Working together for Children

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What is it?

Better Start is a new initiative of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA), collaborating with the Early Years Education Policy Unit of the Department of Education and Skills and Pobal to establish a single, cohesive approach to quality across the ECEC sector in Ireland

The programme is jointly managed by Pobal and DCYA

The primary service focus of the initiative will be to provide quality early years mentoring support to ECEC settings

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Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Early Years Programmes

Pobal – Funding / Data

Better Start

City/Co. Childcare Committees

VCOs

Tusla

Child and Family Agency

Education Welfare Services

Preschool Inspectorate

Policy and Research

ABC

CSC

Better Outcomes

Brighter Futures

Growing up in Ireland

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Department of Education and Skills

EYEPU

Síolta

Early Start

Síolta QAP

QCAP

NCCA

Aistear

DES Inspectorate

Early Start Inspection

Early Years Inspection

(planned)

Special Needs/Social

Inclusion

Autism preschool provision /

Home Tuition

Further and Higher Ed

QQI

University

ITs

ETBs

PLCs

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The Policy Context – Quality Development Quality Agenda – a range of measures to improve and

assure quality in Early Years Provision in Ireland:

Registration rather than notification

Revised regulations, standards and inspection process

Increased sanctions for non-compliance

Publication of inspection reports

Qualification requirements linked to funding

Quality Development Support for implementing Síolta and Aistear - Better Start

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Sector Development

1996

Regulation

2000 – 2010 Investment/

Infrastructure

2006 – 2009

Quality and Curriculum Frameworks

Workforce Development

Free Preschool Year –Universal Access

Quality Agenda

2010 - 2014

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The Evidence Quality Early Years services bring a wide range of benefits to children in terms of their overall development, learning and outcomes across all domains

High quality early years experience yields social and economic dividends repaying multiples of investment made

Expanding access to services without attention to quality will not deliver good outcomes for children.

Poor quality services can lead to "long-term detrimental effects".

(Starting Strong III, OECD, 2012)

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Returns on Investment in Early Years

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Key Stakeholders

Children

Birth - 6

Pobal

Gov. Depts.

State Agencies (Tusla / NCCA)

Universities and

Institutes of Technology

Childcare Committee

/ NVCOs Public / Media

ECEC services and Infant

Classes

Parents

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Building a Profession

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Education and Training

Quality Standards of Practice

Transference of Knowledge to Practice

Career Opportunities and Security

Progression Routes

Continuing Professional Development

Quality Assurance

Professional Recognition and esteem

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Quality Support Service Structure

Bet

ter

Star

t DCYA / POBAL

National Manager

3 National Coordinators

30 Early Years Specialists

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Government Commitment Start up and operational funding to December 2016

National Initiative with centralised management and coordination brief

Mandate to work with and coordinate all state funded quality support

Close working relationships within and across depts.

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Better Start VisionA national service which delivers State-aided supports based on the Síolta and Aistear Frameworks, to Early Years services in a coherent and consistent way, so that those services are of high quality and deliver positive outcomes for children

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Components of Quality

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QUALITY

Evidence

Standards /

Frameworks

Education and Training

Implement in practice

Better Start Team Profile

High calibre ECEC graduate/post graduate workforce

Breadth of experience across all aspects of early years education and care services

Skills and experience in leadership, mentoring, professional practice and early years quality provision

Continuing professional development

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Aistear and Síolta Practice Guide Resource being developed by NCCA

7 Pillars of Practice - Focus on Process Quality

Learning environment

Interactions

Planning, Assessing and Documenting

Play

Parents

Leadership and Ethos

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Children at the CentreState Policy

and Provision

CCCs / NVCO / Education

ECEC Providers

and Parents

Children Birth to 6

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Philosophy and Approach Children at the centre always

Strengths based, working from

where we are

Respectful partnerships and

collaborations

Evidence based best practice

Continuous quality improvement

Continuous professional

development

Focused on outcomes and results

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Role of the Early Years Specialist

To work directly with early years services to build their capacity to deliver high quality early childhood education and care experiences for children and families

To support a range of diverse early years settings, working in partnership with management and staff to develop and implement quality improvement plans

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Why a mentoring model? Coaching and other on-site, individualized professional

development strategies (consultation, mentoring, and technical assistance) have emerged as promising strategies to support the application of new teaching strategies and overall quality improvement among practitioners in early care and education settings.

The degree to which professional development is individualised and emphasizes the application of knowledge to practice is emerging as a critical factor in professional development

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The mentoring process

Enter into and build relationships,

Conduct an initial assessment,

Set goals, create a written action plan,

Observe, model practices, co-teach, watch and reflect upon video tapes of practice,

Obtain and review articles or other resources,

Participate in communities of practice

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What makes a competent mentor

Levels of experience and education that are higher than the average practitioner/educator in an early years program.

Experience as a practitioner/educator, content knowledge, and

Experience working with adult learners were valued characteristics of coaches in the studies reviewed.

(Child Trends, 2011)

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Key Tools and Resources

Evidence Based quality frameworks

Accessible Practice Guide

Standardised validated instruments

Observation and Feedback

Specific goals and action plans

Person to Person support and collaboration

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Considerations Maximising impact

Social inclusion / children in areas of designated disadvantage

Value for money / efficiencies

Service readiness

Support structures and resources

Sustainability

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Re-Building Trust

To ensure early years quality services support and nurture all children from birth to 6 years, and provide parents with the assurance and trust that their children are receiving the quality they need and deserve.

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Key Messages Quality is essential – not

optional

Quality is a professional obligation

Children deserve the best we can provide

We have the evidence, the knowledge and the tools

It is time to implement

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We are at a new beginning with the opportunity to really make a difference for children in Ireland

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Thank You

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