ongoing challenges
• The demands on time (staffing,
ratios, learner fund and ongoing
CPD )
• Implications of government
schemes (paperwork and returns)
• The ongoing concern around work
life balance for staff and managers
• Leading a community workforce
• Financial challenges and
sustainability
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Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
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Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
My role and involvement in Mentoring & Coaching
• St. Margaret’s Traveller PreSchool,
Ballymun
– 24 children aged from 2&1/2-5 years of
age
– Staff team of 6
• Mentoring & Coaching from
youngballymun
• Using Síolta, Aistear and High Scope
• Investment to support
implementation
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Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Supports from youngballymun
• The Learning Years Programme
• Mentoring, Coaching & Training:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
High Scope Training
Aistear training and implementation support
Infant Mental Health Training & Mentoring
Core Health & Safety Training
Management & Leadership training &
mentoring
Investment in Equipment & Resources
Mentoring support through the Síolta QAP
HANEN training
Ongoing onsite Mentoring & Coaching
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Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Impact of Mentoring & Coaching: Learning Environment
Before
After
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Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Impact of Mentoring & Coaching: More Integrated
• More Integrated
• With other local practitioners & Managers
through training, visits and other
meetings
• With organisations like schools, HSE etc.
• In the local community e.g. visits with
children to the library or park
• Parents more aware of and involved in
services locally
• Our Mentor is an important link between
all of the early years settings
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Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Impact of Mentoring & Coaching: Better Teamwork
• Better Teamwork
• Clearer about different roles and
responsibilities
• Communicate better together e.g.
team meetings
• Consistency
• Key worker system
• Strong leadership
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Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Impact of Mentoring & Coaching: Working with Parents
• Working with parents
• Much better relationships with
parents
• Key worker system helps
communication
• Parents much more involved in the
setting
• Attendance improved
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Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Impact of Mentoring & Coaching: Professional & Personal
• On professional and personal
development
• Child led instead of teacher led in
the past-reduction in conflict
• More tuned into the children's needs
and interests
• Much more confident as a
professional and less stress
• Observation & feedback
• Ongoing training and development
• Positive external validation
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Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
THANK YOU
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Panel discussion
Chair: Toby Wolfe, Policy and Research Officer, Start Strong
Dr Dorothy Watson, Associate Professor, The Economic and Social Research Institute
Professor Nóirín Hayes, Visiting Professor, Trinity College Dublin
Bernie McNally, Assistant Secretary, Department of Children and Youth Affairs
Sharon Byrne, Early Years Mentor, Better Finglas
Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event
Breakout Sessions
Please check your name badge for information on which session you have been allocated to.
Breakout sessions
Driving quality and challenging poverty - implications for practice in the ABC Programme
Breakout Session 1
Ground Floor (main room)
Facilitator: Catherine O'Brien, Childcare and Community Services Manager, Co-operative Housing Ireland
La Touche Room [D105]
(Docklands and East Inner City)
Breakout Session 2
Ground Floor (inner room)
Facilitator: Joanne Murphy, Co-ordinator, Louth Children and Young People’s Services Committee (Louth La Touche Room [D106]
The Genesis Programme)
Breakout Session 3
Facilitator: Maria O’ Dwyer, Project Manager, ABC Start Right (Limerick City)
Breakout Session 4
Facilitator: Marie Cuddihy, Development Officer (North Wicklow), Wicklow County Childcare Committee,
(Bray - Supporting Parents and Early Childhood Services)
Breakout Session 5
Facilitator: Fiona Hassett, Local Childcare Resource Service Co-ordinator, Family Matters
(Ballyfermot/Chapelizod)
First Floor
Chesterfield Room [C209]
First Floor (main room)
President’s Suite [D205]
First Floor (inner room)
President’s Suite [D206]
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Early Years: Driving Quality and
Challenging Poverty,
an ABC early years practice to policy event
Dublin Castle Conference Centre
17th February 2016
Close and feedback
Please give your feedback questionnaire
to a member of the ABC Learning
Community Planning Group